KOCHI: In an era, when different cultural identities and crafts indigenous to many states are dwindling away among people, CraftsBazaar is bringing artisans and craftsmen from across the nation to the world.
“India has always had so much diversity within it. Take a simple clutch purse and you can get it sewn as per Rajasthani, Gujarati and many other designs. But there are many problems that the artisans face, which does not allow their products to get appreciated as much as they deserve to be,” says Aparna Challu, the founder of CraftsBazaar. She goes on to talk about the problems of non-accessibility, retail shop owners acting as middlemen and lack of a platform to showcase their art.
CraftsBazaar was founded in mid-2016. This venture links rural artisans to customers directly. In January 2017, their group of 22 employees travelled across the country in search of these people and took artists on board. They document their art form, take pictures of their work and put them up on their website which can be accessed by anyone across the world via internet. In the case of remote places, they create mini CraftsBazaar, focusing on the craft form practised in that particular area. After putting up their platform for consumer testing in May 2017, they have become a full-fledged organisation.
Aparna is passionate about preserving this craft diversity in India. A native of Srinagar, Kashmir, her father was with the Indian Airforce and she grew up in different parts of the country, witnessing the amount of potential these places had to offer. “We want to connect India to Indians”, she says.
“We want to go back to how things were, a generation ago. Back then, things were tailor-made for you. You had a barber come to your house and cut your hair, sarees for marriages were designed by people who did it for your previous generation as well. That’s what these artisans do - produce things that they are asked to”, says Aparna.
CraftsBazaar specialises in producing such custom-made goods. The customer looks through the website and if they like a particular design or artwork in the ones that are present, they can send in their specifications or send a picture of how they want something to be made. The order is sent via email, text message, WhatsApp or a phone call to the artisan. If they can do it, they will confirm the date and time when the final product will be done. The money is directly transferred to their bank accounts.
“We want to start CraftBazaar melas in the coming year. First in the metros and then move to tier two cities”, Aparna says. CraftBazaar also sells seasonal food items grown in different parts of India. Aparna’s self-funded venture is looking to expand beyond their current online realm. She is planning to move from being a mobile entity into fixed hubs.
In a nutshell
Founded in 2016 by Aparna Challu, CraftsBazaar is a self-funded organisation
22 employees travelled across the country to get artists on board
Reportedly, the platform earned Rs 1 crore in their first year
Currently, a mobile entity, the founder plans on expanding to fixed hubs