As our artisans struggle to survive in the wake of the pandemic, the Tata Trusts has been working with handloom weavers in Assam, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, through its project called Antaran. Over the past few months, this initiative has nurtured and positively impacted the livelihood and stability of 917 artisan households. It has also facilitated the creation of 37 active businesses and generated sales worth Rs 1.5 crore from campaign activities.
Now, it has launched a new festive collection created by select Artisan Entrepreneurs nurtured under the initiative. The participating artisans are from six hidden and lesser-known clusters of India with a rich history of cultural weaves and local handwoven textiles. With this collection, Antaran aims to focus on the idea of sustainable fashion while keeping the traditional fabrics and techniques alive like Ikat from Maniabandha, Odisha, Tussar Silk from Gopalpur, Odisha, Zari and Jamdani from Venkatgiri, Andhra Pradesh.
These handcrafted pieces can be purchased directly from artisan entrepreneurs at antaranartisanconnect.in. This platform has been created by Tata Trusts specifically to connect artisan entrepreneurs with retail buyers directly.
Antaran is a key intervention of the Trusts’ Craft-based Livelihood Programme, initiated to bring seminal changes in craft development. The initiative works towards strengthening craft ecosystems, building core strength of handloom textiles such as natural fibres, handspun yarn and natural dyes, while reviving and reinterpreting the traditional weave designs in these selected clusters for wider markets. Artisans also learn about design and business, and are empowered towards entrepreneurship and self-employment.