CB BureauA one-year cluster development programme to provide skill and design development training to 1,000 women artisans in Barmer, Rajasthan, was recently announced by Yes Bank. Named ‘From Rural Cluster to Urban Market’, the women artisans will receive support in the creation and sustenance of market linkages, with on-boarding of retail partners such as Jaypore. The training programme will include design conceptualisation, stitching know-hows, knowledge sessions on current government schemes, understanding market linkages with e-marketplaces, and financial literacy. This programme is led by YES Arts & Culture wing of YES Global Institute in association with Concern India Foundation (CIF) and Jaypore.com.
Barmer, the fifth largest district in India, is known for rich crafts, folk dance and music. The arid climate makes other means of livelihood, such as embroidery work, quite important. However, due to market challenges, taking this up isn’t always fruitful or sustainable.
The Yes Bank project aims to correct this via a two-pronged approach of”
- Training them in the latest skills of stitching and designing. The project includes a design programme wherein a professional designer will assist artisans in developing new products with the traditional technique of appliqué
- Developing key market linkages via marketing partner for the project, in this case Jaypore.com. The new product lines will be introduced to new markets as well as sold on Jaypore.com.
As part of the skilling initiative, research was done to understand the artisan value chain and create customised solutions for existing problems. This initiative is part of Yes Bank’s sustainable-livelihood efforts to promote India’s art and culture. Impact assessment will analyse income increase, new product development, and creation of artisans’ IDs.
However, the funding model of this programme is still unclear. None of our questions were addressed directly by the Yes Bank spokesperson.
Four years ago, CIF had launched a similar programme to upgrade the skills of the Barmer women who are experts in producing traditional appliqué work for generations. The social outcomes of this programme, as per CIF, were impressive.
In a press release shared with CB, Rana Kapoor, MD & CEO, Yes Bank, and chairman, YES Global Institute, said, ‘We are committed to the revival, preservation and sustenance of India’s rich cultural heritage. We need public-private engagement in this segment more than any other, such that the original and historical “Make in India†products can be revived. Integrating disciplines like fashion, design and craft is an ideal way to foster “Craft in India†through quality innovation. Artisans are the custodians of indigenous craft, and training efforts must be pushed at the grassroots; crafts are not only our heritage, but also our global comparative advantage.’
Shilpa Sharma, co-founder and head, Jaypore.com said, ‘It is important to be able to create a new aesthetic that will showcase traditional crafts in a whole new language, to keep them relevant to changing tastes. We are happy to partner with YES Arts & Culture and Yes Bank to present to the market a contemporary sensibility in application for fashion and a collaborative design project which will enable traditional appliqué to come out of its limited role as an ethnic craft form. This is a wonderful way to channelize CSR for handicrafts sector in India for corporates and large organizations. Sustained initiatives such as these will strengthen the development trajectory in handicrafts in India.’