The Hindu Business Line : New tech for artisans to boost handicrafts sector

New Delhi, July 22 The Government has given special emphasis on creating and strengthening infrastructure for the handicrafts sector in the Eleventh Plan schemes by taking a number of initiatives recently for the artisans, the Union Textiles Minister, Mr Shankersinh Vaghela, said on Monday.

Inaugurating the National Handicraft Design Gallery and releasing the Book Handmade In India – An Encyclopaedia of Handicrafts here, Mr Vaghela said that our artisans could now have access to newer technologies and processes, markets, IT tools and institutions in order to improve their productivity as well as lead a better quality of life.

Area of focus

Besides infrastructure development, he said that the welfare of artisan is the major area of focus in the schemes for the handicrafts sector. He added that the Rajiv Gandhi Shilpi Swasthya Bima Yojana has been introduced during the Eleventh Plan under which about 9 lakh artisans have been covered and he hoped to cover about 40 lakh artisans by the end of the Plan period.

The Rajiv Gandhi Handicrafts Bhawan, set up in 2005, was the first step in creating infrastructure for the handicrafts sector. The National Handicrafts Design Gallery is part of the Bhawan. About 5,000 sq. ft is especially dedicated to showcasing the Master Creations of National Award Winning Artisans and Shilp Gurus, representing almost every craft practiced in different parts of the country.

The book, Crafts of India - Handmade in India, a colourful compilation, is a documentation of a diverse range of crafts of the country. It depicts the nuances of craft making, procedures, materials and gives a deep insight into the rich cultural and traditional heritage of the country.

The publication has a value for art lovers and historians, on one hand, and to academicians, researchers and buyers of craft on the other hand. A useful resource created by the initiatives of the Ministry of Textiles and documented by the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

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