Accelerating Indian Craft Businesses Leveraging Technology & Innovation for Craft Startups Accelerating Indian Craft Businesses Leveraging Technology & Innovation for Craft Startups Accelerating Indian Craft Businesses 3 Business Model Innovations 76 Article: Crafts Entrepreneurship: A BPM Approach 78 Arun Grover, Independent Consultant Table of Contents Article: Marketing is Key to Success! 82 Nidhi Basin, Dy CEO, Concern India About Article: Improvise and Adapt for Growth! 85 Mahavir Pratap, Chairman, TIE Global Startup Oasis 4 CIIE.CO 5 Article: Age of the Individual - Powered by Technology 86 The Craft Catapult 6 Sheela Lunkad, Founder, Direct Create Start-ups Messages Megastores 88 Indi Collage 92 Foreword from Nagarajam Prakasam, Advisor, The Craft Catapult 8 Perfit 3D 96 Message from Chintan Bakshi, CEO, Startup Oasis 9 Desi Hangover 100 Message from Dr. Pallavi Tak, AVP, Startup Oasis 10 Fabriclore 104 The Craft Catapult (TCC) 12 Fabricmonde 108 Dressfolk 112 Defining Craft 18 Empowering Inclusion through Technology: Diving Deeper into the Ecosystem 116 The Craft Value Chain 19 of Artisanal Communities Article: Why Humanity Matters! Crafts in India & Our Craft Footprint 20 118 Nand Kishore Chaudhary, Chairman, Jaipur Rugs Accelerating Design Innovation in the Craft 24 Article: Financing the Crafts 119 Article: Powering Design and Market Intervention 26 Sushant Bhatia, Nishanth Nandakumar & Emmanuel Murray, Caspian Impact Investing Dr. Toolika Gupta, Director, IICD (Partner TCC) Article: The Commercials Of Crafts 122 Article: The Story of an Innovation 29 Manish Saksena, AADYAM Jaideep Mehta, MD, Karigar Weaves Article: Celebrating the First Steps of Women in Craft Entrepreneurship 124 Start-ups Kashika Sud, IIM Ahmedabad Karomi - The Handloom Tree 30 Start-ups Mura Collective 34 Amounee 128 Aavaran 38 Greenwear 132 Mulberry One 136 42 Bringing Material Innovation in the Craft Abira 140 Article: Protecting the Innovation in Craft 44 Kalaghar 144 Monica Moisin, Founder, Cultural Intellectual Property Rights Initiative Zaina by CtoK 148 Article: Working Capital for the Crafts 47 Gangsutra 152 Irwan Malhotra, Cofounder, Givfunds Social Ventures Expanding the Craft: Roundtable Musings 157 Start-ups P-Tal 48 Mentors Corner KhaDigi 52 Exhilarating, exciting and a huge learning experience 161 Cotton Rack 56 Sarika Narayan, Independent Consultant Khanak Design Studio 60 The Post Covid Era for Craft: Why Range will be key and not Hyperspecialization 163 Iro Iro 64 Anmol Gupta, Co-Founder, White Mountain Collectives. Sutrakaar 68 Shefcoz 72 Crafting Out of COVID - Thoughts from Experts and Start-ups 165 Accelerating Indian Craft Businesses 5 CIIE.CO is a social impact endeavour Startup Oasis is India’s leading regional of IIMA established with the goal incubator, that works with a vision to accelerate development by to ‘Create Future Startup Capitals’ in creating scalable and innovative the country. Startup Oasis’ focus is entrepreneurial solutions accelerating on catalysing start-up ecosystems in development and crunching time Tier II & III cities, where a wave of required to reach the un(der)served. disruptive innovations still needs to CIIE.CO played a pioneering role in the be cradled. With its well-structured Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem – and validated interventions, Startup conceptualising and running multiple Oasis promotes innovative social, evangelising and early stage seeding women-led, craft and technology- initiatives in Healthcare for masses, based enterprises. A joint initiative Agritech, Fintech for inclusion, Clean by CIIE.CO and RIICO, Startup Oasis Tech, Civic Tech, Deep Tech where is recognised as Technology Business traditional capital does not flow in. Incubator (TBI) by the government and CIIE.CO has been entrusted with more is registered as a Section 8 Company. than INR 100 Crore by 15+ Corporate Startup Oasis has its focus on four CSR’s and multilateral agencies since verticals - Social Entrepreneurship, April 2014 to assist/reach out to 95+ Regional Tech-based Innovation, impact focussed entrepreneurial start- Women Entrepreneurship and Craft ups. Entrepreneurship. Photo Credit: Fabriclore Accelerating Indian Craft Businesses 7 Photo Credit: Aavaran The Craft Catapult is the Annual Accelerator Program by Startup Oasis where select craft start-ups that are leveraging technology and innovation to build profitable and scalable business models, are offered technology support, patent support, business advisory, market connections, visibility and network as well as access to funding. Accelerating Indian Craft Businesses 9 FOREWORD MESSAGE A Fresh ‘Theory of Change’ Recreating Craft Chintan Bakshi for Craft CEO, Startup Oasis Nagarajam Prakasam Advisor, The Craft Catapult India has a very rich tradition and knowledge Startup Oasis has been at the forefront of crafts covering unique techniques and of supporting technology enabled craft WE NEED CHANGE does), no discounts needed – an Audi is never materials like spinning and weaving of start-ups. Being based out of Rajasthan, Change is a problem everywhere. But we sold at a discount. No need to make craft viral textiles, natural dyeing, metallurgy, block we soon realized that many designers need that change. And change is possible. We on social media – Rolex is not viral, as it’s not printing, furniture making, wood and stone and entrepreneurs were trying to build need authenticity, target the right customer, meant for all. craft. Some of these traditions are living sustainable for-profit business models have the right product positioning and traditions which have been around for more around the rich crafts and heritage of the strong storytelling. Craft should be a luxury CRAFT OUR SUPER-POWER than a 1000 years. It was the rich heritage state. Rajasthan has had some success and aspirational, else artisan is paying that Craft has the super-power to make crafts of India that made India the largest stories like Jaipur Rugs, Anokhi, Kilol etc subsidy. Craft does not need a pity story of consumption sustainable, a sector that economy in the globe before pre-Industrial that have inspired other first-generation grant, social impact, assistance for the poor can lead in sustainable production and times. Seen as the backbone of Indian’s non- entrepreneurs to build other similar business artisan, rather narrative should be of pride consumption both. Tesla sold carbon credits to farm rural economy, handicrafts account for models around the rich crafts heritage of the for authentic craft. Fiat. Entrepreneurs in craft need more focus, 15-20 percent of the country’s manufacturing state. need to learn to say No, take hard decisions, workforce. OUR APPROACH build on their unique strength, discover their At Startup Oasis, we have seen startup Japan considers artisans as artists and core. They need to get to the right customers. In the last 30 years, companies like FabIndia, entrepreneurs innovating across the value they are then respected accordingly. India Entrepreneurs need to focus on innovation. Good Earth, One More have been able to chain of crafts, the major areas of innovation considers software engineers more valuable There is some innovation happening through use modern management methods and being: than craftspeople. India has the same concepts like upcycling and recycling. innovative supply chain models to bring a lot * Design Innovations, start-ups developing number of software engineers as artisans, Traditional yet contemporary is the key. of these crafts into the mainstream Indian and new products using a traditional craft. around eight million; where the average IT international consumer markets. The USP of * Material Innovations, start-ups using / engineer gets a monthly salary of over a lac, A startup needs innovation across products, these craft-based products have been their introducing new materials in traditional an artisan does not even get ten thousand a processes and platforms. The second unique aesthetics as well as their inherent crafts month. generation of artisans will remain in craft and sustainability. Companies like FabIndia have * Supply chain innovation, start-ups using assume new functions like marketing, design, been able to “mainstream” Indian crafts. technology to bring more efficiency and The craftsperson/entrepreneur needs to etc. We cannot wait for 70 years for artisans to transparency in the craft supply chain use technology to strengthen the supply get over the trap of migration and/or suffering. While the Internet and the other rapidly * Marketing innovations, start-ups using chain, traceability, Blockchain and other Nor can we wait for our entrepreneurs to learn evolving technologies like Artificial technology to develop new customer processes. Right platform for selling craft from their own mistakes. An intervention that Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, acquisition channels or significantly that is innovative and effective. Give proof defines a new theory of change and catalyses BlockChain have disrupted traditional enhance the customer experience. of authenticity using technology. They craft businesses is needed. I believe The Craft industries creating new opportunities, must use their imagination and technology Catapult is a much needed intervention, and significant positive impact has been Craft Start-ups are the catalysts that can to create a strong story. ‘Make wrinkles (of we will make sure we go a long way. witnessed in the Crafts sector. Start-ups like bring new technologies and best business khadi) fashionable’,