Indian Crafts - A Comparison of Contemporary World Crafts with Traditional Indian Crafts

Crafting is making creative artwork by hands, generally in India it was used to earn bread and butter by earlier artists but now it has taken a shape of a full fledged industry and people involved here are not only for making money out of it but also to explore thru artistic side, spirituality, regional excellence in crafting etc. there are many types of Indian crafts like jewelry making, needle work, quilting, weaving, pottery and metal work which constitute the major part of Indian crafts.

Indian Crafts – Earlier days - The ethnicity of Indian aura wrapped in artistically crafted materials was something which attracted the attention of all and resulted in demand of Indian products all over the world. The pad paintings from chittorgarh or dhokra art of orissa, wood carving of Jaipur and Jodhpur or marble work of Udaipur, it all has a very glorious part and certainly a very bright future. The history oscillates around religious beliefs and need to earn livelihood. The products were made through hands and used in day to day life. The quality of work was so excellent that it is able to maintain a secure space in the world of crafts.

Indian crafts – present growth path
The opening of global market has given us the wings to fly high. The exposure to various manufacturing techniques and designs and patterns have kept the Indian crafts alive and kicking. Now the craft has made such a space that it is making waves across the global market. Increasing demand for traditional goods has led to the increasing demand of handicraft products in domestic market. Brocades and zari work on sarees, Shawls or any other garment is in great demand. Goods manufactured from Kashmir, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and North Eastern states etc are in vogue. The most demanded products in domestic market and abroad at present are wall hangings, silver cutlery, brass pots, wooden sculptures, marble and wood inlay work, traditional paintings, enameled furniture, stone and wood carvings, metal, wood and stone sculptures etc.

Indian crafts – way ahead
The industry is growing at a rate of more than 20% a year. The emergence of internet and e- commerce have lead to creations of phenomenon like indiancraftsvilla which has put Indian crafts on the international radar, making the purchasing, viewing, reading literary information on internet, and what not. The products are being sold at such a mouth watering prices. The parternerships with global brands like fed ex and dhal has lead to increased efficiency. The industry is continuously integrating backwards and forwards, establishment of export promotion zones, foreign depots, export/import agents, seminars and trainings for the artisans are being held on continuous basis. We believe that with the help of government and the brilliance of our artists, Indian crafts industry will make itself a huge brand in very limited time.