3 weeks ago
Five Indian Craft Brands Bring Handloom Artisans to Global Audience
Some people in India make beautiful things by hand, like cloth, blankets, and clothes.
These skills, called handloom and handicrafts, have been practiced for a very long time.
But it can be hard for these artists to sell what they make to many people.
A few special companies in India are helping them.
They put the handmade products on the internet so people all over the world can buy them.
One of these companies is called Gaatha, which started as a blog in 2009.
Another is Balwaar, where women in Punjab weave special blankets called khes and rugs called durries.
Porgai helps women in Tamil Nadu keep their traditional Lambadi embroidery alive with bright threads, mirrors, and coins.
These companies make sure the artists stay at the center of the story and get a chance to share their work with everyone.
Five Indian craft enterprises — Gaatha, Balwaar Rural India, Porgai, Ura Maku, and Metaphor Racha — are bringing handloom and artisan-made products to global audiences.
Gaatha, founded by National Institute of Design alumni Shivani Dhar and Sumiran Pandya, grew from a 2009 blog into an online platform (2013) and a research archive portal (2019), now serving over 2,000 artisans.
Balwaar Rural India, started by Kiran R Singh in Punjab's Balwar Kalan village, sells handwoven khes, durries, and charpois crafted by village women.
Porgai Artisans Association, an artisan-run collective of over 70 Lambadi women in Tamil Nadu's Sittilingi village, revives Lambadi embroidery; Porgai translates to 'pride' in the Lambadi dialect.
Ura Maku, led by NIFT-trained designer Manjushree Saikia, and Metaphor Racha, a Khadi brand from Karnataka by Ravi Kiran, create handwoven apparel and home essentials.
- Who
- Five Indian craft brands and their founders: Gaatha's Shivani Dhar and Sumiran Pandya, Balwaar's Kiran R Singh, Porgai's Neela and Gammi, Ura Maku's Manjushree Saikia, and Metaphor Racha's Ravi Kiran.
- What
- Five Indian enterprises are bringing handloom and artisan-made products — textiles, embroidery, clothing, and home goods — to a global audience while keeping artisans at the center.
- Where
- Across India, including Punjab (Balwar Kalan in Sangrur district), Tamil Nadu (Sittilingi village), Assam, Karnataka, and Ahmedabad.
- When
- The brands launched at different times: Gaatha began as a blog in 2009 and launched online in 2013, Porgai started almost 21 years ago, Metaphor Racha was formed in 2011, and Ura Maku began around 2018.
- Why
- To support and sustain Indian artisans, revive fading craft traditions, and connect makers directly with wider, global audiences.
Key facts
- Brands featured
- 5 (Gaatha, Balwaar, Porgai, Ura Maku, Metaphor Racha)
- Gaatha milestones
- Blog in 2009, online platform in 2013, research and archive portal in 2019
- Gaatha artisan community
- Over 2,000 artisans
- Porgai membership
- Over 70 women from the Lambadi community
- Porgai founded
- Almost 21 years ago in Sittilingi, Tamil Nadu
- Metaphor Racha founded
- 2011
- Balwaar location
- Balwar Kalan village, Sangrur district, Punjab
- Ura Maku collections
- Nine collections launched to date
Sources
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