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While art auctions and exhibitions build a perception of high value, this is seen more widely abroad. Yet only by a niche audience views Indian arts and crafts with value. India’s rich heritage and culture contributes to a beautiful spectrum of arts and crafts across the country. They are slowly lost due to lack of awareness. This is where EkiBeki steps in, a company that prizes rural craft above all, giving it a contemporary flair to create stunning pieces. They work towards

S VATANYA is one of the organisations that are part of ‘Pragati’ by Meta and The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation. Pragati is an initiative that incubates and accelerates early-stage women-led non-profits that are aiming to solve the livelihood crisis in India SVATANYA is a design solutions enterprise that empowers underprivileged women to become financially independent by training them to make handcrafted products by upcycling stock fabric and using sustainable material. I

Surabhi Yadav of Sajhe Sapne and Vishpala Naik Hundekari of Ekibeki are part of the second cohort of Facebook Pragati, a CSR initiative of Facebook powered by The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation. Their non-profits are empowering women to become financially independent. Rekha Balakrishnan Friday January 28, 2022 Facebook Pragati is a CSR initiative of Facebook powered by The/Nudge Centre for Social Innovation to incubate and accelerate early stage women-led non-profits th

The past year was one of huge personal changes as a family, as one child left home to join University. We did give him wings strong enough to fly off from the safety of his home. Mixed feelings of pride (we did raise him strong!!l). And sadness (he will need us less and less!) as he learns to independently thrive in his next phase of life. Upskilling the artisans for growth It is the same feeling with our extended families too- with the artisans and karigars who work with Eki

In cities, we measure life in promotions, quarterly targets, social media milestones, and curated success stories. We call burnout “ambition.” We call exhaustion “drive.” And when something collapses — a startup fails, a job disappears, a plan doesn’t work — we quietly panic. But in the villages of Medinipur, Ranti, and Bhilwara, reinvention is not a strategy. It is survival. In rural India, reinvention looks quieter. It looks like Rupsona painting after putting her children

In a world where history is often taught through the lens of textbooks and mainstream narratives, the opportunity to explore lesser-known stories is like discovering hidden gems. School textbooks typically focus on major events, kings, and political movements. While these narratives are important, they often overlook the rich cultural and social histories of indigenous communities, folk traditions, and the lives of ordinary people who shaped our past in profound ways. One suc

Bhil art is a traditional form of painting created by the Bhil tribe, one of the oldest indigenous communities in India. The Bhils live mostly in the states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra. Their art is colorful, vibrant, and full of life — and each dot in their painting has deep meaning. Understanding the Importance of Volunteering Volunteering plays a crucial role in strengthening communities. Non-profits often rely on volunteers to carry out their mi

Wearing our national identity Once upon a time, the simple, homespun Khadi became the symbol for India’s self sufficiency and defiance against the British raj. A symbol of our independence from the yoke. Vexillology. The study of flags Recently we saw another interesting challenge on the world arena, which got me thinking. This time the challenge was to global fashion giants! Team Mongolia wore their traditional tunics with the beautiful gold embroidery depicting motifs of M

History of Copper Enamelling (Meenakari) Copper enamelling, or Meenakari, is a stunning traditional craft where metal surfaces, typically copper, are decorated with colorful glass and intricate metalwork. This art flourished under Mughal patronage and was introduced by Raja Man Singh of Amber in the 16th century. While the craft is widely known in Jaipur (where fine jewellery is made using copper enamelling) and Varanasi (notably for the Gulabi Meena style), the copper enamel

After successfully onboarding leading designers Manish Malhotra, Anamika Khanna’s AK OK and Raghavendra Rathore who dropped their first NFTs on WazirX Marketplace, FDCI and Lakmé Fashion Week have partnered with Creative Dignity- a volunteer led movement working on the relief, rehabilitation, and rejuvenation within the craft sector, to now get artisans practising age-old heritage arts and crafts to be a part of this exciting new medium and create NFTs. Through the support of

The Starbucks Cafe stories Starbucks cafes tell a story through its own unique art and design, created in collaboration with artists from nearby communities. From thoughtfully working with local artists who share similar values, to ideating designs and finding creative new ways to bring Starbucks mission and values to life, the Starbucks design stores reflect the distinct personality of the surrounding neighbourhoods. Starbucks partnered with EkiBeki to source the histories o

The farmers who earned Rs 34,000 from four acres, now earn Rs 1,33,000 Forty-year-old Sethrichem Sangtam gave up prospects of a cushy foreign work assignment to help transform the lives of 1,200 marginal farmers in Eastern Nagaland. He introduced them fruit growing, prompting the farmers to change from shifting farming to permanent farming. His efforts were recognised as he became the recipient of the inaugural Rohini Nayyar Prize for outstanding contribution to rural develo