Buying Gifts for Festive Season? Shop From These 8 Places to Help India’s Incredible Artisans

Happiness grows when it’s shared, and here’s your chance to experience it for yourself! The next time you purchase a gift for your near and dear ones, you can put a smile on more faces than one by buying from an artisanal brand. 

With ‘vocal for local’ being heralded as the need of the hour, why not use this opportunity as a time to step up?

Here are a few brands that work directly with artisans to curate some beautiful handicrafts among other products. Get shopping!

1. P-Tal

The kitchenware products at P-Tal are an attempt to revive the ‘Thathera’ metal craft which dates back to 18th-century Punjab. It was introduced here in 1883 when Maharaja Ranjit Singh invited the ‘Thathera’ craftsmen from Kashmir to settle in the city. They began crafting products out of brass, copper and tin, eventually evolving into a crafts cluster.

The artisans’ craft gained recognition in 2014 as the first Indian craft to be etched in UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. P-Tal is now taking the legacy forward through its range of kitchenware made by artisans of Punjab.

Check out their range of products, here.

2. The India Craft House

“Craftsmanship in India comes naturally to hundreds of thousands of its unlettered people who weave myths, legends and simple daily experiences into different forms of creativity…,” reads the India Craft House website.

The brand works with over 2,000 artisans from across Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Puducherry and Ladakh among other cities to ensure the artisans get a larger platform to showcase their works. Whether it’s dhurries, oil lamps or even piggy banks for kids, you are sure to find it here.

Check out their range of products, here.

3. The India Craft Project

When founder Saumya Pankaj took a trip through six Indian states a few years ago, she thoroughly enjoyed the time she spent in craft clusters across these places. Watching their cultures was a window into their lives and their work.

Fascinated by theyyam (a ritual art form) in Kerala and ajrakh block printing in Gujarat amidst other craft forms, Saumya was intent on building a larger digital space where these crafts could coexist. This was the inception of ‘The India Craft Project’, which works with thousands of artisans across the country.

Check out their range of products, here.

4. Jhappi

Through Jhappi’s unique model, beneficiaries across 38 NGOs in India feel a hug of hope when they are rewarded for their skills. Entrepreneurs Bhumika Marwaha and Bipin Joshi say this was what they always intended. The duo were looking to help people with disabilities, women from low-income groups, and more, through a model that would ensure they were being justly compensated for their skills and talents.

As Bipin explains, “To market products made by marginalised sections is challenging. Not because their quality, price or packaging is not right, but the way people perceive NGO products is the biggest hurdle. This would mean something more radical, more disruptive is needed to question the current attitude.”

Check out their range of products, here.

5. Guddee

While growing up, founder Harita Singh’s haven was the time she spent with her dolls at home.  In her opinion, this was the perfect world. Dolls made everything better, believed Harita who wanted to extend this concept beyond the playpens of kids. She went on to start ‘Guddee’ as an ode to this idea.

Today, the brand’s collection of tea lights, wall hangings, home decor and more is arguably some of the most beautiful ones you will find. These handicrafts are made out of clay, thread, wood and marble by artisans across the country.

Check out their range of products, here.

6. Kaati

The journey of the brand started in 1928 with its earliest carpets being woven with 140 knots per square inch. Weavers from Uttar Pradesh and local artisans were an integral part of the brand, which slowly transitioned to more modern washing techniques and high-lustre finishes for the carpets.

Take a look at their festive collection to take your pick of rugs.  

Check out their range of products, here.

7. Minimal Indian

Founder Adrita Sarkar’s long stint in the fashion industry exposed her to the many facets of this glamorous world. The National Institute of Fashion Technology student was always intent on creating a brand rooted in minimalism. A desire that was fortified as she travelled across the country and spent time in craft clusters.

These experiences shaped the brand Minimal Indian. Adrita works closely with studio potters from Bengaluru to make ceramics and other products sold by the brand.

Check out their range of products, here.

8. The Good Gift

What if we told you that every time you bought something from the platform, you were doing your bit to empower a woman from an indigenous tribe in the Nilgiris? These tribes struggle with their livelihoods — a fact noticed by duo Sunita and Suhas when they moved to the Nilgiris in 2018.

The duo set up ‘The Good Gift’ to enable the women of these communities to make products — dolls, coasters, accessories — and connect to relevant customer bases in cities.

Check out their range of products, here.

Edited by Pranita Bhat