Conference discusses Indian craft & design market

The conference was organised by Jaypore, the leading curated online shop for India’s finest craft-based designs, with National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT). Over the conference, Jaypore participated in different capacities to further the conversation around indigenous Indian art and where the country’s design market stands on the global stage. Jaypore showcased its design capsules co-created by NIFT student designers and craftsmen from across India as part of its Craft Cluster Initiative with NIFT and its independent artisans' recognition initiative Karigar Kahaniya.

Jaypore also presented a short video on its association with NIFT, Indian craft and design communities. "Jaypore has been pulling all stops to act as a bridge between craft clusters and design schools. Our overall vision has been to help craftsmen and student designers move their work up in the market value chain and to give them access to global markets. Taking craftsmen beyond highly localised supply chains and offering enhanced exposure to students is one of the key aims behind our collaboration with NIFT. We are pleased to have participated in the conference which has taken these initiatives to the next level and has further enhanced the understanding of all participants about the potential, challenges and way ahead for the Indian crafts community,"  Jaypore’s co-founder, Shilpa Sharma, said.

At the event, Meera Goradia, head of craft cluster development, Jaypore, shed light on the under-reported offline & online crafts industry in India, the developments and initiatives which are helping it evolve its current unorganised structure and how online retail is opening new avenues for the segment. Overall, the conference was a stimulating affair, helping all stakeholders better understand the lacunae that still exist in the Indian crafts and design market. They also garnered deeper insights into how the online route can propel the industry into one that is competitive at an international level and the difference that initiatives such as those taken by NIFT and Jaypore can make. (RR)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk – India