Crafts Council of India

What Crafts Council of India does

Crafts Council of India is a Chennai-based non-profit organization founded in 1964 that promotes and supports Indian handicrafts, with a particular focus on traditional textile heritage. Its operational model is event-driven: the council curates and hosts physical textile exhibitions that bring together rural handloom artisans from across India — covering techniques such as bandhani (Gujarat), leheriya (Rajasthan), kantha (Bengal), ikat, and jamdani — directly into urban consumer-facing venues. The documented flagship event is a two-day Handloom Day exhibition at MRC Centre in Chennai featuring 39 stalls and artisan brands including Weavers Studio (West Bengal), Beej and Co (Shantiniketan), Nilambari Sarees (Benaras), and The Kantha Store.

The council serves two primary constituencies: heritage-textile consumers seeking authentic handloom products, and traditional artisans who gain market access and sustainable income via the exhibitions. Distribution is exclusively offline and event-based, with no digital storefront, mobile application, API, or e-commerce channel disclosed. Pricing, sponsorship mechanics, and revenue sources are not documented; the organization does not disclose funding rounds, headcount, or financial statements. Its stated functional value is the preservation of indigenous textile techniques (some, such as jamdani, reportedly taking up to 3.5 months per sari) by connecting rural artisans to urban markets and providing a curation layer that distinguishes authentic craftsmanship from mass-produced alternatives.

The technology footprint is effectively nil: no proprietary platform, no software products, no integrations, and no digital channels are referenced. The council's competitive position rests on its curatorial authority, brand heritage (operating since 1964), and aggregation of scarce artisan supply rather than any technology or data advantage. Geographic scope is limited to Tamil Nadu in disclosed operating markets, despite national-level artisan participation in individual events.

Name

Crafts Council of India

Legal name

Crafts Council of India

Website

https://craftscouncilofindia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Crafts Council of India is a 1964-founded Chennai-based non-profit that preserves traditional Indian textile heritage by curating physical handloom exhibitions connecting rural artisans to urban consumers across techniques including bandhani, leheriya, kantha, ikat, and jamdani.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Artisan Crafts & Handicrafts Preservation

akta.pro primary industry

Crafts & Maker Arts (Ceramics, Textiles, Jewelry, Mixed Media) (EDAMAAAD)

Keywords

• Handloom textiles
• Artisan exhibitions
• Indian handicrafts
• Textile heritage preservation
• Artisan livelihoods

Headquarters

HQ city

Chennai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

The Crafts Council of India is a non-profit organization that preserves and promotes India's textile heritage by organizing textile exhibitions that connect traditional handloom artisans with urban consumers. Its core activity is hosting multi-stall exhibitions (such as the Handloom Day exhibition at MRC Centre in Chennai featuring 39 stalls) that showcase traditional handloom techniques including bandhani, leheriya, kantha, ikat, and jamdani, while supporting sustainable livelihoods for artisans across regions such as West Bengal, Shantiniketan, Benaras, and Rajasthan.

Product overview

The Crafts Council of India is a non-profit organization focused on preserving and promoting India's textile heritage. The organization operates as a platform connecting artisans with consumers through exhibitions and events. Its core product offering consists of textile exhibitions featuring traditional Indian handloom crafts including bandhani, leheriya, kantha, ikat, and jamdani. The exhibitions showcase products from artisan brands such as Weavers Studio from West Bengal, sustainable textile brand Beej and Co from Shantiniketan, Nilambari Sarees from Benaras, and The Kantha Store. The organization aims to preserve India's textile heritage while providing sustainable livelihoods to artisans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Handloom Day Textile Exhibition

Quantifiable outcome

• 39 stalls showcasing diverse Indian handloom traditions at exhibitions

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• All India Handloom Fabrics Marketing Cooperative Society (AIHFMCOS): AIHFMCOS is a national cooperative society that markets handloom fabrics produced by its member weavers across India. It is directly comparable to the Crafts Council of India as both are organised vehicles that aggregate handloom artisan production and drive consumer access.
• SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association): SEWA is a large Indian member-based organisation of informal women workers, including handloom and handicraft artisans. It is comparable to the Crafts Council of India as both focus on sustainable livelihoods for traditional craftspeople and market access through collective action.
• Dastkar: Dastkar is an Indian non-profit Society that supports traditional artisans and craftspeople through exhibitions, marketing support and livelihoods programmes. Like the Crafts Council of India, it operates as a curated platform connecting rural artisans to urban markets across diverse craft traditions.
• India Crafts Week: India Crafts Week is an exhibition-format platform showcasing Indian textile and craft traditions from artisans. It is comparable to the Crafts Council of India as both curate multi-artisan textile exhibitions celebrating heritage techniques.

Broad incumbents

• Jaypore: Jaypore is an Indian retail and e-commerce platform curating handcrafted textiles and artisanal products from across India. It is a broader incumbent in the curated handloom and craft segment served by the Crafts Council of India, with a national retail footprint.
• Fabindia: Fabindia is India's largest organised retailer of handwoven and handcrafted textiles, working with thousands of artisans across the country. It is a broader incumbent in the handloom consumer market that the Crafts Council of India also serves, though Fabindia is a large national retail chain.
• National Handloom Development Corporation (NHDC): NHDC is a Government of India undertaking that markets handloom products domestically and internationally. It is a broader incumbent operating in the same handloom promotion and market-access space as the Crafts Council of India but at a national policy scale.

Emerging players

• iTokri: iTokri is an Indian e-commerce marketplace that connects artisans and craftspeople directly with consumers. It is an emerging player operating in the same artisan-to-consumer handloom category that the Crafts Council of India promotes through exhibitions.
• Weavers Studio Service Centre (Weavers Studio): Weavers Studio is a West Bengal-based brand working with handloom artisans on jamdani, tangail and other weaving traditions. It is an emerging artisan brand that participates in the Crafts Council of India's exhibitions and competes in the same curated handloom consumer market.
• Beej and Co: Beej and Co is a sustainable textile brand from Shantiniketan focused on natural-dye and handwoven fabrics. It is an emerging artisan brand exhibiting under the Crafts Council of India and competes in the same authentic handloom consumer segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Crafts Council of India