For Mukesh (name changed), a craftsperson based in Rajasthan’s Bagru, hand-block printing is both skill and occupation. And yet, “Khoobsurat toh ye hai, lekin isse guzaara nahi hota hai (this is beautiful indeed, but it doesn’t feed us),” is what he had to say about his craft.
India is home to more than 200 million artisans; they comprise 15 per cent of the total population. There are more than 3,000 unique traditional arts and crafts across the country, of which 300 to 400 are actively sustained. However, the number of artisans and the diversity of crafts is steadily reducing. ““Why would we get our children to do this? This has neither dignity, nor money,” added Mukesh, when we asked him about how the Bagru block print would be taken forward by the next generation.
Osama Manzar and Meera Goradia.
Systemic problems due to traditional structures and the nature of informal economies have challenged the sector for decades. Therefore, many artisans themselves discourage the next generation from continuing their crafts. Along with killing traditional crafts, this is also leading to increased migration towards urban areas. The Digital Empowerment Foundation (DEF) and Creative Dignity believe that rural and indigenous knowledge should not only be preserved but be treated as guiding principles of modern society.
This is where digital empowerment comes in.
In today’s age, digital technologies can be equalisers and tools for democratisation of knowledge and access. While rural India has been moving forward in consumption of digital content, this is also an opportunity for artisans to be producers of such content. Stuck in a system where middlemen were their only access to markets, these artisans now have the opportunity to access markets directly through e-commerce platforms and social media. In the midst of this, there are uninspiring figures that keep the artisans at the margins—our research shows that only 20 per cent artisans possess the capability to sell and market their products online. While challenges such as lack of digital literacy, internet connectivity and device ownership remain, digitisation can be an opportune transition.
The Digital Artisans of India Awards 2025.
With this as context, DEF and Creative Dignity have been working with artisans across the country with training and capacity building programmes that enable them to become a part of the digital economy. A natural next step was to institute the Digital Artisans of India (DAOI) Award. It is an initiative to recognise and promote artisans who use digital tools to preserve and expand their crafts, heritage and knowledge. The initiative honours Indian artisans and organisations leveraging digital tools to break traditional barriers, enhance artistry, and expand national and global reach. In the first two editions held in 2024 and 2025, we received over 300 nominations from across the country. Twenty-four artisans were awarded cash prizes, and 40 artisan entrepreneurs were selected for a mentorship programme focused on digital empowerment and business development.
Indian artisans and organisations leveraging digital tools to break traditional barriers.
Indian artisans and organisations leveraging digital tools to break traditional barriers.
This initiative has also become a space for artisans to share and exchange inspiring stories and build a peer-learning ecosystem. Along with recognising talent, skills and preserving crafts, knowledge and heritage, this movement also mentors and trains artisans to take forward the mission of bridging the digital divide to democratise access to knowledge and preserve epistemic justice of rural and underserved artisan communities.
The fortnightly series that you will read on The Voice of Fashion brings you stories from this ongoing initiative.
Banner: Mentorship Programme focused on Digital Empowerment.
Osama Manzar is the founder director of Digital Empowerment Foundation and the creator and curator of the Museum of Digital Society. Meera Goradia is the chair of Creative Dignity. DEF and CD are co-curators of the Digital Artisans of India Award.