Five Indian craft brands bringing handloom and artisan-made products to a global audience

Gaatha, Balwaar, Porgai Textile Art, Ura Maku and Metaphor Racha are five Indian craft brands that are bringing handloom and artisan-made products to a global audience. Each of these enterprises focuses on supporting and showcasing the work of artisans, while also providing a platform for their work to reach a wider audience.

Gaatha, founded by Shivani Dhar and Sumiran Pandya, has been operating in the craft sector for over 15 years. They provide an online platform for handcrafted products and the makers behind them, and have documented Indian handicrafts and handlooms through their Gaatha Research and Archive Portal. As of now, Gaatha supports over 2,000 artisans.

Balwaar, named after the village it originated from in Punjab, specializes in handwoven textiles such as khes, durries, charpois and embroidered pieces. Founded by Kiran R Singh, Balwaar ensures that the women who craft these textiles are at the center of the process. The brand designs its durries using Punjab's iconography, inspired by the women's surroundings.

Porgai Textile Art, founded by Neela and Gammi, is an artisan-owned and artisan-run organization that promotes Lambadi embroidery in Tamil Nadu. The embroidery, which translates to 'pride' in the Lambadi dialect, reflects the nomadic Banjara/Lambani tribe's cultural journeys. Porgai comprises over 70 local women and creates a variety of items, including saris, blouses, kurtas, set mundu, shirts and textile works.

Ura Maku, based in the upper valleys of Assam, is a clothing line created by Manjushree Saikia. After graduating from NIFT and traveling to various craft clusters across India, Saikia realized the importance of supporting Indian artisans and society. Her designs are timeless and classic, crafted using fabrics that are handwoven by artisans in Assam, with a focus on local and rural craftspersons.

Metaphor Racha, started by Ravi Kiran, is a Khadi brand dedicated to supporting local and rural craftspersons in Karnataka. Kiran, a B.Sc (electronics) graduate, realized his true calling was working with handcrafted textiles during his time in garment factories. Metaphor Racha connects with weavers, designs the products, and markets them, promoting the motto: "rural hands, global spirit."