About Crafts Aqueduct
BACKGROUND
India is one of the world’s oldest civilizations, with its handicraft sector dating all the way back to The Indus Valley Civilization. It remains the hallmark of India’s rich heritage as it is embedded in our culture and rural communities. The handicraft sector in India has come a long way, keeping up with the changing demands due to modernization. The artisans who are the torch bearers of this rich handicraft industry, have, over a period upgraded their skills and are now more adept with modern craft techniques to gain international recognition and popularity in the urban markets.
With our treasured crafts people scattered all over the country, we have an enormous range of beautifully hand-crafted products from every state that showcase not only the huge variety of indigenous crafts that form a part of India’s beautiful legacy but every product serving a different utility and having the capacity to replace many of the other non-environment friendly products that are available in the market.
WHO ARE WE?
CraftsAQ has been set-up with the sole purpose to incubate our artisans who are tucked away across the country, in the remotest of areas, away from the visibility that they so rightly deserve. Our mission is to curate and bring to the customers some of India’s finest products that have been exquisitely handcrafted by our immensely talented artisans who have proudly carried forward our ancestral heirlooms.
At CraftsAQ, we firmly believe in inspiring our artisans, who have painstakingly mastered their ancestral artforms by bringing their work closer to you, thereby providing them with the much-needed prominence that will help nurture and create a sustainable ecosystem. We offer the guarantee of genuine and superior quality products that will not only accentuate your décor but will also justify the prices that fit well for the artisans as well as for you.
We pride ourselves in being environmentally responsible as we are creating a niche for sustainable, handmade and nature friendly products that will help reduce the carbon burden on our planet and take us towards a greener tomorrow. Our focus is to integrate eco-friendly methods in every stage of supply chain - from product development to the final creation.
The artisans of our country are the backbone of the handicraft industry, who through their hard work and passion are keeping our ancestral crafts alive. However, because of lack of sustainability, many are forced to let go of their legacy and search for alternative financial resources. We need to preserve this traditional reservoir before we lose them completely and Team CraftsAQ aims to bring them to the forefront so that they can make their primary source of income more sustainable.
Meet The Founders
Anurag Rana: With over 25 years of experience in business skills training and product development in the rural sector and among the marginalized sections of society, Anurag firmly believes that lasting economic growth can only follow an integrated approach to product development, skills training, market access and eco-effective processes. To this end, she has been working with low-income workers, imparting training and design inputs in order to help them develop products that are ready for contemporary markets. This endeavor has taken her to crafts persons in Himachal and Rajasthan, Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerela and Karnataka, where she worked with wool and livestock.
With hands on ground, Anurag strongly feels that the possibility of projects that will positively impact society is endless, and the needs of these people are real. However, the funds that these crafts persons receive are severely limited and this prompted her to establish CraftsAQ. Her recent project involves training women in the rural urban pockets around Delhi – NCR region to develop vegetable dyed crochet toys for children besides working on projects funded by the World Bank
Anurag is instrumental in Artisan Incubation focused on sustainable livelihood & vocational skills, environmental sustainability and healthcare. Anurag holds a master’s degree in Textile Design from National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anurag-rana/
Amit Malhotra: Amit has over 25 years of experience in the I.T Industry and has held various Sales and Marketing positions over the course of his career. His primary expertise lies in the setting up of businesses/ processes and execution of projects. His specialty skills are in the areas of sales, product management, channels, strategy, setting up businesses from the ground up, P&L management and business transformation.
His extensive experience in the corporate arena led Amit to a point where he felt it was time to give back to society. It became an important part of what he needed to do.
He holds a B. Tech degree from Regional Engineering College (NIT), Kurukshetra along with a Management course from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC) and Asian International Executive Program (AIEP) from INSEAD.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/malhotramit/
Our Team
At CraftsAQ we are proud to represent over 900 artisans from across the country who are carrying the legacy of traditional crafts. Our intervention has helped them create contemporary products for global markets. We source directly from these artisans and deliver to the consumers. No middle people, no additional costs. All proceeds go directly to the artisans thru digital transfers!