Marriage of crafts and social responsibility

A passion for Indian arts and crafts and a commitment to preserve it had four friends conjure a plan: an online platform that would deliver exquisite handicrafts, wrapped in stories and bring them to an appreciative audience.

A social endeavour that would spot talented artisans and craftsmen and turn them into entrepreneurs – that’s Aporv (meaning unique in Sanskrit). “We are as unique as every handcrafted product we sell,” they claim.

Sudip Dutta, a BITS, Pilani alumni, and INSEAD, was working with a corporate firm in the US when his official travels took him to China. What fascinated him most was how the country cherished its arts and crafts and marketed it differently. This got him mulling. Dutta was always passionate about social causes and admired the arts as well. He pondered ways to add value to art, and also bring about social change. That’s how he arrived at the idea of Aporv. It found resonance with three others — Subhra Banerjee, Shashikant Khandelwal and Deepak Kumar — and together they decided to bring it to life.

Dutta scouted the country, looking for artisans who have stayed true to tradition and crafted unique works. To start with, the Aporv team chose a few craftsmen from different villages in Mysore, Andhra Pradesh and Mizoram. They also linked with a few organisations working in the craft sector.

A few designers were roped in to help the artisans experiment with their art.

Wood marquetry, Kalamkari paintings, Rajasthani toys, Madhubani paintings, Bodo weave bags, Kinaura jewellery…the website has handcrafted products from all over India.

“Every product at Aporv isn’t merely that. We also give its story, thus educating the customers about what they are buying. This adds an intrinsic value to the product, making the customer appreciate the art more,” says Dutta.

Aporv.com is an online marketplace that gives handcrafted product-lovers from all over the world easy access to a unique collection of ancient, as well as contemporary Indian art. Dutta explains: “Your support offers us the opportunity to provide a platform for both well-established as well as up-and-coming craftsmen from all over India, and to give their work the global recognition it deserves.”

One of the aims of the platform is to strengthen micro-level financial systems and create sustainable solutions to societal problems in the craft sector.

Dutta explains: “Though craft is the second largest occupation in India after agriculture, the sector is highly disorganised. There are over 23 million craftsmen in India today. However, due to adverse economic conditions these craftsmen indulge in secondary occupations and the age old art is gradually fading away. Every seven to 10 years, 10 per cent of the craftsmen leave their craft in search of better opportunities. If this trend continues, Indian craft will be lost a few decades from now. We wanted to explore solutions.”

The team worked on the foundation for a year before they officially launched on World Environment Day, June 5, 2010. Aporv is funded by founder Dutta and his partner, Subhra Banerjee. They have already found takers for Aporv among several corporates as part of their CSR initiatives. 

Team Aporv is looking forward to making a difference in the world by educating people about lifestyle choices affecting personal development and environmental responsibility. They believe that “given a choice, people will choose a lifestyle filled with products that are unique, educational and life enriching — for themselves, their surroundings and planet Earth.”