USTTAD (Upgrading Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/ Crafts for Development) Scheme

Client: National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad (for Ministry of Minority Affairs, Government of India)

Role: Managing documentation for various mediums across craft clusters

Duration: April 2021-Current

USTTAD scheme, an initiative of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, GoI, targets skill and product development for minority craft communities. As part of this project, I have managed the documentation carried out by NID for ten clusters across India. The documentation activities include development of three reports - Craft Document which captures details of the craft practice and processes, Project Report which captures details of workshops conducted by NID, and Product Catalogue which showcases various products made during these workshops, along with films and social media (Instagram).

Additionally, I was part of executing an exhibition of these clusters at the Red Fort, launched as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design (ABCD). I have also co-authored the following academic and media articles based on this project:

1. ‘Documentation of Craft in India: A historical overview from early 20th century to present day’, co-authored with Tanishka Kachru (Sr. Faculty, Exhibition Design, NID Ahmedabad) for the Handbook of Craft and Sustainability in India, to be published by Routledge (Forthcoming)

2. ‘Story of Goan Crochet: Reflections from the Artisans’, co-authored with Varun Shashni (Faculty, Apparel Design, NID Ahmedabad). Hindi version published in Rupankan, Magazine of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. (December 2023)