The Success Code: A hundred hands empowering our Indian kaarigars

Mint

12-08-2025

From the intricate weaves of the Banarasi fabric, to the delicate strokes of pichwai paintings, the true fabric of India is born from the hands of our kaarigars, each of whom are masters of the ancient crafts that they practice. The latest episode of The Success Code, a series of podcasts hosted by Rushank Shah, promoter of Hubtown, and presented by Mint featured sisters Sonia and Mala Dhawan, founder trustees of A Hundred Hands, a NGO and charitable organisation who are offering artisans from across the country ways and means to become financially viable through their craft.
The conversation began by delving into the fundamental challenges faced by artisans in India. Shah posed an important crucial question: 'Is it primarily an issue of marketing, opportunity or skill?' He further elaborated on the anonymity surrounding Indian kaarigars making the famous Pashmina shawl or banarasi saree, contrasting it with the celebrated origins of global luxury brands that often stemmed from skilled craftspeople.
'There isn't any doubt about the skill of our Indian kaarigars, especially the ones who have been at a particular craft across generations. The work is fantastic. But the biggest gap that exists is a combination of opportunity and understanding of the customer. When I say understanding of the customer, it's also access to the customer. For example, a very high net worth individual and a very skilled kaarigar – the opportunity for them to come together, to interact and to be able to exchange ideas or their work are few and far between in India,' said Mala Dhawan.
The market gap that existed was bridged by traders, historically, and it is this legacy that often keeps the artisan in obscurity. Sonia Dhawan, shared an anecdote about Sanji paper cutting artisans. 'I think one of the first things that we had, at our first event, our first Bazaar, was the Sanji paper cutting. These were guys who just cut free hand… people's eyeballs were popping out seeing these guys,' she said.
Shah sparked off an important discussion: 'So, if that paper cutting had a certain logo at the end of it, or was formed into a book and sold in a certain showroom, would it then not sell? If it's not replicable, or if we feel that it is at a certain skill level that is very difficult for a normal person to do, and is it just an issue of marketing and branding?'
Mala Dhawan asserted, 'I think it has a lot to do with marketing and branding. There are very high-end things that are sold. It's not that they are not available, but they are not sold by the artisan directly. So that's where the gap is. So he would sell it for, say, x, but the consumer would be spending 100X sometimes, but I would say 90 per cent of it is the marketing.'
Shah spoke about cultural factors and how, as a country, we don't celebrate our kaarigars – the recognition is often limited to specific regions or product origins (like GI tags). This is another factor that may contribute to the anonymity of the maker. Mala and Sonia Dhawan in conversation with Rushank Shah
India boasts of a whole host of designers who have become brands in themselves and are showcasing their products on the international stage. But, the same cannot be said for our artisans. At A Hundred Hands, the core philosophy is empowering artisans to establish their own brands, thereby providing them with greater autonomy and choice in how they engage with the market.
'One of our key philosophies at A Hundred Hands is to be able to help kaarigars build their own brands, and therefore they have a choice, whether they want to go through a middleman or whether they want to go through a designer. So I think it's all about an opportunity and a choice if they're able to do that,' said Mala Dhawan.
However, she also emphasised that branding goes beyond mere marketing. It involves guiding artisans in design to make their products catering to the demands of the modern-day market.
The first event for A Hundred Hands was hosted at the home garden of the Dhawan sisters, where they brought in artisans who had been trying to sell local food at small bazaars and were not finding the right market for their products. They couldn't afford to come to big cities and were unaware of where to go.
'We made handmade posters and put them up at little shops that we knew. It was to be a three-day event and by the end of the first day, they were sold out. They couldn't believe it.. So, that's how we really started,' said Sonia Dhawan.
The overwhelming success of this initial event underscored the immense potential that lay in bridging the gap between rural producers and urban consumers. The experience led the sisters to formalise this as a once-a-year event – a bazaar in the garden. They set it up as a charitable trust so that the artisan groups could be front-facing, in order to support artisans directly without the primary aim of running a profit-driven business.
'We let the artists interact directly with the customer to know what the customer is looking for..,' she added. They also actively encourage artists to conduct workshops and demonstrations, providing consumers with a first-hand understanding of the skill and effort involved in creating handcrafted products.
This direct engagement serves to educate consumers, bridge the knowledge gap between maker and buyer, and foster a deeper appreciation for the artistry involved. It also addresses the issue of consumers often being unable to distinguish between high-quality handcrafted work and mass-produced items. Mala and Sonia Dhawan
Today, A Hundred Hands has grown into a significant network that works with about 15,000 artisans. So, how are the 'right' artisans selected? Earlier, it was about selecting the artisans whose work they liked. But, over the years, the number of artisans seeking support has increased and A Hundred Hands has implemented a formal membership program with a rigorous vetting process.
Applications are carefully reviewed by an Advisory Board and a selection committee, focusing on the level of skill, willingness to teach, ability to conduct workshops, and prior experience with customers. The aim is to identify and support both highly skilled but backward artisans and those with significant potential. The research process involves thorough scrutiny of applications and often direct interaction with the artisans to verify their authenticity and understand their craft. Last year, they had about 1600 applications and only about 200-300 were selected out of there.
A Hundred Hands also runs innovative projects like their denim recycling initiative, where old jeans are repurposed into utility products. This project not only promotes sustainability but also provides livelihoods for underprivileged individuals, including psychiatric patients who benefit from vocational training.
Mala Dhawan explained the process, 'We usually ask for contributions from corporates or even groups of friends or apartment blocks, to give us corporate orders which are able to sustain the project. They send us old jeans which we process right from the sorting and cleaning and hygiene aspect, to making it into utilitarian products like bags, rugs , jackets, laptop cases, etc.'
'The project actually started with the psychiatric patients at the mental hospital in Bangalore, NIMHANS. The idea was a part of it to be more therapy as well as vocational training for them. Now, we have developed a few groups who have been trained – there are 22 different processes to be able to create it, and you really need to be trained in bag making as well. All you need to do is connect with A Hundred Hands on their Instagram handle,' Sonia Dhawan further added.
Click here to know more about The Success Code.
Note to the Reader: This article has been produced on behalf of the brand by HT Brand Studio and does not have journalistic/editorial involvement of Hindustan Times.