Tata Trusts’ Antaran is a craft-based livelihood program focused on reviving India’s handloom clusters by empowering artisans with design, business, and marketing skills to help them become entrepreneurs. The initiative combines traditional craftsmanship with modern design and technology to create sustainable livelihoods for artisans, nurture entrepreneurship, and connect their work to a wider market, bypassing traditional middlemen.
Impact: Antaran has directly supported artisans in clusters across states like Assam, Nagaland, Odisha, and Andhra Pradesh, enabling them to generate significant income and build sustainable micro-enterprises.
Objective: To create artisan-led enterprises in handloom clusters, foster a new generation of entrepreneurs, and ensure higher, more equitable incomes for weavers.
Approach: The initiative provides a comprehensive, end-to-end program that includes design and business education through incubation and design centers.
Key activities:
Provides training in design, business studies, brand building, and digital media.
Connects artisans directly with markets, including brands and customers, to eliminate middlemen.
Facilitates creative collaborations between artisans and modern designers.
Aims to create entrepreneur-led enterprises and benefit thousands of individuals involved in various stages of weaving.