06/08/2026
Last month, I had the privilege of being part of the National Level Selection Committee for the National Handlooms Design Conclave 2026, and the Headquarter Level Selection Committee for the Handicrafts Awards 2025.
There was one recurring revelation.
In the handloom entries, what stood out was the genuine collaboration between weavers and designers, working hand in hand to reimagine traditional weaves with evolved aesthetics. Being market relevant, yet deeply rooted in traditional practice.
In handicrafts, I found myself standing at the frontier of aesthetics,where it was the hand, not the algorithm, that continued to coin the genuine expression of beauty. Human skill and imagination embodied in clay, textile, wood, and metal. Nothing replicated.
We Indians, are extraordinarily fortunate to have such a vibrant culture and one of the world’s richest and most diverse repository of crafts.
In a moment when so much is being generated, automated, and optimised, it is the hand that creates.
