The handicraft industry has proven to be the backbone of India’s rural economy for decades. It provides skillful employment to a vast segment of craft persons present in rural and semi-urban areas.
With an aim to revive the dying art of Indian Handicraft, SHILPKOSH was launched by Meenu Prashar, an entrepreneur, in September 2021.
THE START UP STORY:
Meenu Prashar, at the age of 45, launched her startup SHILPKOSH. With an experience of around 20 years, Meenu has worked as an interior designer and architect. She has worked on projects ranging from residential to commercial. She was designing a flat when she came up with the idea of home decor, wall hangings, and personalised wall décor to elevate the look of the property.
Meenu is a single mother whose main inspiration for her brand is her daughter. Her daughter came up with the moniker SHILPKOSH, which means “Chest of Handicraft.”
Meenu’s primary goal of launching SHILPKOSH is to elevate Indian handcraft. She has been running an NGO for 14 years and believes that underprivileged children should be educated about society and the artists who make it beautiful. Every state has its own art form; for example, individuals in Maharashtra and Punjab are unaware of papier mache art in Kashmir. Metal craftsmanship is popular in Chattisgarh, yet most people in Punjab are unaware of it. So, Meenu wants to bring together all of these diverse art forms and artisans in order promote their work and showcase it to the world.
Meenu believes that many people are unaware that India is the home to several cultures and art forms. People in India generally like foreign items, but foreigners visit India because of the country’s diverse art forms.
MISSION AND VISION OF SHILPKOSH
Meenu envisions holding workshops in every state to help artisans promote their work, spread awareness about different art forms and help local artforms gain popularity throughout the globe.
FUTURE GOALS OF THE BRAND
The future goal is to bring artisans closer to prospective buyers and make people aware of the endless art and craft of India. Every decade has its own manual of handicrafts, so Meenu aims to promote artisans, upscale the art and make these products more viable for present-day needs.
“We wish to open Shilpkosh stores all over India. Though Indian Handicraft is very popular all over the world, we aspire to create demand within India as well.” concludes the founder.
To know more visit – https://www.instagram.com/shilpkosh/
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