392. Handlooms – Past, Present & Future

Laila Tyabji is Founder Member and Chairperson of DASTKAR. Helping craftspeople, especially women, use their own inherent skills as a means of employment, earning and independence is the crux of DASTKAR’s work.

Laila writes regularly on craft, design and social issues, and represents the craft sector on many national and international forums.

She received the Padma Shri in 2012.

As Managing Trustee of Srishti Trust, Ratna has dedicated her life to inclusive development through craft and community empowerment. She is the visionary founder of Aranya Natural, a pioneering initiative that empowers differently-abled young adults in the fine arts of natural dyeing, shibori, and batik. She introduced handmade paper to Athulya Paper Studio and set up the DELI bakery with Chef Ananda Solomon, along with a jam and preserves unit at Nisarga using 100% natural ingredients.

A committed member of Paramparik Karigar, she was instrumental in reviving handwoven sarees for Taj Hotels’ uniforms. Her decade-long engagement with the weavers of Sarai Mohana transformed lives through education, healthcare, and sanitation – building 65 toilets and supporting village children’s schooling. She also collaborated with Varanasi’s master weavers to revive heritage saree designs. In recognition of her tireless work, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Telangana Crafts Council.

Nandita Das has acted in more than 40 films in 10 different languages and has directed three feature films, Firaaq (2008),  Manto (2018) and Zwigato (2023), garnering much critical acclaim. She has served twice on the jury of Cannes Film Festival, among other prestigious festivals and was conferred the ‘Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters’ in 2011 by the French Government. In 2016, she founded Nandita Das Initiatives (NDI) which co-produced Manto, Zwigato and short films that shed light on pertinent social issues. Her first book, ‘Manto & I’ chronicles the journey of making Manto. With a master’s degree in Social Work, she continues to advocate issues of human rights and social justice.

Chandra Jain is a long-time advocate of India’s crafts and textiles. As Founder-President of Kadambari and a passionate promoter of Banaras brocade for over two decades, she has played a pivotal role in reviving and supporting traditional artisans through design, awareness, and market development.

She has curated and led numerous landmark exhibitions across India, and her work has been recognized for its impact on sustaining endangered craft traditions. Chandra’s approach combines cultural integrity with contemporary relevance, making heritage accessible and meaningful to modern audiences.

Shoba Narayan is the author of six books, a journalist, columnist and content creator.  She has written on a variety of topics and won a James Beard award and Pulitzer Fellowship. She has taught courses at IIM Bangalore and the Indian Institute of Science. She founded and co-created two websites: Project LooM, about textiles traditions of India, and Jewels of India: about Indian jewellery. She is the host and anchor of Bird Podcast: about birds and nature.  She serves on the board of Industree Foundation, Neev Academy and Natya Institute of Kathak and Choreography.  Her lifelong mission is to get fit without exercising and lose weight without dieting.