Design Collaboration as a Means of Supporting Craft Sustainability in Rural Sectors of India

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6239-620-3_6How to use a DOI?

Keywords

cultural preservation; designer-artisan collaboration; entrepreneurship strategies; indigenous craft; sustainable rural economy

Abstract

This study examines the development of a distinctive wood carving craft tradition in Saharanpur through an incubation project aimed at supporting artisans in developing entrepreneurial initiatives. It examines how artisans have adapted and modified their age-old traditional techniques based on evolving and contemporary market and global industry demands while preserving their cultural identity. Based on a review of literature and detailed ethnographic research, the study aims to evaluate the role of designers in supporting artisans’ entrepreneurial journeys as a means to sustain traditional crafts.

The study used a qualitative methods approach by gathering data through narrative inquiry, observations, interviews with artisans and designers, and case studies. It reinforces the idea of shared learning becoming a catalyst for successful business strategies to bring impactful rural interventions to the forefront while maintaining the core essence and cultural legacy of the craft. The findings exemplify how arts, crafts, and culture contribute significantly to rural economies by empowering artisans with the tools to adapt and thrive in modern markets.

The study thus proposes a framework at the end as a means to preserve indigenous crafts while ensuring their relevance in contemporary markets. This approach can help empower rural communities through innovation-driven entrepreneurship. The literature reviewed helps position the findings to be globally relevant, offering a model for other regions where traditional crafts face similar challenges in adapting to modern markets. This study underscores the importance of conserving and amplifying local craftsmanship through collaboration, which helps its integration into the global economy and contributes to the larger conversation on sustainable development, cultural preservation, and inclusive entrepreneurship on a global scale.

Copyright

© 2026 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Divya Vijaychandran
AU  - Harsh Mohanty
AU  - Ranajeet Lade
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/03/31
TI  - Design Collaboration as a Means of Supporting Craft Sustainability in Rural Sectors of India
BT  - Proceedings of the ATLAS International Design Conference 2025 (AIDC 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 89
EP  - 106
SN  - 2667-128X
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-620-3_6
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6239-620-3_6
ID  - Vijaychandran2026
ER  -