In a move aimed at strengthening the livelihoods of artisans, the Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation (TNHDC) Limited popularly known as Poompuhar, is focusing on artisanal empowerment and entrepreneurship, besides collaborating with Reliance Retail Ltd. to showcase handicraft products through the retailer’s extensive network.

“Our focus is on artisanal empowerment and entrepreneurship. We want to help skilled artisans tell the stories behind their crafts, build stronger customer connections, and use social media effectively. Our aim is to enable them not just to produce handicrafts, but also to market and sell them as entrepreneurs,” said, T.N. Venkatesh, Principal Secretary, Department of Handlooms, Textiles, Khadi, and Handicrafts, Tamil Nadu.

Pointing out that many artisans are aged above 50 or 60 years, Mr. Venkatesh said the department has set a target of training 100 young artisans in the age group of 25 to 30 years. “Our aim is to encourage them to take up these crafts as a profession and, by the end of the training programme, equip them to become independent entrepreneurs,” he added.

“We are collaborating with Reliance Retail, which will procure our handicraft products and showcase them across its retail outlets,”said Amirtha Jothi, Managing Director of Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd. said. “Arrangements are also being made to sell our products in the U.K. and Australia through a franchise model. We will also provide franchise partners with access to our website to facilitate sales,” she added.

Tamil Nadu currently has over 70,000 artisans and efforts are on to issue Pehchan Cards to help them access Union government schemes and financial assistance. The cards will also enable them to avail marketing support and participate in national and international exhibitions. “We also plan to expose them to successful craft clusters across the country, including the Kutch handicrafts cluster in Gujarat and the Kondapalli toy-making cluster in Andhra Pradesh.” Mr. Venkatesh shared.

Foray into gifting segment

Poompuhar is making a strong push into the gifting segment, with the initiative set to be launched ahead of Deepavali this year. The corporation plans to offer three to four curated gifting options across different price points.

“We plan to include GI Geographical Indication-tagged (GI) products in these hampers, which will help enhance the visibility and recognition of our traditional crafts,” Mr. Venkatesh said.

Tamil Nadu has secured GI tags for 23 handicraft products including Nachiarkoil brass lamps, Toda embroidery, Swamimalai bronze icon and Vilachery clay dolls.

Under the Micro Cluster Development Programme (MCDP), a project was sanctioned for the Thammampatti Wood Craft Cluster in Salem at a cost of ₹9.7 crore. The project includes establishment of a common facility centre with modern machinery for the benefit of wood carving artisans. The construction work is under progress and nearly 80% has been completed by the SPV.

“We are establishing a display-cum-demonstration centre at Malliakarai (Salem). This will help artisans display and sell their products. This will be inaugurated shortly,” said Ms. Jothi. Around 70 families are engaged in the wood carving industry, with two members from each family involved in the craft. This initiative is expected to benefit around 200 artisans associated with the sector, she added.