Traditional Art: Major Vehicle for People’s Economic Progress

The Prime Minister stated that India’s traditional arts are empowering society and emerging as a major vehicle for people’s economic progress during Mann ki Baat.

India’s traditional arts and crafts are experiencing a transformation, evolving from cultural symbols to engines of economic growth. Prime Minister of India’s recent Mann Ki Baat address highlighted how traditional art as a major vehicle for people’s economic progress is creating livelihoods while preserving our cultural heritage. 

This shift represents a change in how we view indigenous crafts, not as relics of the past, but as tools for modern economic empowerment.

Empowering Communities Through Cultural Heritage

The recognition that traditional art as a major vehicle for people’s economic progress is reshaping rural economies across India. In Andhra Pradesh’s Narasapuram district, the lace craft has become a lifeline for thousands of families. What began as a skill introduced in 1844 has evolved into an industry that employs one lakh women across more than 250 villages.

The Narasapuram lace industry shows how traditional crafts can create mass employment while maintaining cultural authenticity. Women who once struggled to find income opportunities now earn wages by creating crochet lace products. These artisans work from their homes, integrating income generation with household responsibilities, demonstrating that economic progress need not come at the cost of family life.

Women Leading the Economic Revolution

The striking aspect of this transformation is the role women play in these industries. The lace craft of Narasapuram has been preserved through generations by women who maintained this art form with patience and dedication. Today, these women are not preserving tradition but driving economic change.

In Manipur, stories of women entrepreneurs are emerging. Margaret Ramtharsiem of Churachandpur transformed from a handicraft artist into an entrepreneur whose unit now employs over 50 artists. Her vision connected Manipur’s traditional products, bamboo and wood crafts, to markets across India, including Delhi. This journey from artisan to business leader shows how traditional skills combined with modern business acumen can create economic opportunities.

Another example is Chokhone Krichena from Senapati district, who expanded her family’s traditional farming knowledge into floriculture. By connecting this work with markets, she empowers local communities while preserving traditional agricultural wisdom. These women demonstrate that traditional art as a major vehicle for people’s economic progress is not an abstract concept but a reality transforming lives.

Government Support: Building Bridges to Success

The success of traditional arts in driving economic progress owes much to government interventions. The Andhra Pradesh government, in collaboration with NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), has implemented support programs for Narasapuram lace artisans. These initiatives focus on teaching new designs, providing skill training, and connecting artisans with new markets.

The granting of the Geographical Indication (GI) tag to Narasapuram lace represents a policy intervention. This legal protection distinguishes authentic handcrafted products from machine-made imitations, allowing artisans to command prices in international markets. The GI tag transforms the product from a commodity into a heritage item with origin and authenticity markers.

The One District One Product scheme strengthens this ecosystem by identifying and promoting products from each district. This approach ensures support from infrastructure development to marketing assistance, enabling traditional crafts to compete in global markets.

Market Linkages: From Local to Global

The transformation required breaking down barriers between rural artisans and urban markets. Government initiatives have created these linkages. The Narasapuram lace industry now produces over 500 products, moving beyond traditional doilies to include garments like shrugs and ponchos, accessories such as mobile covers and purses, and home furnishings including cushion covers and table runners.

This product diversification responds to modern market demands while maintaining traditional craftsmanship. Export figures tell the success story. Narasapuram’s crochet lace exports have crossed ₹150 crores, with demand from the United States, United Kingdom, and France.

Digital platforms have democratized market access. The Government e-Marketplace allows artisan cooperatives and Self-Help Groups to sell to government departments and buyers nationwide, eliminating middlemen who captured most of the value. This access ensures artisans retain a larger share of profits from their labor.

Innovation Meets Tradition

What makes this economic revolution sustainable is the willingness to innovate while respecting tradition. In Manipur, Bijiyashanti Tongbram pioneered lotus silk production, extracting fibers from lotus stems that were discarded as waste. This innovation converts agricultural byproducts into luxury fabric that commands prices internationally, with scarves selling for $200 to $700.

Kauna grass crafts have evolved from mats to lifestyle products like laundry baskets, picnic hampers, and handbags. This design intervention multiplies the value of traditional materials, making them relevant to contemporary consumers while supporting 2,000 women in Manipur’s wetland villages.

These innovations demonstrate that traditional knowledge, when combined with modern vision and market understanding, becomes a vehicle for economic progress. The ecological dimension adds another layer. Both lotus silk and Kauna grass are sustainable, biodegradable products that align with global environmental consciousness.

Road Ahead

The transformation of traditional arts into economic drivers is evolving. Challenges remain in ensuring younger generations embrace these crafts, maintaining quality standards during scaling, and protecting against machine-made imitations. However, the foundation laid through GI tags, skill training programs, and digital market access provides a framework for growth.

As India projects its soft power globally, these traditional arts serve purposes. They generate livelihoods domestically while positioning India as a culturally rich nation internationally. Every Narasapuram lace product and Manipur lotus silk scarf exported carries India’s heritage to global consumers, creating economic and cultural value.

Conclusion

The recognition of traditional art as a major vehicle for people’s economic progress marks a shift in India’s development approach. By supporting traditional crafts through policy frameworks, market linkages, and technological integration, India is proving that heritage and modernity need not be opposing forces. Instead, they can combine to create economic growth that empowers communities, especially women, while preserving the nation’s cultural soul.

The stories from Narasapuram and Manipur are not isolated successes but templates that can be replicated across India’s craft traditions. When traditional knowledge meets modern opportunity, supported by government intervention, the result is economic transformation that enriches both artisans and the cultural fabric of the nation.

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FAQs: Traditional Arts as Vehicle for Economic Progress

1. What is the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Narasapuram lace?

Ans. Legal protection distinguishing authentic handcrafted products from machine-made imitations.

2. Who is Margaret Ramtharsiem?

Ans. A Manipur entrepreneur employing 50+ artists in traditional bamboo and wood crafts.

3. What is lotus silk in Manipur?

Ans. Luxury fabric extracted from lotus stems, selling for $200-$700 per scarf.

4. What government scheme promotes district-specific products?

Ans. One District One Product scheme.

5. Which organization supports Narasapuram lace artisans?

Ans. NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development)  with Andhra Pradesh government.