Artisans practising many of the traditional Indian crafts are finding it difficult to sustain their tradition. Some crafts are dangerously close to extinction as the artisans have turned to other means of earning their livelihood and encourage their children to seek a career in mainstream professions. The situation has caught the attention of several activists, designers and non-profit organisations who are actively working with the artisans to provide them contemporary design ideas, marketing techniques, financial aid, process improvement suggestions etc. Some such organisations that are doing remarkable work for the artisans are Craft Revival Trust, Kala Raksha Trust and Dastkar. aims to do its bit by contributing a part of its profit to one or more of such initiatives and thus make a small difference to the lives of the artisans who hold the key to the rich, valuable, diverse and splendid heritage of Indian Crafts.

Dastkar and Marketing of Craft ...The means to earn and be independent is the carrot that can lead rural people into the development process. Similarly, an attractive cost-effective product is the carrot that can tempt the urban consumer into contributing towards that development... Laila Tyabji, CRT, April 2010 Building a Market for Indian Handicrafts ...Branded clothes, such as Levi's and Reebok, have become signifiers of contemporary style and 'modern India whilst handicrafts have become symbols of 'tradition' and even 'backwardness'... Sharmila Wood, CRT, April 2010