E-commerce site Etsy, which promotes unique designs in a global marketplace, has trained its eyes on the country
Vijay Joshi (in blue) and his family
It was 700 years ago that Vijay Joshi's family in Rajasthan's Shahpur district started the practice of phad paintings. Similar to pattachitra, it weaves storytelling and art to tell the tale of lesser-known mythological figures. Joshi belongs to the 13th generation upholding the tradition, having been bequeathed the legacy at the age of nine. And now, he has the opportunity to take this niche art form to a global audience thanks to Etsy, an e-commerce site that focuses on original designs, and which has launched its India operations.
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Indian quilts up for sale
The firm's modus operandi involves shining a light on three categories of sellers — professional artists and designers, home-makers and part-time artists, and traditional craftsmen like Joshi. "Eighty-seven per cent of our sellers are women, 97 per cent work from home, and 53 per cent started their entrepreneurial journey with us," says Himanshu Wardhan, managing director, Etsy India. He adds that the firm's operations here will involve identifying people across the length and breadth of the country whose art deserves to be taken out of the shadows to be showcased before 35 million buyers, spread across 80 countries.
Himanshu Wardhan
Wardhan also says that resellers are a complete no-no, which helps maintain the uniqueness of a product that's up for sale on the site. "The firm started in the US in 2005 and our base has grown to include two million sellers across the world," he tells us.
That number will only increase once Etsy's India team identifies the wealth of artists in our neck of the woods. And the site's arrival here involves an event in SoBo today that will include workshops on woodwork and zine-making, and a panel discussion on innovation, creativity and sustainability. So head to the venue if you feel that there's an artist like Joshi inside you that's waiting to burst out, so that you can laugh your way to the bank in the bargain.
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