Since my childhood, I had a dream to do something for society and people below poverty line. No society can advance or progress without sufficient financial recourses. So I used to do lot of social work while studying in Ramakrishna Mission …then fashion designing in NIFD. Then I perceive that our Handicraft and handloom artisans have been keeping their young generation away from parental craft, and I started interrogating the artisans that why they keep their generation away from traditional arts? While doing my final project for NIFD, I could see the pathetic condition as well dyeing enthusiasm of our Chikankari work in Lucknow (U.P). I got a practical example there itself by asking them about their payments and betterments. And surprisingly I came to know that those artisans were hired on daily basis and been paid barely 40-50 Rs/day. Maximum one karigar was earning 1500 a month. And that’s the reason their entire family was at work to sustain their family. No education, no growth no hope for future.
As after my course I got offer from corporate world and my life started differently but my mind and heart keep on haunting always to do something concrete to revive Indian craft and give a new dimension specially to the dyeing arts. Accidently in the year 2009 in Bangalore I was required some educational toys for one school and one of my friends referred me to Shilpa trust, who were dealing with high quality lacquer ware toys, from their again I got my spark and it was the starting point of SEED. One whole year I thoroughly observed the so called channapatna art which is known as a toy land of India, and get to know about the artisan’s life and their struggle to revive this art. Slowly and gradually my wife Shipra who was working which Mahindra retail as a Deputy Manager Visual merchandising also left her corporate job and join hands. Now she is looking after the design and giving a new dimension to Indian craft. And then after my sister also joins hand with us, who was having PR experience in airline and media field.
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