The beauty of art can only be seen from a beholder's eye and Akansha Dixit, the CEO and Co-founder of Craft Maestros (CM) believes that art has had a profound influence on our lives since ancient days. She says, "Be it in the form of paintings, carvings, sculptures or artifacts, art has always been a way of expressing oneself even when words and sentences weren't a form of communication. Artifacts of different ages help us understand our culture better.

Paintings like Pattachitra have showcased mythology and folktales in the most intriguing ways." Thus, her deep-rooted desire to see high-quality Indian handicrafts and handlooms becoming a significant part of people's lives enabled her to co-found Craft Maestros with Ajay Arjit Singh in 2018. It is the new age face of age-old crafts built as a one-stop destination for curated Indian handicrafts and handlooms made by master artisans from across the country.

Craft Maestros was built on four pillars for its consumers including authenticity, trust, quality, and affordability. "We curate high-quality and unique pieces from our artisans and today, we are the first brand of handicrafts and handlooms in India that provides Certificates of Authenticity along with detailed product info tags with each item. At Craft Maestros, we make sure that those reach customers across the country at absolutely affordable prices, as we have eliminated the middlemen layers," shares Akansha.

Benefits Of Technology In Art
CM is a pioneer in consolidating multiple demand channels through technology-led processes. These processes include creating models to bring all the major handicraft and handloom forms from across India under one roof driven by unique design and excellent quality. Technology being the backbone across the value chain of the business, fair and transparent compensation models are built along with creating systems and networks which help promote and sustain handicrafts as well as preserve the culture of India.

"We at Craft Maestros leverage technology to provide a platform to India's master artisans and help them find their rightful place in the global marketplace," confirms Akansha. For CM, the technology works in four dimensions such as access, experience, analytics, and management. The company has used technology to integrate the experience for the artisans and end-user both by implementing 3D viewing, AR, and even `Integrated Phygital' channels ­ covering from artisanal access to consumer experience to process a seamless supply chain model.

We at Craft Maestros leverage technology to provide a platform to India's master artisans and help them find their rightful place in the global marketplace

The digital era brings great opportunities for regional artisans to connect with the world at large. E-commerce has evolved tremendously over the last few years and the customer has come to expect innovation and ease-of-use in their shopping experience.

Connecting Artisans With Opportunities
CM's products are sourced from the houses of artisans who are Padma Shri, the Shilp Guru, the Sant Kabir, and the National Award-winners. "We curate eclectic, functional, and decorative pieces under home, jewelry, accessories, apparel, and wall décor categories. We have signed more than 60 master artisans across 30 art forms like Papier Mache, Dorukha Embroidery, Blue Pottery, Terracotta, Jaali work on wood, Tarakashi, Brass Engraving, Shibori, Dhabla Weave, Meenakari, Thewa, etc." Akansha affirms.

The artisans at CM receive a fair price for their products that helps in the continuation of artisanal legacy, sustainability, conscious living, and the preservation of Indian inheritance and culture. CM is also intending to grow 5X in the coming year taking Indian handicrafts at the global platform. Akansha and her team are also planning to increase its number of in-house designs to strengthen the brand identity in near future.