At Kairi 2016, a 3-day exhibition here scores of pan-India traditional hand weavers and printers have brought the best of their products not only to sell but to market themselves as brands.
"We are in business with Fabindia for past 27 years, but now is the time when we start marketing ourselves as a brand," says Mohamed Yasim who has brought with him his classic 'Prints from Jaipur' for Kairi.
"I asked my son to join our traditional business so that he could help in creating a brand name of our own. We will name it Dabu Prints," says Yasim adding that they have tied up with National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) to create a flavour of Dabu or mud-resist handblock printing predominant in Rajasthan, among future generation designers.
Among other artists is Amrita Chaudhary, a tough woman who started exploring Bandhis and Shibori craft after she decided to stand-up against the domestic abuse she faced.
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just one day this year, Amrita's business employs over 400 women now.
"When I started I didn't know the difference between peach and pink, I have learnt it over the years," she adds.
Talking about the exposure that artists get at exhibitions, Amrita says a lot more can be done.
"We make huge profits here, but what if we start using technology for creating our own website and catalogues, we will be able to sell our product at much cheaper rate than we do while in collaboration with bigger brands," she says.
With a foot-fall of around 300 people on the first day, Kamayani Jalan, Treasurer of organiser Delhi Crafts Council, says that she is happy that artists from remotest areas are getting an opportunity to have an one-to-one interaction with their buyers.
"These artists are invisible, they don't have any name. Our effort is to provide one-to-one interaction so that art-lovers get to know them," says Jalan.
Jalan says, with more regional travelling by tourists, this shift would benefit traditional weavers and printers in the coming days.