Why handcrafted goods struggle in India: we don’t value the artisan enough ?

This might be uncomfortable to say, but I think it’s a core issue holding back India’s handcrafted goods market.

Unlike countries like Japan or the USA, where artisan value itself is respected and priced into the product, the Indian domestic market largely evaluates handcrafted goods only on utility and price.

In India,

“Handmade” often means why is it so expensive?

Craftsmanship is expected, not rewarded.

Time, skill, lineage, and cultural depth rarely translate into higher willingness to pay.

Ironically, the same handcrafted products often sell better overseas—where buyers actively look for:

The maker’s story

Traditional techniques

Imperfections as proof of authenticity

Limited production, not scalability

Here, the first bottleneck isn’t supply, skill, or heritage.

It’s demand-side perception.

Mass-manufactured goods have trained us to:

Compare everything to factory prices

Negotiate down artisan work

Treat crafts as souvenirs, not value assets

Until we:

Teach consumers to distinguish craft from commodity

Build strong artisan-led brands (not just “cheap ethnic decor”)

Respect labor and time the way we respect gold weight or brand logos

…the domestic handcrafted market will remain constrained, while exports thrive.

Would love to hear:

Do you think this mindset is changing with younger buyers?

Is price sensitivity the real issue—or lack of storytelling?

Why do we celebrate “Made in Japan” craftsmanship but hesitate to pay Indian artisans fairly?

Looking forward to perspectives—especially from artisans, designers, and buyers.

Submitted December 21, 2025 at 01:37AM by Tas_J_Nehru https://ift.tt/V4Bv9fr