Craftepreneur returns to Chennai with 20 young brands reimagining Indian craft

Craftepreneur, The Crafts Council of India's exhibition for young entrepreneurs and designers working with Indian craft, brings together 20 brands across clothing, jewellery, ceramics, homeware and accessories. Craftpreneur began in 2014 and ran for several years before its last edition in 2019. After a five-year break, the exhibition is now all set to reach back to Chennai this weekend. We spoke to the core team curating the exhibition about what has changed since the last edition, how the brands were selected and what visitors can expect this year.

Explore 20 young brands bringing Indian craft into contemporary clothing, jewellery, homeware and more at Craftepreneur 2026

This year’s edition continues to focus on young entrepreneurs and designers working with Indian craft, while bringing together a wider mix of products. “Craftpreneur is something we introduced for young entrepreneurs who use Indian craft and are not yet very big,” explains one of the curators. “The main focus is on giving young entrepreneurs a platform,” they add.

Among the 20 brands, the curators point to a few that stood out for the way they work with craft. “Kalam Shastra and Neel Batik are working very closely with the craftspeople, and they actually live there. They’re part of the cluster,” they say. Studio Vam, meanwhile, caught her attention for its experimental approach. “A brand that seems to be trying interesting new methods is Studio Vam,” they point to its combinations of ajrakh with metal motifs, dhokra metalwork with decorative hair clips, and pieces incorporating blue pottery from Jaipur, glass beads from Uttar Pradesh, and embroidery from Bhuj.

Only two brands from an earlier edition return this year, both with substantial new product ranges, while the remaining participants are new to Craftpreneur. The exhibition brings together jewellery, ceramics, cushions, durries, clothing and other products. “It’s an exhibition where, when you come, you will definitely see how Indian craft is being interpreted and used in a modern, contemporary lifestyle,” they say.

“We were mainly looking at designers or brands that are involved with the craftsperson directly in getting their products made,” they tell us, while walking us through the curation process. The curators were also careful to keep the exhibition small, stopping at 20 brands to ensure the products are displayed well and visitors have a good experience.

Entry free. September 11 and 12, 10 am to 7.30 pm. At The Folly, Amethyst, Royapettah.

Email: anoushkakundu@newindianexpress.com

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