A Hundred Hands is back in Bengaluru with their Spring Edit

When handmade products were still a niche interest in India in 2010, two sisters from Bengaluru set out to change how craft was seen and how makers were treated. Mala Dhawan and Sonia Dhawan spoke to us about the early days of A Hundred Hands, a collective they founded to help artisans sell directly without middlemen and retain their full earnings.

Beyond the festival, A Hundred Hands works year-round to keep craft relevant and inclusive

“In 2010, the biggest problem wasn’t that people didn’t appreciate craft — it was that artisans had no dignity in the system. They were invisible,” Sonia says. “Middlemen controlled prices, designs and timelines. Makers had no access to buyers, no voice and no sense of what their work was actually worth,” she adds.

From the start the collective built a system that let artisans sell directly to buyers with no commission. “From day one this was non-negotiable for us,” Sonia says and adds, “If we were serious about changing power dynamics then the money had to go directly to the maker. No commissions. No hidden cuts.” This model has stayed in place as the collective grew and expanded.

The Festival of Handmade remains the most visible iteration of this work but Mala says the collective functions beyond annual events. “The festival is the most visible part of what we do and it brings everyone together but A Hundred Hands works with makers all year long,” she says. The collective works directly with artisans on product understanding, pricing and market exposure. Over time this engagement has helped revive practices such as sanji papercutting, bhil painting, kavad and silpidi ironwork. “Keeping a craft alive is about relevance,” Mala says. The collective now works with more than 300 artisan groups across 21 states and engages makers from marginalised backgrounds including women-led groups, queer makers and those with cognitive or psychiatric disabilities.

This year’s Spring Edit also includes a Catwalk for a Cause where supporters walk the ramp in creations from the Spring Edit. Made visible through styling by Prasad Bidapa, this showcase will bring new energy to the festival.

INR 60. On till February 15, 11 am to 8 pm, NIFT Campus, HSR Layout.

Written by: Anoushka Kundu

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