Craft Revival and Craft Entrepreneurship Since 1969

Shrujan (meaning Creativity in Sanskrit) is a not-for-profit organisation working with craftswomen in Kutch to revitalise the ancient craft of hand embroidery. In 1969, Chanda Shroff visited Dhaneti village in Kutch to help in drought relief work. There she saw, in the exquisite hand embroidery displayed on the clothing of the village women, a way to enable them to earn a sustainable and dignified livelihood. Later that year, she founded Shrujan.

Long before the term ‘social entrepreneur’ became part of everyday discourse, Chanda Shroff had quietly and almost single-handedly initiated what was to become a grassroots movement of rural craftswomen across Kutch. Chanda Shroff’s vision has also helped revitalise and safeguard the ancient craft of hand embroidery.

Shrujan craftswomen create a range of beautiful hand embroidered items that are sold in the Shrujan shop located in Bhujodi and through regular exhibitions all over India and globally. Over the years, Shrujan’s work has expanded to include research into and documentation of the diverse embroideries of Kutch, and the communities that practise these embroideries; we are also involved in other outreach activities in different parts of Kutch.

Image and text source-Shrujan Trust