Small batch, big worry

Artisanal goods cost more. But they also stand for a different way of living and doing business. See how some of them are crafting change

- Shraddha Chowdhury

AkankshaBatra’s TheGreen Collectiveworks withwomenwho forage forpine needles anduse them to craft coils that are turned intodécorproducts. “You can’t compare this beautiful process to amachine-made piece.”

Pop quiz: What word shows up on a cheese menu, at a chic boutique, in a home-décor business, on handmade soaps and candle brands, in studio pottery and on Insta Reels? It dominated last weekend's flea market. We'd give you 10 points for guessing "artisanal", but alas, we only have eight. As with everything artisanal, supply is limited.

Most modern small businesses define artisanal in the usual way. It's a trade or craft practised using traditional skills, to make high-quality products in small batches. This supports traditional techniques and preserves fast-vanishing skills. It also offers customers an alternative to impersonal mass-manufactured items.

In big cities, where modern artisanal brands have mushroomed over the past decade, the term often just means over-fragranced, over-packaged and overpriced. "It's overused and often improperly understood," says Ishita Sudha Yashvi, who co-founded Tinkaa Tinkaa Clothing that made modern casual Indianwear in handcrafted cotton. "Very few consumers understand the value of artisanal labels." It's only one of the challenges artisanal brands face after their initial burst of earnest success. See how they scale up against the odds.

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