Production And Marketing (Introduction to Indian Art) | Old & New NCERTs for IAS Preparation (Must Read) - UPSC PDF Download

 Page 1


PRODUCTION AND MARKETING 6
CRAFTSPEOPLE’S most important prerogative is to create
objects that clients need which can be sold so that they
can earn a living and support their families. While
aspects of design and development of the product are
dealt with in another chapter, here we will look at the
various traditional production, distribution and
marketing strategies that are available to craft
communities in India.
A craftsperson is a skilled producer working primarily
with his/her hands and traditional, often simple, tools
to make articles of daily use. There is great
variety and diversity within the crafts
community in every part of India. A
craftsperson could be village or urban
based, who procures his/her own material,
uses manual skills learnt recently or from
family traditions. He/she may produce
utility items or specialised objects. The
crafts community may supply local markets,
sell through village haats, or transport goods
to urban markets or for export. They may
be self-employed or work as wage-earners
or as members of a cooperative.
It is important to understand this diversity
to appreciate the number of problems that
may arise for the craftsperson at every step
of  the process of production and sale. It is
important to remember how complex the
system is and how many such systems of
crafts production and marketing we have in
our country.
Page 2


PRODUCTION AND MARKETING 6
CRAFTSPEOPLE’S most important prerogative is to create
objects that clients need which can be sold so that they
can earn a living and support their families. While
aspects of design and development of the product are
dealt with in another chapter, here we will look at the
various traditional production, distribution and
marketing strategies that are available to craft
communities in India.
A craftsperson is a skilled producer working primarily
with his/her hands and traditional, often simple, tools
to make articles of daily use. There is great
variety and diversity within the crafts
community in every part of India. A
craftsperson could be village or urban
based, who procures his/her own material,
uses manual skills learnt recently or from
family traditions. He/she may produce
utility items or specialised objects. The
crafts community may supply local markets,
sell through village haats, or transport goods
to urban markets or for export. They may
be self-employed or work as wage-earners
or as members of a cooperative.
It is important to understand this diversity
to appreciate the number of problems that
may arise for the craftsperson at every step
of  the process of production and sale. It is
important to remember how complex the
system is and how many such systems of
crafts production and marketing we have in
our country.
CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 74
The structure for production and marketing of crafts
have the following framework:
PRODUCTION
Craft: This could be in metal, wood, clay, textile, gem-
cutting, jewellery, leather, cane and bamboo, tailoring,
etc. Each of these groups approaches its production work
in a different way.
Location: Rural, urban, semi-urban. The location
determines access to raw material, to different clients,
and transport costs. Each of these will affect production,
distribution and sale of crafts.
Raw Material: Does the craftsperson procure the raw
material independently or is it supplied by a trader or
the customer, as in the case of a tailor who is given the
material by the client to make a garment? The raw
material may be supplied by the government at
subsidised rates or by a cooperative.
Skill and Technology: Is the craft produced manually
or with semi-automated tools?
Page 3


PRODUCTION AND MARKETING 6
CRAFTSPEOPLE’S most important prerogative is to create
objects that clients need which can be sold so that they
can earn a living and support their families. While
aspects of design and development of the product are
dealt with in another chapter, here we will look at the
various traditional production, distribution and
marketing strategies that are available to craft
communities in India.
A craftsperson is a skilled producer working primarily
with his/her hands and traditional, often simple, tools
to make articles of daily use. There is great
variety and diversity within the crafts
community in every part of India. A
craftsperson could be village or urban
based, who procures his/her own material,
uses manual skills learnt recently or from
family traditions. He/she may produce
utility items or specialised objects. The
crafts community may supply local markets,
sell through village haats, or transport goods
to urban markets or for export. They may
be self-employed or work as wage-earners
or as members of a cooperative.
It is important to understand this diversity
to appreciate the number of problems that
may arise for the craftsperson at every step
of  the process of production and sale. It is
important to remember how complex the
system is and how many such systems of
crafts production and marketing we have in
our country.
CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 74
The structure for production and marketing of crafts
have the following framework:
PRODUCTION
Craft: This could be in metal, wood, clay, textile, gem-
cutting, jewellery, leather, cane and bamboo, tailoring,
etc. Each of these groups approaches its production work
in a different way.
Location: Rural, urban, semi-urban. The location
determines access to raw material, to different clients,
and transport costs. Each of these will affect production,
distribution and sale of crafts.
Raw Material: Does the craftsperson procure the raw
material independently or is it supplied by a trader or
the customer, as in the case of a tailor who is given the
material by the client to make a garment? The raw
material may be supplied by the government at
subsidised rates or by a cooperative.
Skill and Technology: Is the craft produced manually
or with semi-automated tools?
 75 PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
MARKETING
End Product: Is it a utility item that lasts a long time
like a belan or urli or is it a daily consumable item like a
flower garland? Does the craftsperson also provide
services like repair and maintenance, as in the case of
a blacksmith?
Markets: Can be termed village/urban, domestic, export.
The craftsperson has to adapt to the needs of different
types of markets and market demands. The client in
each of these different markets has a varied set of
demands.
Sales Channel: Does the craftsperson create objects
for the village haat, jajman, traders or for the
cooperative? Are the craftspersons attached to one client
or many and how familiar are they with the client’s
needs, changing fashions and trends?
Employment Status: Is the craftsperson self-employed,
a wage earner for a large or small organisation, a factory,
an export enterprise or a member of a cooperative?
Page 4


PRODUCTION AND MARKETING 6
CRAFTSPEOPLE’S most important prerogative is to create
objects that clients need which can be sold so that they
can earn a living and support their families. While
aspects of design and development of the product are
dealt with in another chapter, here we will look at the
various traditional production, distribution and
marketing strategies that are available to craft
communities in India.
A craftsperson is a skilled producer working primarily
with his/her hands and traditional, often simple, tools
to make articles of daily use. There is great
variety and diversity within the crafts
community in every part of India. A
craftsperson could be village or urban
based, who procures his/her own material,
uses manual skills learnt recently or from
family traditions. He/she may produce
utility items or specialised objects. The
crafts community may supply local markets,
sell through village haats, or transport goods
to urban markets or for export. They may
be self-employed or work as wage-earners
or as members of a cooperative.
It is important to understand this diversity
to appreciate the number of problems that
may arise for the craftsperson at every step
of  the process of production and sale. It is
important to remember how complex the
system is and how many such systems of
crafts production and marketing we have in
our country.
CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 74
The structure for production and marketing of crafts
have the following framework:
PRODUCTION
Craft: This could be in metal, wood, clay, textile, gem-
cutting, jewellery, leather, cane and bamboo, tailoring,
etc. Each of these groups approaches its production work
in a different way.
Location: Rural, urban, semi-urban. The location
determines access to raw material, to different clients,
and transport costs. Each of these will affect production,
distribution and sale of crafts.
Raw Material: Does the craftsperson procure the raw
material independently or is it supplied by a trader or
the customer, as in the case of a tailor who is given the
material by the client to make a garment? The raw
material may be supplied by the government at
subsidised rates or by a cooperative.
Skill and Technology: Is the craft produced manually
or with semi-automated tools?
 75 PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
MARKETING
End Product: Is it a utility item that lasts a long time
like a belan or urli or is it a daily consumable item like a
flower garland? Does the craftsperson also provide
services like repair and maintenance, as in the case of
a blacksmith?
Markets: Can be termed village/urban, domestic, export.
The craftsperson has to adapt to the needs of different
types of markets and market demands. The client in
each of these different markets has a varied set of
demands.
Sales Channel: Does the craftsperson create objects
for the village haat, jajman, traders or for the
cooperative? Are the craftspersons attached to one client
or many and how familiar are they with the client’s
needs, changing fashions and trends?
Employment Status: Is the craftsperson self-employed,
a wage earner for a large or small organisation, a factory,
an export enterprise or a member of a cooperative?
CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 76
The combination and computation of these different
scenarios is complicated and every situation requires a
suitable response in terms of production, marketing and
sales.
RURAL ECONOMY
In the rural economy the sale of crafts products
plays an important role. The crafts community is
commissioned to prepare goods by a client e.g. diyas for
Diwali. The weaver may be asked to weave a set of saris
for a marriage and may be paid in kind (with foodgrain)
or given a monetary advance. In these cases the crafts
community knows the clients and is aware of their
community, status and the kind of objects they
might need. Often the client is an old customer
and the craftsperson’s family may have served the
family for many generations.
Shawls are needed in every Kashmiri home for
weddings and births. These occasions ensure the
shawlwala’s regular visits to every family. He visits
the homes, interacts within a strict protocol and
yet is an intimate member of the client family as
he deals with the women of the house in the
kitchens and chambers and listens to their ‘talk’.
He knows the taste of all his clients and takes
personalised orders for new products. Centuries-
old rate samples of embroidery designs are shared
with the lady of the house and the shawlwala
suggests the colour for each flower, leaf and
creeper. He then instructs the  artisans who
execute the orders and returns to deliver them.
Raw Competition
The crisis faced by cane, bamboo and fibre artisans is due to the declining
availability of raw material, Apart from the fact that the raw material they depend
on is often diverted to other uses, especially to the paper industry, there has been
little planning or investment in regenerating the country’s bamboo, cane, grass
and other such natural resources. As a result, raw-material prices have spiralled
and the price of the artisan’s products have remained inelastic. There has been a
partial erosion of the traditional markets as cane, bamboo, and fibre products are
being replaced by synthetic fibres and plastics.
Page 5


PRODUCTION AND MARKETING 6
CRAFTSPEOPLE’S most important prerogative is to create
objects that clients need which can be sold so that they
can earn a living and support their families. While
aspects of design and development of the product are
dealt with in another chapter, here we will look at the
various traditional production, distribution and
marketing strategies that are available to craft
communities in India.
A craftsperson is a skilled producer working primarily
with his/her hands and traditional, often simple, tools
to make articles of daily use. There is great
variety and diversity within the crafts
community in every part of India. A
craftsperson could be village or urban
based, who procures his/her own material,
uses manual skills learnt recently or from
family traditions. He/she may produce
utility items or specialised objects. The
crafts community may supply local markets,
sell through village haats, or transport goods
to urban markets or for export. They may
be self-employed or work as wage-earners
or as members of a cooperative.
It is important to understand this diversity
to appreciate the number of problems that
may arise for the craftsperson at every step
of  the process of production and sale. It is
important to remember how complex the
system is and how many such systems of
crafts production and marketing we have in
our country.
CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 74
The structure for production and marketing of crafts
have the following framework:
PRODUCTION
Craft: This could be in metal, wood, clay, textile, gem-
cutting, jewellery, leather, cane and bamboo, tailoring,
etc. Each of these groups approaches its production work
in a different way.
Location: Rural, urban, semi-urban. The location
determines access to raw material, to different clients,
and transport costs. Each of these will affect production,
distribution and sale of crafts.
Raw Material: Does the craftsperson procure the raw
material independently or is it supplied by a trader or
the customer, as in the case of a tailor who is given the
material by the client to make a garment? The raw
material may be supplied by the government at
subsidised rates or by a cooperative.
Skill and Technology: Is the craft produced manually
or with semi-automated tools?
 75 PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
MARKETING
End Product: Is it a utility item that lasts a long time
like a belan or urli or is it a daily consumable item like a
flower garland? Does the craftsperson also provide
services like repair and maintenance, as in the case of
a blacksmith?
Markets: Can be termed village/urban, domestic, export.
The craftsperson has to adapt to the needs of different
types of markets and market demands. The client in
each of these different markets has a varied set of
demands.
Sales Channel: Does the craftsperson create objects
for the village haat, jajman, traders or for the
cooperative? Are the craftspersons attached to one client
or many and how familiar are they with the client’s
needs, changing fashions and trends?
Employment Status: Is the craftsperson self-employed,
a wage earner for a large or small organisation, a factory,
an export enterprise or a member of a cooperative?
CRAFT TRADITIONS OF INDIA: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE 76
The combination and computation of these different
scenarios is complicated and every situation requires a
suitable response in terms of production, marketing and
sales.
RURAL ECONOMY
In the rural economy the sale of crafts products
plays an important role. The crafts community is
commissioned to prepare goods by a client e.g. diyas for
Diwali. The weaver may be asked to weave a set of saris
for a marriage and may be paid in kind (with foodgrain)
or given a monetary advance. In these cases the crafts
community knows the clients and is aware of their
community, status and the kind of objects they
might need. Often the client is an old customer
and the craftsperson’s family may have served the
family for many generations.
Shawls are needed in every Kashmiri home for
weddings and births. These occasions ensure the
shawlwala’s regular visits to every family. He visits
the homes, interacts within a strict protocol and
yet is an intimate member of the client family as
he deals with the women of the house in the
kitchens and chambers and listens to their ‘talk’.
He knows the taste of all his clients and takes
personalised orders for new products. Centuries-
old rate samples of embroidery designs are shared
with the lady of the house and the shawlwala
suggests the colour for each flower, leaf and
creeper. He then instructs the  artisans who
execute the orders and returns to deliver them.
Raw Competition
The crisis faced by cane, bamboo and fibre artisans is due to the declining
availability of raw material, Apart from the fact that the raw material they depend
on is often diverted to other uses, especially to the paper industry, there has been
little planning or investment in regenerating the country’s bamboo, cane, grass
and other such natural resources. As a result, raw-material prices have spiralled
and the price of the artisan’s products have remained inelastic. There has been a
partial erosion of the traditional markets as cane, bamboo, and fibre products are
being replaced by synthetic fibres and plastics.
 77 PRODUCTION AND MARKETING
MARKET OR HAAT
In the rural area many villages, even today, organise a
weekly market or haat. This market is organised by
village artisans and each craftsperson is given a
designated place in the market to sell his/her wares.
The local potter produces pots for regular use and for
festivals. Craftspersons from nearby villages are also
invited to the weekly haat to sell their wares. The crafts
family brings its wares, spreads them out on a durrie,
or puts up a tent and displays its products for sale. The
haat starts in the late morning and carries on till dusk
when the unsold items are taken back home.
Wandering for Markets
“Only rain can stop my potter’s wheel from turning,” says Bhura Ram. He cannot
afford to miss a day’s work or to have blemishes on his pots. “My wares must sound
as good as they look. You see customers tap them with a coin to test their quality.”
Besides making pots for his jajmans—numbering ten in all—Bhura takes his
wares to the weekly market in Pather and Chilkana. The leftover articles he loads
on his mule and then roams from village to village, within a radius of 15 kms, in an
effort to hawk them. Years of experience have taught Bhura to maintain the crucial
balance between production and sales.
PRODUCTION AND MARKETING