The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA) started functioning in March 2003 as an informal association of Craft NGOs and producer organizations spread throughout India. After operating as an informal association for one year, AIACA was formally registered under the Societies Registration Act on 30th of January, 2004.
AIACA is a membership-based apex body for the handloom and handicraft sectors. It seeks to represent a range of organizations in these sectors and to engage in policy advocacy activities aimed at increasing the domestic market for handloom and handicraft products along with improving the standard of living of craft workers.
In addition to policy research and advocacy work, AIACA also implements a range of initiatives to enhance access of crafts producers to mainstream markets. These initiatives include the Community owned Companies Project - a unique initiative piloting producer-owned companies in rural areas, the Craftmark Initiative - a certification program for Indian Handicrafts to distinguish them from machine-made products in the market and a tie-up with Aid to Artisans, a US based NGO, for providing marketing and capacity building services to craft producer groups. |
