Skill, Vocational & Entrepreneurship Development Program

Empowering Artisans through Connecting Markets

Awadhesh Kumar Maurya, a resident of Ayodhyapur Village in the Arajilines block of Varanasi district, has been practicing the art of weaving since his childhood. With a family legacy deeply rooted in this livelihood, Awadhesh inherited the skill of weaving. For generations, his family has been producing handloom-based products. However, with technological advancements, evolving market demands, and increased disposable income, Awdhesh decided to transition from handloom to power looms.

Awadhesh shares, "I aimed to modernize our traditional practices by installing two power loom machines. For many years, I have been weaving exquisite Banarasi Sarees, Dupattas, and more, earning a decent income of ₹22,000 per month. Unfortunately, like many other weavers, my work was severely impacted by the pandemic. The economic slowdown resulted in a decrease in demand for our products. Consequently, I faced challenges in securing work orders, and my income experienced a significant decline. Over the past few months, I have been earning around 10-12 thousand rupees per month."

To support artisans and micro-entrepreneurs in building economic resilience, Utkarsh Welfare Foundation (UWF) initiated a project that focused on leveraging digital marketing platforms. Awadhesh Maurya became one of the project participants who tapped this opportunity to enhance his business and income.

Awadhesh explained, “I always aspired to establish my own business of crafting Banarasi sarees, leveraging the skills, market understanding, and creativity I possessed. With the guidance of the UWF enterprise facilitator, I learned the procedures of selling products online and had the opportunity to connect with the owner of banarasee.in, a digital platform dedicated to selling Banarasi textiles. Now, my products are showcased at this platform, and I have received work orders as well. Selling my products directly through digital platforms has yielded better returns for the effort and craftsmanship involved. I am hopeful that in the near future, I will receive more orders from similar digital platforms.”