Gajam Govardhana has committed his life to reviving and sustaining Telia Rumal, a double-ikat handloom tradition from Puttapaka, Telangana, at a time when it was fading from practice. His deep understanding of the unique castor-ash and oil-treated yarn process gives the work a distinctive texture and cultural identity. Beyond his own looms, he has become a steward of this lineage, training younger weavers and demonstrating how tradition can thrive in the present day.

Born into a family of weavers in the Tangail region, Biren Kumaar Basak began weaving as a child and later returned to Phulia to build his own practice. Today his work bridges Jamdani and jacquard, navigating both heritage and enterprise. He has sustained hand-loom traditions in the face of mechanised shifts, investing his experience into design, mentorship, and commerce that keeps skilled weavers engaged and valued.

Raised in a family where Phulkari was part of everyday life, Lajwanti Chabbra began stitching as a child and has since become one of the voices calling for the revival and recognition of Punjabi Phulkari across India. As commercialisation narrowed the craft’s practice, she travelled widely, training and mentoring women weavers and connecting them with markets and institutions. Her work goes beyond stitch into community and continuity, ensuring the craft remains a living form.

Takdira Begum’s work with Kantha in West Bengal is rooted in bringing women together around embroidery as a source of livelihood and creative identity. Starting with a small group, she trained and organised over 100 women artisans across generations, creating spaces where traditional needlework can persist on its own terms. Her leadership has made room for women’s craft to be both work and community practice, sustaining skills that are otherwise at risk of being forgotten.

Naie Kiran is a collective born out of Srinagar and Sopore that has provided a platform for Kashmiri embroidery traditions in difficult social and economic times. Founded with a small group of women, the collective has offered continuity, collaboration, and economic agency to artisans through Sozni and Aari work, expanding opportunities for women where they were previously limited. Their textiles reflect not just fine execution but shared purpose and mutual support.