Smt. Amrit Raj
Development Commissioner (Handicrafts)
About
A centre built around a question
How does a practice that was never written down survive contact with the present? Everything here — the archive, the fieldwork, the teaching and the tools — is an attempt to answer that in a way somebody can use.
Overview
The Centre of Excellence for a Unified AI-Enabled Craft Ecosystem Platform at IIT Kharagpur, supported by the Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, brings together research, technology, design and traditional knowledge to strengthen India's handicraft ecosystem through documentation, improved tools and processes, digital repositories, AI-enabled learning, design support and market-linked innovation under a unified AI-assisted Digital Portal. The Centre was initiated in March 2026.
Vision
To create an inclusive, future-ready handicraft ecosystem in which traditional knowledge, design, research, technology and stakeholders are connected through a unified AI-assisted Digital Portal, enabling preservation, innovation, stronger artisan capabilities and wider access to knowledge, opportunities and support.
Mission
To develop and integrate craft documentation, improved tools and processes, digital repositories, AI-enabled learning, design support, institutional knowledge and market linkages within a unified digital platform that strengthens artisans, sustains craft traditions and supports responsible, scalable innovation across India's handicraft sector.
About DCH
The Office of the Development Commissioner (Handicrafts), Ministry of Textiles, Government of India, promotes the growth, sustainability and competitiveness of India's handicraft sector. It has sponsored the Centre of Excellence for a Unified AI-Enabled Craft Ecosystem Platform at IIT Kharagpur to develop a unified, AI-enabled ecosystem integrating research, technology, design, knowledge, artisan support and market development.
Leadership
The people responsible for the Centre's research, its archive and its teaching. The full directory lists everybody, including research assistants, students and visiting fellows.
