• Badarwas Jacket Cluster, Badarwas Madhya Pradesh

The Bhadarwas Jacket Cluster, located in the district of Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, is famous for its sleeveless jackets made from mill surplus fabric. This cluster is a classic case of an organically grown garmenting cluster in which around 20,000 Jackets are manufactured every day and more than 4000 artisans are engaged across the value chain. Stitching is one of the major activities in the value chain. In an attempt to provide sustainable livelihood options to the Women in the region, over 2500 women Self-help group members from this cluster were trained by Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MPSRLM) on stitching garment, particularly jackets. During the last 5-6 years these women are gainfully engaged in jacket stitching job.

In an attempt to make this cluster competitive and also to enhance the income of the cluster artisans, interventions under the NRLM Cluster Development Programme was conceptualized. The Programme is being implemented by NRLM and MP State Rural livelihoods Mission with support of EDII, which is the Technical Support Agency (TSA) for this cluster. EDII is providing technical support and implementing the project in this cluster. Key intervention proposed in the cluster are aimed at enhancing skills of the artisans, introduction of new designs and better price realization for the cluster products by improvements in the product quality and market linkages.

• Dahod Pottery Cluster, Dahod, Gujarat

The Dohad Pottery Cluster is home to a large number of skilled potters who patronise in creating unique terracotta products using traditional techniques that have been passed down through generations. The cluster has been promoted under the NRLM’s Artisanal Cluster Development Programme of the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. The major thrust is  to introduce use of advance technology, availability of suitable infrastructure and enhance technical capabilities of the potters.

As part of this initiative, the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) as a TSA shall be undertaking various interventions for development of the clusters and cluster artisans so as to ensure they remain competitive. The set of interventions which are planned include training artisans in modern production techniques, installation and use of gas fired kilns and the adoption of new designs and product lines, such as decorative items, hanging pots and other household items, which have a wider market appeal.

• Kolhapur Footwear Cluster, Maharashtra

Kolhapuri Footwear Cluster of Maharashtra is globally renowned for its handcrafted Kolhapuri ‘paitans’ which are made from locally sourced leather and hand stitched by highly skilled artisans of the district. The cluster is located in the Kolhapur district of Maharashtra. The footwear produced here is known for its unique designs and high-quality craftsmanship. However, the absence of a federated structure among the artisans has made it challenging to achieve economies of scale in raw material procurement. Furthermore, inadequate infrastructure has hindered the aggregation of raw materials and final products in the cluster.

EDII is the Technical Support Agency (TSA) for this cluster where a project is being implemented with support of Maharashtra State Rural Livelihoods Missions. One of the major interventions under this project is setting up of a common infrastructure and capacity building of the artisans so as to make then competitive and ready them to harness competitive advantage of this already famous cluster. A producer company is to be formed in this cluster, which will handle the management of cluster infrastructure, common facilities, marketing, and external institutional linkage. Simultaneously, design interventions are proposed to tweak the traditional design of Kolhapuri footwear and foray into the domestic and international market. All this is being attempted with the objective of economic empowerment of the SHG women members of this cluster.