Current Landscape: A Revival in Motion

Today, Goan handicrafts face a dual challenge: preservation and progression. While there is a growing appreciation for handmade and sustainable goods, our artisans also encounter competition from mass-produced items and shifting consumer preferences. However, this is also a moment of immense opportunity—one that GHRSSIDC is proud to embrace head-on.

We see an encouraging rise in demand for authentic, locally-made goods, both from domestic and international markets. With increasing global awareness around sustainability, eco-friendly packaging, slow fashion, and zero-waste lifestyles, our traditional crafts are more relevant than ever before. Our artisans are no longer confined to weekly bazaars or local exhibitions; they now dream of digital stores, global shipments, branding, and training—dreams that GHRSSIDC is committed to realizing.

Our Purpose: Empowerment Through Enterprise

Established with the primary objective of nurturing rural artisans and micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), GHRSSIDC works tirelessly to promote, support, and sustain the craft ecosystem of Goa.

Here’s how we’ve been enabling change on the ground:

    1. Marketing and Retail Support

Through our Goa Handicrafts Emporia—“Gomant” and outlets across tourist hubs—we ensure that artisans have a steady and credible platform to showcase and sell their products. We remove middlemen, ensuring that profits go directly to the hands that shape these creations.

We also participate in national and international exhibitions, giving Goan artisans visibility far beyond the state's borders.

    2. Skill Development and Design Innovation

Our corporation regularly conducts workshops in collaboration with master craftsmen, designers, and government institutions to impart modern techniques,

quality standards, and market-aware design thinking. We strive to keep the traditions alive while aligning products with current consumer tastes.

    3. Financial Assistance and Raw Material Banks

We understand that a great idea can only come to life if the creator has access to affordable raw materials and initial capital. Our Raw Material Banks offer subsidized materials to registered artisans, while our tie-ups with financial institutions facilitate loans and working capital for deserving entrepreneurs.

    4. Infrastructure and Production Units

GHRSSIDC has been instrumental in supporting artisan clusters with workspace facilities and production sheds. Be it pottery hubs in Bicholim or fiber art training centers in Salcete—we aim to strengthen the local value chain and reduce production costs.

    5. Digital Empowerment and E-Commerce Enablement

Recognizing the power of technology, we have begun onboarding artisans onto digital marketplaces and training them in online selling, inventory management, and digital payments. We are working toward launching an official e-commerce platform dedicated exclusively to authentic Goan handicrafts.

Avenues We Are Opening for Artisans and for Goa

Our mission goes beyond artisan welfare—it is intrinsically tied to the larger goal of sustainable development for Goa. Every empowered artisan contributes to rural employment, reduced migration, gender equality (as many artisans are women), tourism enhancement, and cultural preservation.

Through strategic partnerships, we are integrating Goan crafts into:

· Eco-tourism circuits, where visitors can not only buy but experience the craft-making process

· Corporate gifting, by developing premium, customized handicraft products

· Interior and architectural design projects, integrating bamboo, cane, pottery, and shell crafts into homes, resorts, and public spaces.

Academic collaborations, to document and research rare crafts and develop curriculum-linked artisan exposure programs for students

Future Plans Under the Chairman’s Vision

Under the dynamic leadership of our Hon’ble Chairman, GHRSSIDC is charting out an ambitious roadmap to scale and sustain the handicraft sector in the coming years. Some of the visionary initiatives we are working toward include:

    1. Goa Handicrafts Expo Center

We are in the planning stages of establishing a permanent, state-of-the-art handicrafts exhibition and experience center in Goa. This will serve as a tourist attraction, a learning hub for students and artisans, and a live platform for artisan demonstrations and product launches.

    2. Artisan Identity Cards & Welfare Schemes

In partnership with state and central ministries, we will roll out an identity system for all registered artisans, linking them to various welfare schemes, insurance coverage, pension benefits, and priority access to government programs.

    3. Skill Mapping and Cluster Development

We aim to conduct a state-wide artisan skill census to identify hidden or dying crafts and create artisan clusters in high-potential regions. Each cluster will have access to production tools, training, and common facility centers.

    4. Goa Artisan Digital Portal

A comprehensive digital portal is under development to register artisans, display their work, link them to retailers and buyers, and allow direct ordering and payments. This platform will eventually become a digital catalog of Goan craft diversity.

    5. Young Artisan Engagement

We believe the future of any tradition lies in the hands of the youth. GHRSSIDC will soon launch initiatives to encourage school and college students to take part in internships, design collaborations, and startup competitions related to handicrafts and rural enterprise.

A Call for Collaboration

To our artisans, we say—you are the heart of our mission. We will continue to support you not just with policies and schemes, but with passion, commitment, and respect for your artistry.

To designers, educators, entrepreneurs, and citizens—we invite you to join us. There is space for innovation, design thinking, academic research, and investment in this ecosystem. Help us bring the pride of Goa to global platforms.

To tourists and lovers of all things handmade—we urge you to buy from local artisans. Every purchase you make is a vote for sustainability, cultural heritage, and human creativity.

In Conclusion

The journey of Goa’s handicrafts is not just one of art; it is a journey of resilience, reinvention, and rooted identity. At GHRSSIDC, we are determined to make this journey inclusive, impactful, and future-ready.

As Managing Director, I reaffirm our commitment to preserving the soul of Goan handicrafts while opening its doors to new-age opportunities. With the guidance of our Hon’ble Chairman, the dedication of our team, and the unmatched talent of our artisans, the future of Goa’s handicrafts is not just promising—it is inspiring.

Let us shape this future, together.

Warm regards,
Dr. Shri Ajay R. Gaude
Managing Director
Goa Handicrafts Rural & Small Scale Industries Development Corporation Ltd.