DEBARSHI ROY
Mr. Sakthivel V
debarshi_r@nid.edu
This graduation project was undertaken with Sabrangi – Parivartan Women Weavers, a community-based handloom initiative in Siwan, Bihar, rooted in khadi spinning traditions and focused on enabling sustainable livelihoods for rural women. Anchored in participatory and ethnographic methods, the project involved immersive field engagement to understand the socio-economic realities, skill sets, aspirations, and infrastructural constraints of women weavers. Production mapping documented existing weaving practices, yarn capacities, and motif vocabularies, informing a design strategy aimed at bridging indigenous craft with contemporary market systems. Skill-sensitive design interventions were developed to improve efficiency, reduce material and time redundancies, and support scalable craft innovation. The resulting collections embedded heritage-led narratives while remaining commercially viable. The project positions design as an economic and cultural enabler, strengthening artisan capacity, enhancing operational sustainability, and reinforcing women’s agency within the handloom ecosystem.