Reviving Indian Heritage and Celebrating the Journey of Art, Empowerment and Joy

NT Correspondent: On the occasion of Handloom Day (August 7), we celebrate the Indian artisans and their unique craftsmanship, dedication, talent and resilience to preserve Indian local art forms.

Such positive impacts have given life to the exquisite handloom textiles. One such Bengaluru-based social venture ‘Bunkaar Textiles’ started in 2017, is a community which closely works with weavers across India- West Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.

Founded by Aman Jain, a social entrepreneur, ‘Bunkaar’- a team of 30 dedicated weavers is a social venture in the city that provides much-needed exposure to its exquisite handloom products.

‘Bunkaar’, aims to preserve traditional hand-spinning and hand weaving techniques like making of plain sheets, fabrics, sarees, and dupattas in pure silk, linen, and cotton, while bringing such exquisite creations to a wider audience.

During the initial years, Bunkaar only had a vibrant offline presence and primarily focused on selling sarees like jamdani, tussar silk, and plain weaves.

Their participation in the prestigious Kala Ghoda art festival in Mumbai allowed them to showcase their artistry and connect with discerning buyers.

In 2020, Bunkaar joined Amazon’s Karigar Program, gaining access to a vast PAN-Indian customer base which was a significant turning point. This partnership proved to be a game-changer, allowing the brand to reach new heights.

At the heart of Bunkaar's success lies their team of dedicated weavers, who take immense pride in being the pioneers in launching the ‘Kullu’- form of weaving in Uttarakhand.

They introduced exclusive Kullu border shawls to the world, becoming the sole sellers of these distinctive creations on Karigar platform.

This handloom venture also revived another dying art form of ‘Khesh’ from Malerkotla in Punjab, by introducing the world to warm cotton comforters that are cherished locally during winter and summer.

Bunkaar's handwoven creations have won the hearts of customers from all over India, with considerable demand from Karnataka, Maharashtra, Delhi, and West Bengal.

It has preserved the traditional handloom techniques and empowers weavers that have made this brand popular on a global stage.