Indiahandmade platform connects 64 lakh artisans to digital economy
Synopsis
Over 64 lakh Indian handloom and handicraft artisans — 70 per cent of them women — are being brought into the digital economy through Indiahandmade, a Ministry of Textiles marketplace that cuts out intermediaries, supports GI-tagged crafts, and lets non-GST sellers trade using just an Enrolment ID. The government now wants 60 lakh more onboarded.
Key Takeaways
Indiahandmade is a digital marketplace under Digital India , developed by the Digital India Corporation and launched in 2023 under the Ministry of Textiles .
The platform targets over 64.66 lakh handloom and handicraft artisans across India.
Women make up over 70 per cent of handloom weavers and 64 per cent of the total artisan workforce on the platform.
It features GI-tagged products and One District One Product (ODOP) items, supporting regional craft preservation.
Sellers without GST registration can join using an Enrolment ID for intra-state sales.
The government aims to onboard more than 60 lakh artisans as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
The Indiahandmade platform, a dedicated digital marketplace under the Digital India initiative, is bringing over 64 lakh handloom and handicraft artisans into the digital economy by linking them directly with buyers and widening market access, according to an official fact-sheet released on Monday, 6 July 2025. The platform was developed by the Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Textiles and launched in 2023.
What Indiahandmade Does
The portal enables artisans and weavers to sell handmade products online while reducing dependence on intermediaries and improving income opportunities. It offers a broad product range spanning apparel, home décor, furnishings, paintings, furniture, jewellery, bags, footwear, religious items, stationery, and musical instruments.
Notably, the platform also showcases Geographical Indication (GI)-tagged products and One District One Product (ODOP) items, giving region-specific crafts greater national and international visibility while helping preserve traditional skills.
Scale and Demographics
India has an estimated 64.66 lakh handloom and handicraft artisans, according to the government document. Women account for over 70 per cent of handloom weavers and 64 per cent of the overall artisan workforce — figures that underscore the sector's outsized role in rural employment and women's economic empowerment.
This comes amid a broader national push to integrate traditional craft communities into the formal digital economy, aligning with the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat self-reliance vision.
How the Platform Works
The portal has been designed with secure payments, purchase protection, free shipping, and buyer support, while offering artisans a streamlined onboarding process. To make digital commerce more inclusive, sellers without Goods and Services Tax (GST) registration can also join the platform using an Enrolment ID, provided they sell products within their respective states.
Several artisan enterprises are already active on the platform, including Santarms, Dastkar Craft, and Villages Craft, marketing products ranging from wooden décor and terracotta items to handloom sarees, cane, bamboo, and cotton goods.
What the Government Aims for Next
Looking ahead, the government has set a target of onboarding more than 60 lakh artisans onto the platform as part of its broader digital-inclusion agenda. Officials say the initiative is intended not only to improve market access but also to contribute to the financial and social empowerment of artisans by enabling direct participation in online commerce. Whether the platform can sustain momentum beyond early adopters — and whether artisans in remote areas gain meaningful connectivity — will be the real test of its long-term impact.
Point of View
But scale alone does not equal impact — the critical question is how many artisans are actively transacting versus merely registered. Past government e-commerce initiatives for craft communities have struggled with last-mile connectivity, digital literacy, and logistics in remote clusters. The GST-waiver provision via Enrolment ID is a genuinely inclusive design choice, but its reach depends on awareness campaigns that are rarely budgeted at the same level as the platform itself. With women comprising nearly two-thirds of the workforce, Indiahandmade has a real opportunity to drive rural women's financial independence — but that outcome requires sustained handholding, not just a portal launch.
NationPress
6 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Indiahandmade platform?
Indiahandmade is a dedicated digital marketplace developed by the Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Textiles, launched in 2023. It connects handloom and handicraft artisans directly with buyers, reducing reliance on intermediaries and expanding market access for India's estimated 64.66 lakh artisans.
Who can sell on the Indiahandmade platform?
Any registered handloom or handicraft artisan can sell on the platform. Sellers without GST registration can also participate using an Enrolment ID, provided they sell products within their respective states — a provision designed to make digital commerce more inclusive for smaller artisans.
What products are available on Indiahandmade?
The platform offers a wide range including apparel, home décor, furnishings, paintings, furniture, jewellery, bags, footwear, religious items, stationery, and musical instruments. It also features GI-tagged products and One District One Product (ODOP) items to promote region-specific crafts.
Why does Indiahandmade matter for women artisans?
Women account for over 70 per cent of handloom weavers and 64 per cent of the overall artisan workforce, making the platform a significant vehicle for rural women's economic empowerment. By enabling direct online sales, it reduces dependence on middlemen and improves income opportunities for this demographic.
How many artisans does the government plan to onboard?
The government aims to onboard more than 60 lakh artisans onto the Indiahandmade platform as part of its Atmanirbhar Bharat vision, building on the estimated 64.66 lakh handloom and handicraft artisans already identified as the target base.
