Tag: Indian Crafts

Events in Goa

The BRIJ Incubator Debuts at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 to Nurture India’s Cultural Enterprises

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

The BRIJ Incubator was officially unveiled at the 10th edition of the Serendipity Arts Festival 2025, marking its first public appearance as a platform dedicated to nurturing early-stage cultural, craft-based, and creative ventures in India. The launch took place at The Stage, Art Park in Panjim, in the presence of Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal and Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, setting the tone for a week of conversations and programming around making, entrepreneurship, and cultural innovation at the festival.

Conceived as an initiative that bridges traditional knowledge systems with contemporary entrepreneurial thinking, The BRIJ Incubator is designed to support founders, artisans, and cultural practitioners who are building sustainable, future-oriented enterprises rooted in heritage, material innovation, and community-led practices. Its debut at Serendipity offered audiences and industry stakeholders an early introduction to the Incubator’s mission and its first cohort of incubatees—Ekatra, Golden Feathers, and Karghewale.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder Patron of Serendipity Arts and The BRIJ, shared that the Incubator emerged from the realisation that while India has an extraordinary depth of cultural knowledge and craft practice, there are limited structured pathways for these ideas to grow into sustainable enterprises. He noted that the Incubator aims to thoughtfully bridge tradition and entrepreneurship, building long-term value for artisans, founders, and India’s cultural economy. Launching the initiative at the Serendipity Arts Festival, he said, felt appropriate as festivals are spaces where ideas are tested, conversations emerge, and new ecosystems begin.

Addressing the gathering, Shri Vivek Aggarwal highlighted the evolving role of Serendipity Arts Festival in strengthening India’s cultural infrastructure. He acknowledged how platforms such as Serendipity are increasingly engaging with initiatives like The BRIJ Incubator to connect the arts with India’s startup and innovation ecosystem, thereby creating structured pathways for cultural entrepreneurship and long-term growth in the sector.

Mr. Mohit Dhawan, spokesperson for The BRIJ Incubator and President, Investment Office, Hero Enterprise, shared that the Incubator has grown out of years of listening to founders, artisans, and innovators who are doing meaningful work but often lack the structured support needed to mature their ideas into enterprises. He added that the goal is to create responsible pathways for cultural ventures to evolve while remaining true to the communities and practices they represent, and that Serendipity’s milestone year provided the right environment to begin this journey.

The launch also introduced The BRIJ Incubator’s broader programme at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025, which includes a flagship panel on Business Model Innovation and Funding Landscape in Arts & Crafts, featuring representatives from the Government of Goa, Catalyst AIC, Caspian Equity, HCL Foundation, and IFMR. The programme further includes Spark Idea: Pitch Opportunity, India’s first pitch platform dedicated to craft and culture-led startups, along with hands-on Maker’s Asylum workshops running throughout the festival.

Additional engagements include Craft Hub sessions led by incubatees Ekatra and Karghewale, offering immersive experiences in sustainable gifting, textile upcycling, and handloom weaving, as well as silent panels and making-led conversations exploring themes such as Jugaad versus Maker Culture and the evolving relationship between humans, materials, and craft.

The BRIJ Incubator’s presence at Serendipity Arts Festival 2025 marks the beginning of a long-term vision to build a dedicated ecosystem for cultural entrepreneurship in India. Future initiatives will be anchored at The BRIJ, a new cultural district currently under development in Delhi, envisioned as a space for interdisciplinary learning, making, research, and incubation—strengthening the foundations of India’s creative economy for years to come.

Fit & Fabulous

Celebrate the Wedding Season in Style with Fabindia’s 2025 Wedding Collection

Tanisha Cardozo

Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral

Weddings are more than ceremonies; they are moments woven with emotion, celebration, and beauty. Fabindia’s Wedding Collection 2025 embraces this spirit with a range designed to elevate every experience of the wedding season.

The collection offers a colourful blend of tradition, craftsmanship, and contemporary elegance, bringing together bright hues, natural fabrics, and flattering silhouettes. Whether you are attending a traditional South Indian wedding, a joyful North Indian sangeet, or a sophisticated evening reception, the pieces are thoughtfully crafted to ensure you feel confident, graceful, and celebration-ready. The garments highlight the finest Indian craft techniques, from delicate embroidery and intricate weaving to thoughtfully placed hand-block prints.

Fabindia’s collection includes options for men, women, and children, allowing families to coordinate beautifully for every festivity. Alongside the apparel, the brand also curates accessories including footwear, jewellery, and bags that complete every look with effortless charm. Beyond fashion, Fabindia’s fabHOME collection adds depth to the gifting experience, offering treasures that are meaningful and timeless.

With beautifully crafted home décor items, elegant serving pieces, and festive essentials, each piece embodies craftsmanship and the warmth of heartfelt gifting. Choosing something from fabHOME means offering more than a present—it is sharing a sentiment that enhances the significance of weddings and family celebrations.

With its 2025 Wedding Collection, Fabindia invites everyone to immerse themselves in the joy, colour, and artistry that make every wedding moment unforgettable.

Events in Goa

Goa Marks National Handloom Day with Kunbi Textile Exhibition at Assembly

Tanisha Cardozo

Porvorim, 7 August 2025: Goa celebrated the 11th National Handloom Day with a themed exhibition titled Kunbi: The Pride of Goan Textile, organised by the Goa State Rural Livelihood Mission (GSRLM) under the Department of Rural Development.

The event was held at the Goa Legislative Assembly complex in Porvorim and inaugurated by Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant. The exhibition focused on highlighting the indigenous Kunbi saree, a traditional Goan handloom that reflects the cultural identity of the region’s tribal communities.

The exhibition served as a platform to promote local weaving traditions, encourage sustainable fashion, and support women-led self-help groups working in the handloom sector.

Other dignitaries who attended the exhibition included:

  • Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar
  • MLAs Daji Salkar and Ulhas Tuenkar
  • Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, who visited the exhibition and interacted with artisans

The displays included live weaving demonstrations, information panels on natural dyes, and products created by rural artisans. The Kunbi textile was highlighted as a symbol of Goa’s cultural heritage and as a viable path toward eco-friendly livelihoods in rural areas.

The celebration aligned with national efforts to revive handlooms as part of India’s self-reliant economy and reflected Goa’s growing focus on preserving its cultural assets through artisan support and heritage promotion.