Madhya Kalikata Shilpangan works with 26 artisan groups, representing over 2,600 individual artisans involved in silk weaving and printing, stone carving, leather, and soft toys.

They offer marketing, design, and export services to grassroots artisan groups in India and have helped to improve the lives of groups like the Hazra Road Women’s Craft Center, where women living in poverty in poor neighborhoods of Kolkata provide an important source of income to their families through the sales of their crafts. MKS also supports silk weavers living in rural areas of India, who have been struggling with the decline in the market for silk. The silk that is spun and woven by the weavers is sent to master screen printers, many of whom learned the trade from their parents or grandparents. They print the scarves and other silk products sold by MKS, combining the skills of several artisan groups.

We have partnered with MKS since 1996, purchasing products like silk scarves, musical instruments, stone products, and ornaments.