Digital Empowerment Foundation
Founded in 2002, Digital Empowerment Foundation has been working to empower marginalised and unconnected communities living at the edge of information by enabling them with digital capacity, access and rights across pillars like education and entertainment, livelihood and finance, health and agriculture, culture and heritage, with a focus on digital rights for women and adolescents. With a 10,000 strong cadre of digital foot soldiers across India, DEF has created interventions in 2000 locations in 135 districts across 24 states. Additionally, DEF has a strong network in South Asia and is also an influential member of several global digital initiatives and organisations like Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Internet Society (ISOC), Association of Progressive Communication (APC), World Wide Web Foundation (WWW) and Global Network Initiatives (GNI). Going forward from 2021 to 2030, DEF is focused on working to connect the unconnected, as well as develop a healthy ecosystem wherein those who are connected can live a life free from fake news, misinformation and Internet shutdowns.
Digikargha
Digikargha was established as a not-for-profit Section 8 company in 2017 to take forward Digital Empowerment Foundation’s efforts in training artisans in using digital technology to enhance their livelihood, in the handicraft and handloom clusters, through its DigiPreneur model. Just like the Loom that connects and creates, Digikargha connects these trained artisans and weavers to customers and designers with a seamless interface that serves both well. The aim is to preserve the skill of the artisans, prevent their migration to unskilled work and to cities, safeguarding their interest. Digikargha helps designers and customers from the urban landscape connect with artisans rich in wisdom and tradition, while ensuring they get a quality product and convenient services at their doorstep, for a nominal fee.
Creative Dignity
Creative Dignity is an innovative collaborative network that emerged during the pandemic, uniting various stakeholders within the Indian handmade sector. Envisioning ”A world where artisans have the agency to thrive with dignity” we now have connections in 26 states of India and are enabling digital access to markets for artisans, designing capacity-building workshops, and experimenting with new ways of making handmade global and relevant.
Our mission is to enable knowledge, tools, and networks for artisans to be equal stakeholders in creating regenerative economies. As a network, CD takes a systematic deep dive into understanding the changes and challenges that the sector faces, building evidence and data while working on nature-based solutions in collaboration with multiple stakeholders.
All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA)
The All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association (AIACA), established in 2004, is a membership based non-profit organization for the handloom and handicrafts sector in India. It seeks to ensure the growth and continued vibrancy of this sector and a better standard of living for artisans and crafts workers. AIACA mobilises multi stakeholder collaboration for promoting handicrafts in India and empowers marginalised women communities through hand skills.
