RITU BERI will work with Indian artisans to organise a fashion show under Indian government’s initiave USTAD, reports KARAN BHARDWAJ
Ritu Beri launched her books in Delhi. Image Credit: Shooting Hill
Last year, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Najma Heptullah launched a welfare scheme USTAD to benefit India’s craftsmen and preserve and upgrade traditional handicraft skills. Now it is learnt that the ministry has taken a few prominent steps to implement their flagship programme. Heptullah, who launched Ritu Beri’s latest books in the Capital, announced that Beri will be working local artisans to organise a fashion show under the scheme. “Ritu Beri is our advisor for the programme. The clothes will be prepared by the artisans while Beri will be the designer of the show,” Heptullah said.
Speaking to Born of Web, the minister said that it is Indian government’s flagship initiative to step into luxury market and be able to restore dying art and craft of this nation. NIFT and NID have been roped in as knowledge partners. “It’s a luxury brand by the government keeping in mind national and international customers. We are working with clusters of artisans, majority of which are Muslims, in different states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Madhyra Pradesh and Rajasthan. There will be no middlemen so as to benefit the craftsmen as much as possible,” the minister told Born of Web. She also mentioned that e-commerce website Shopclues.com will be marketing the products. The ministry is also open to have private investors in the initiative, Heptullah told us.
