Indian artisans may soon be able to sell their products through e-commerce platforms and cater to a larger market. A list of 200 products that will be sold on e-commerce platforms has been drawn out. Some handicrafts and handloom products, such as Madhubani paintings from Bihar, tribal paintings from Jharkhand, terracotta items from Rajasthan and tussar silk wear from Bhagalpur, made by rural artisans, mainly women entrepreneurs, are already being sold online. The initiative is now being expanded to products such as folders, pen holders and gift items. Coming on to the e-commerce platform is expected to help artisans get larger volumes and better prices for their products even after parting with at least 40 per cent of the revenue to these sites as seller charges.

A dedicated value chain development center, with about five regional offices, will be set up to provide complete value chain solutions to rural artisans. This will provide artisans technical assistance as well as help in designing and packaging of products to enhance their global appeal.

Producer companies will be set up in select clusters. At present, rural artisans sell their products through central and state exhibitions or directly through traders, besides catering to local demand restricted to their own districts.