Manipur, a mountainous state in the far east of India, is known as the country’s Switzerland. Residents in the villages in the picturesque region wrestle with a persistent problem: generating a consistent livelihood.

The global market for crafts is valued at $400 billion, but India commands less than a 2% of it.

Now, old crafts have opened new opportunities. Global connectivity and networks of entrepreneurs are helping bring Manipur’s distinctive black pottery to markets in India and around the world. Local artisans, primarily women, are supplementing meager household incomes and gaining new authority in their families and villages.

Read the full article on female artisans in India by Esha Chhabra at ImpactAlpha