Nitika Gupta's Entrepreneurial Vision Celebrates India's Lesser Known Crafts

In a world dominated by mass-produced goods and generic home decor, Nitika Gupta is working towards bringing back the lost glory of handmade Indian crafts. Raised in Jammu, a region with a rich tradition of handicrafts, she witnessed the unrecognised beauty of these crafts over the years and, therefore, became a sheer advocate for celebrating the lesser-known crafts from rural India.

Founder of Pine ConeTM, Nitika Gupta discusses with SheThePeople how she embarked on a journey to bridge the gap between traditional Indian crafts and modern design sensibilities, all while fostering a sustainable and eco-friendly ethos.

Discovering Untapped Beauty Of Traditional Crafts

As Nitika moved to different cities for her education and career, she encountered a variety of regional traditional crafts, some celebrated nationally and globally, while others were on the brink of being forgotten. Armed with a product design degree from the National Institute of Fashion Technology and a postgraduate degree from the Indian Institute of Management, she spent 13 years in the corporate world.

My corporate experience gave me valuable insights into international markets and various aspects of product-related business. However, it was a personal experience during the interior decoration of my new home in 2019 that led to the birth of Pine ConeTM.

She realised the scarcity of high-quality, custom-made home decor products based on Indian crafts. This realisation, coupled with her childhood dream of bringing her state's crafts to a global stage, inspired her to create her venture, a craft-based home decor initiative that not only showcases lesser-known Indian crafts but also actively engages with artisans, most of whom are women, to revive these age-old crafts.

The crafts we work with include bamboo, Kauna (water reed) grass, water hyacinth, English willow, cane, and salt reed (Kusha) grass. Techniques like basketry, weaving, cane webbing, coiling, stitching, and macramé` are employed to create functional and aesthetically pleasing products. What's remarkable is that all these crafts use natural fibres, making them eco-friendly and sustainable.

Living up to the image of a mindful entrepreneur, she deeply involves herself in catering to the littlest details of these art pieces. Nitika and her team work closely with artisans, imparting contemporary design sensibilities while preserving the craft's traditional techniques. The resulting products offer a blend of Scandinavian and Bohemian aesthetics, appealing to both minimalists and maximalists.

A Mindful and Sustainable Production Model

Beyond creating beautiful products, she holds a deep commitment to promoting sustainability and locally sourced, handmade items. The brand's approach is not just about selling products but also about telling the stories behind them. 

Talking about social media strategies, she recounts, "The power of social media, especially Google, has always been our leverage to level the playing field." Not only does it play a significant role in spreading awareness about what we do, but it also allows for insights into customer needs and demand. YouTube has also allowed my team to engage with a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate sustainability and craft, and eventually, collaborations with like-minded brands, bloggers, content creators, and influencers have also expanded Pine Cone's reach and message".

As an entrepreneur, Nitika emphasises qualities like perseverance, adaptability, and passion. In a rapidly changing world, the ability to evolve with the times while staying true to one's brand values is crucial, and this is something she believes every entrepreneur should possess.

Future Goals

In the short term, she aims to nurture artisans, expand the range of lesser-known crafts, and continue research and development. Her long-term goals include catering to both domestic and international markets, building a community of artisans and like-minded individuals, and continuing to offer free artisan training and workshops. Gupta's journey exemplifies the power of entrepreneurship, creativity, and passion in celebrating the beauty of lesser-known crafts from rural India.

This interview is in partnership with Google

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