Kaarigar Clinic has been started to support artisans in their journey of self-reliance while at the same time preserving their cultural heritage. We believe that with education, resources, and skills artisans can run successful businesses that will provide them with income and identity.

The Business Wellness Program is a certificate course that offers marketing, design, communication, and business training. A class of 20–25 artisans from diverse backgrounds are invited to join us on a journey of entrepreneurship after careful selection. The program provides one-on-one mentorship, helping each artisan develop their unique business model. Following the philosophy of learning by doing, the course is based on the practical application of the learning to achieve tangible results at the end of it. The mode of teaching, language, and content are well-designed to cater to the needs of the artisans.

Our program is based on the values of collaboration, envisioning, practising, implementing, and improving.

Our curriculum is tailored to equip artisans with vital business and design skills such as financial management, marketing strategies, and customer relations.These modules are taught by the team of Kaarigar Clinic and Industry Experts. In the 90-day program, artisans will learn:

Business Training: Artisans, many of whom are the first people to start businesses in their family, require more than a standard business management training. This course ignites a spark within the participants through modules such as the purpose of life and business, the relevance of money, and clear goal setting. Before providing any new skills, we ensure the participants find their objective at the intersection of business and social impact to further convert into tangible goals for their enterprises.

The program builds a strong foundation by getting the businesses legally registered and linking the artisans with social security linkages such as the artisan card and MSME Udyam Registration. The business plan module simplifies the complex frameworks of the business world into easy-to-implement language for even artisans with no formal education.

Marketing and Communications: During the programme, artisans develop the identity of their business, including a logo, messaging, and tagline. The skills of pitching a business, networking, and leveraging digital tools are strengthened further to help scale enterprises.

Design Thinking: Design thinking is a process of innovation and problem solving. We inculcate a behavioural and mindset shift amongst artisans to think creatively for the market while keeping the identity of the craft intact.

Our cohort is executed as a 90-day program with both online and offline classes.

Since this program is designed on a concept of learning by doing, we have divided the modules into 3 residential bootcamps (2 days each) and 10 online sessions.
There are daily tasks engaging artisans into the team and focusing on their business development.
In the 3 months of follow-up, the team of Kaarigar Clinic guides the artisans in applying the principles and theories learned to their businesses. This follow-up ensures that artisans have the clarity, vision, and confidence to independently run an enterprise.

The business wellness program is a highly subsidized course with need-based scholarships available.

At the end of the program, participants are evaluated on the basis of their interest, growth, and learning. Those who qualify for a certain mark of excellence receive the course certification and Kaarigar Parivar Card. 

Kaarigar Parivar Card is a symbol of affiliation with Kaarigar Clinic, which connects the artisans to all our marketing initiatives.

Kaarigar Clinic recognises the best students of the program by offering Kaarigar Udyami Gold Award under 8 categories:

• Outstanding Kaarigar Entrepreneur Award
• Social Impact Leader Award
• Business Excellence Award
• Most Promising Entrepreneur Award
• Social Media Excellence Award
• 100 Miles Hero Award
• Appo Dipo Bhava Award
• Best Student Award  

As part of our Business Wellness Program, Kaarigar Clinic has launched Kaarigar Udhyam Yatra, an initiative designed to deeply connect with rural artisan communities, understand their challenges, and develop tailored solutions that drive real impact.

This year, our journey took us across 5,000 kilometers, covering diverse artisan hubs over a span of 265 hours on the road.  Through this yatra, we travel to artisan clusters, engaging directly with craftsmen and women to gain firsthand insights into their struggles, aspirations, and business needs. This initiative serves as a bridge between traditional artisans and modern entrepreneurial opportunities, ensuring that the support we provide is relevant, practical, and transformative.

Beyond just identifying challenges, Kaarigar Udyam Yatra helps artisans build confidence, resilience, and business acumen. By addressing their specific needs—whether it be market access, financial literacy, or skill enhancement—we empower them to strengthen their enterprises and sustain their craft in an ever-evolving marketplace.

This journey is not just about learning; it is about co-creating solutions that enable artisans to thrive with dignity and independence. Kaarigar Udyam Yatra reinforces our commitment to fostering a sustainable ecosystem where artisans are not just surviving but growing as successful entrepreneurs.   

In April 2023, we began our first batch of business wellness programmes with 21 artisans from three states of the country. Mentors Nilesh Priyadarshi and Ramkrishna Sumeriya travelled to each of their places of work to provide one-on-one training. Artisans, many of whom were only practitioners or had small businesses, saw immense growth in their enterprises, cracked new deals, found clarity in their objectives, and generated livelihoods for several others.

3-year-long research by our founders highlighted that over 90% of the artisans in India wanted identity, value, and recognition. The ancient face-to-face market culture provided the makers with a dignified livelihood. But as the faceless market culture has taken over, the barriers for an artisan in navigating the market have increased multifold.

Artisans want to become entrepreneurs but lack education, resources, and skills. Dr. Nilesh Priyadarshi and Noopur Kumari, after identifying the gap in the craft sector, began developing a solution, which is now known as the Kaarigar Clinic. In the past few years, Kaarigar Clinic has worked closely to develop Pabiben and Rajiben. These artisans entrusted their hope to us and gave us the freedom to experiment. It is from there that we have learned several lessons about entrepreneurship for artisans, which we now extend to others in the form of cohorts.