What does it take to keep a centuries-old craft alive in the 21st century?

Handlooms: Past, Present and Future brings together some of the most influential voices in the craft world for a vital conversation on heritage, change, and continuity. From policy and preservation to design and storytelling, this panel explores how handwoven traditions have endured through countless centuries, and the new challenges the 21st century provides.

The discussion features Laila Tyabji, founder of Dastkar and a pioneering force in India's craft revival; Ratna Krishna Kumar, patron of traditional arts; actor and advocate Nandita Das; and Chandra Jain, textile revivalist and curator of River Weaves: Brocades of Banaras. Award-winning writer and cultural commentator Shoba Narayan will moderate the conversation.

Together, they reflect on what must evolve and what must endure– especially in a time when fast fashion threatens to erase the soulful, skilled work of artisans.

This panel is part of River Weaves, an immersive exhibition that celebrates the beauty, complexity, and cultural depth of Banarasi brocade. Designed by Siddhartha Das Studio and presented by Chandra Jain, the exhibition reveals the layers of history, symbolism, and sustainability woven into each fabric.

Expect insight, honesty, and a renewed sense of why these threads still matter.

In collaboration with:

Kadambari

In this episode of BIC Talks, Laila Tyabji, Ratna Krishna Kumar, Nandita Das, Chandra Jain with will be in conversation with Shoba Narayan. This is an excerpt from a conversation that took place in the BIC premises in Aug 2025.

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