Indian arts and crafts have taken a giant leap forward with Nita Ambani, Founder and Chairperson of Reliance Foundation, inaugurating the first Swadesh store by Reliance Retail in Telangana on Wednesday.
Born out of Reliance Foundation's long-standing commitment to promote traditional artists and artisans and Mrs Ambani's vision of creating a platform to showcase their talent and skill to a wider audience, Swadesh aims to revolutionise the way India's age-old arts and crafts are perceived globally.
Reliance Retail's Swadesh stores will not only present India to the world through its centuries-old art forms and creative expressions but will also pry open sustainable livelihood opportunities for artisans and crafts persons to ensure that their work continues to be treasured in a world that is evolving rapidly. This is in line with the objective of Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), to play a pivotal role in addressing India's developmental challenges through innovative yet sustainable solutions.launc
Speaking at the launch of the first standalone Swadesh store in Hyderabad, Nita Ambani said, “Swadesh is an ode to India's traditional arts and artisans. It's our humble initiative to preserve and promote our country's age-old arts and crafts. Swadesh highlights the spirit of ‘Make in India' and offers respect and sustenance to our skilled craftsmen and craftswomen. They are truly the pride of our country, and through Swadesh we hope to give them the global recognition that they richly deserve. That is why we are excited to expand Swadesh not just across India, but internationally too in the US and Europe.”
As a testimony to Reliance Foundation's unrelenting efforts, Indian artisans recently received overwhelming appreciation from both domestic and international guests at the beautiful Swadesh experience zone created at the recently launched arts and culture space, Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) in Mumbai. Visitors could not only watch and interact with master artisans at work in a special recreation of their traditional workspaces but purchase their work, too.
The BuckStopper, run by a group of seasoned journalists, holds the powerful accountable. The buck stops with them, as they cannot shrug off their official responsibilities.
