At Amara, we work with skilled artisan communities across India — people who have inherited the craft of working with rattan, bamboo, grass, and wood, and have been keeping it alive for over 200 years. We travel through the many lanes and villages of India, finding our artisan partners across different states where this tradition of handcrafting has been passed down through generations. We reach out to diverse groups across the country, encourage them to continue creating, give them honest feedback, and ensure they are fairly paid for their work.
We are mindful of the materials we choose and conscious at every step of the production process, guided always by the impact a product makes and the people who made it possible.
In 2023, Amara established an educational program and facility in the Nilgiri Region of Tamil Nadu for a marginalized community. Women and men were sent to professional training centers to learn bamboo craft, and when they returned, they brought that knowledge home. They practice their craft at the local facility and pass what they have learned on to others in their community.
They are now selling at local markets. That matters more than it might sound. The training has translated into real income, independence, and belief in what they can do.
The work continues. They are now in advanced training, refining their craft to meet international standards. Our goal is to bring their work to global markets and give these artisans the audience their craft has always been worthy of.
Every product you purchase from Amara carries this story forward, toward a market that is more honest about where things come from, who made them, and what making them meant. For the artisans, it means livelihood, continuity, and the dignity of a craft that the world is finally beginning to see.
These crafts have existed for generations, rooted in the land, the materials, and the communities that carry them. Our commitment is simple: to make sure they endure.
