Brahmaputra Fables is known for selling traditional products from the Northeastern part of the country to the rest of the world. From handicrafts to food products, their wide variety of products are now available in both national and international markets. And their newest product is an experience based Artisanal Tourism in Assam.
Team Discover East talked to Dhruba Jyoti Deka about Arisanal Tourism.
Team DE : What exactly is Artisinal Tourism and how did this idea start ?
Dhruba : Artisanal Tourism is about exploring and experiencing the work of a craftsman, the whole process, the magic behind handicraft products.
At Brahmaputra Fables we were already working with the Artisans for the past four years, shipping the handicraft product across the globe, connecting them to consumers. Many people including research scholars and journalists have visited Sarthebari and other artisan places to know the story behind the beautiful artifacts. That is when I got this idea of monetizing it for betterment of the artisans.
In startup there is a thing called “you solve your own problems first as a founder”. Taking people to the artisan’s place became a tedious task for me. Now as it is monetized, we have trained community partners caring it out with motivation and importantly artisans are getting paid 80% of the money generated.
Team DE : Do you plan to make this a regular service for interested tourists ?
Dhruba : As the COVID-19 situation has halted traditional tourism, and the government regulations, tourists prefer traveling by road. So yes for the tourists in the Northeast, this is going to be a regular thing now. Not only handicraft but they can experience hand-loom, soap making and a lot more. We are rolling out packages with the help of our tech platform.
Team DE : How do you expect it to effect the tourism sector of the state and northeast as a whole ?
Dhruba : This form of tourism will have a direct impact at the grass root level. It will improve the livelihood of the artisans and weavers and it will be game changing.
While our aim at Brahmaputra Fables was always showcasing Tradition of Northeast India, this is a huge step to enable tourists to explore our culture, the stories behind the crafts and the magic unfolding in-front of their eyes. It will boost the sales of the artisans’ products too. So yes we are hoping big for this idea.
