Mr. Sachin Verma, Asst. Prof & Mr. Priyanshu Shrivastava, Asst. Prof
NIFT, Raebareli

Echoes of Indigo: Women Shaping the Future of Dabu Printing” is a craft documentation and design research project undertaken through the United Nations Women X NIFT Young Designers Fellowship 2024. Aditya Bhatnagar and Katayani Sharma studied Dabu printing in Kaladera, Rajasthan, focusing on women artisans, resist-printing techniques, natural dyes, sustainability, entrepreneurship, and knowledge transmission. The project combined field research, artisan interviews, visual storytelling, and documentation to highlight women’s contribution to preserving and evolving Dabu as a sustainable, living craft tradition

Echoes of Indigo: Women Shaping the Future of Dabu Printing” was undertaken by Mr. Aditya Bhatnagar and Ms. Katayani Sharma, students of the Department of Fashion Communication, NIFT Raebareli, through the United Nations Women X NIFT Young Designers Fellowship 2024. The project is best classified as a Fellowship / Craft Documentation and Design Research Project, rather than CRD, CBDP, or GP. The fellowship focused on documenting the role of women artisans in Dabu, the mud-resist printing craft of Kaladera village, Rajasthan.

The students conducted research and interacted with artisan families to understand production practices, craft histories, livelihoods, and changing market contexts. Their study documented the use of mud, lime, gum, and natural dyes derived from locally available plants and minerals, along with the processes of resist preparation, block printing, dyeing, and washing. Particular attention was given to women’s increasing participation across production, finishing, entrepreneurship, and market engagement.

The project also examined sustainability practices, including mindful water use and local methods of reusing and settling dyeing water. Its outcomes included research-based documentation and visual storytelling that foregrounded women’s labour, dignity, craft knowledge, and entrepreneurial agency. The project contributes to discussions on sustainable craft economies, cultural resilience, and ethical design in India.