The Hyderabad office of Chitrika, an artisan producer company that works with 300 handloom weaver families across Ponduru in Srikakulam district and Mandapeta in East Godavari districts, Andhra Pradesh, and Narayanpet district in Telangana, is adorned with racks stocking saris and fabrics. On a few clothing stands are samples of Chitrika’s recent experiments — garments in contemporary silhouettes targeting younger buyers.
Vijaya Switha Grandhi, who founded Chitrika in 2005, says experimentation has been an ongoing process, alongside traditional weaves. The design vocabulary evolved gradually: “We nudged weavers to develop at least three new designs a year and offered incentives. We do not tamper with traditional techniques (jamdani, kuppadam and ballakammi) but look for new designs.
