At its core, Chowk.in is an attempt to look at artisan livelihoods from a business perspective while still keeping the people and their craft at the centre. The project begins by understanding what artisans themselves need - whether that is better access to customers, equipment, finance, business knowledge, or opportunities to expand. Instead of assuming that every artisan faces the same problem, Chowk.in aims to use these insights to shape support around their actual experiences.
Building on this understanding, the project hopes to bring together a few different ways of supporting artisans: making their work easier to discover through a digital marketplace, helping them build basic financial and business skills, creating opportunities to invest in their own production, and connecting them with consumers, designers, and potential retail partners. Through these efforts, Chowk.in hopes to make market access and business growth more achievable for artisans from underserved communities, while also helping more people discover the skill, stories, and traditions behind the products they buy.