BRASS METAL CRAFTA NEED ASSESSMENT SURVEY

BARPETA, ASSAM, 2011by- Rakesh Sah

Design Clinic Scheme for Design Expertise to MSMEs, a unique and ambitious design intervention scheme for the country’s large micro, small and medium scale enterprises, is an initiative of Ministry of MSME, Government of India has been launched under National Manufacturing Competitiveness programme. The main objective of the Design Clinic Scheme is to bring MS&ME sector and design expertise into a common platform and to provide expert advice and solutions on real time design problems, resulting in continuous improvement and value addition for existing products.

This model brings design exposure to the door step of industry clusters for design awareness, improvement, evaluation, analysis and design related intervention. Design clinic scheme will assist industrial clusters to open a channel for design information inflow for creative, innovative and futuristic approach towards the product, process, operations, manufacturing and business design. The scheme will help generate insight for opportunity identification and design intervention for competitive and breakthrough solutions for MSMEs.

The National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, has been setup as the nodal agency for the scheme. With its rich experience in design training and consultancy, NID will act as matchmaker to the MSMEs and design professionals. It shall also administer effective implementation of the plan.

The objective of Design Clinic scheme is to enhance industry competitiveness and productivity with the help of design intervention at various functional levels. Design Clinic Scheme will

help MSMEs to develop product/process/business expertise through design intervention at multiple level interactions. Design awareness seminar, design awareness programme and design projects will help MSMEs in various stages to develop competitiveness. The goal is to help MSME manufacturing industries move up the value chain by switching the production mode from original equipment manufacturing to original design manufacturing and hence original brand manufacturing.

Design Clinic Scheme will help MSMEs to develop product/process expertise through design intervention through multiple level interactions. Design sensitisation seminar, design awareness programme and design projects will help MSMEs in various stages to develop competitiveness.

As part of the National Manufacturing Competitiveness Programme (NMCP), the office of Development Commissioner, Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India, will implement the Design Clinic Scheme for Design Expertise to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Sector (hereinafter referred to as the Design Clinic Scheme) during the 11th Plan Period.

The over arching approach in implementing the scheme will be to bring Indian MSMEs and design experts on a common platform. This will enable the MSMEs to access expert advice and cost-effective solutions for their real-time design problems, with some financial support from the Government. The expected outcome of such interventions is new product development or discernible design improvement and value addition for existing products.

Forewords

Acknowledgment

Special thanks to “North East Development Consortium” Mr. A. Dutta (Director) , Mr. Jayanta Baruah (CEO), Ms. Runima Pathak (Secretary) and his entire team to organize the ‘Design Clinic Scheme Programme’ and shown their trust over me to take up the program, taking me

as a consulting design resource.

Also thanks to NEDC’s project assistant- Mr. Palash Nath & Mr. Lila Gogoi and entire Brass Metal cluster’s each individual unit member who has given me their great support during the design audit. Where, without their kind involvement & assistance I was unable to understand cluster

background & their present status. Thus I come up with such informative, structural, analytical and design intervention opportunities.

I would also thanks “Design Clinic Scheme; National Institute Of Design”, who has given me an opportunities to accumulate an intensive report after realizing my strength, potential and past experience.

1. Introduction 1.1 About “Design Clinic Scheme” for MSME’s 1.2 About “National Institute of Design” 1.3 About “North East Development Consortium” 1.4 About Assam and Berpeta

2. Brass Metal Works 2.1 Process 2.2 Raw Material 2.3 Tools & Equipment 2.4 Product Range 2.5 Insight- Understanding of the customer product producer market relation from design point of view 2.6 Opportunity Mapping

3. Design Audit for the Cluster 3.1 Description of individual units (total 21 units has covered) 3.2 Existing Products, redesign, new product development and product diversification 3.3 Scope for research and development direction for future initiatives 3.4 Existing status and opportunity for visual identity, branding and communication design 3.5 Scope for technology, modernization and design

collaboration 3.6 Scope for operations and process innovation from design perspective 3.7 Design opportunity in workstation and tooling design 3.8 Details of market and competition study for design advantage and distinction 3.9 Need of training and skill up gradation 3.10 Ergonomic and environment factors in MSME premise 3.11 Packaging and logistics related design opportunities 3.12 Exhibition/Display design opportunities 3.13 Study of infrastructure setup from design perspective

4. Value Chain & Analysis 4.1 Description of the brass metal value chain 4.2 Market 4.3 Issues in the brass metal value chain 4.4 SWOT analysis 4.5 Issues & concerns 4.6 Present status of design at cluster and units 4.7 Design intervention need area

5. Conclusion

6. References

Contents

1. Introduction

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1.1 About “Design Clinic Scheme” for MSMEs

Understanding the Design Clinic Scheme:

Purpose:To increase awareness about the value of design and establish design learning in MSMEs.To increase competitiveness of MSME products and services through design.Objectives:To create a sustainable design ecosystem for the MSME sector through continuous learning and skill development.To promote use of design by MSMEs for developing products and services that are market led.To focus on building the design capability of MSMEs to enable them to improve business performance as well as compete in the global market.Key principles:Adopting a rigorous, yet applicant friendly, process.Promoting and disseminating design concepts in regional or local languages understood by the MSMEs.Establishing benefits without overwhelming the MSMEs.Learning from other successful design-support programmes.Establishing systematic processes for design and product development in MSMEs.Scheme description:For easy percolation of design thinking and philosophy and maximum benefit for MSME units the Design Clinic Scheme is divided at 3 broader levels. These activities are helpful in smooth transition in to several levels of design intervention in industrial and business activities of MSMEs.

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Design Awareness Seminar:The design sensitisation seminar is aimed to create a platform for MSME units to improve the manufacturing competitiveness. The seminar will help MSME participants to interact with design experts/speakers to understand design methodology and benefits of design to MSME in their business, product, process, service and operations. To take design to a higher level of manufacturing functions, it is very important to develop an understanding of the design scenario and environment at an early stage of conception.Design Awareness Programme:The design awareness programme is focused on exploring industrial functions and activities to develop a holistic map of MSME clusters and units. The design expert/s will generate design information about products, market scenario, technology, communication, research and development, and various industrial functions along with human factor study for ergonomics, safety, convenience, learning and skill up gradation through design research. The programme will also provide design remedies for identified opportunities through the design clinic workshop.The design awareness programme is conducted in two stages:- Need Assessment Survey- Design Clinic WorkshopDesign Projects:Design projects are identified during the need assessment survey and discussed during the design clinic workshop. Project which require intensive design observation and interventions can be taken up as design projects with the help of design experts. The project can be related to design intervention in area of product/process /strategic areas where design can help in generating solutions and value for individual or group of MSMEs.

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Role of Design in Improving Competitiveness:

Design is an approach, process and methodology. Design is indented, purposeful, contextual, which is aimed to create advantage, distinction and futuristic outcome as a result. Design is systemic and holistic in nature, there fore helps in generating more creative, impactful and sustainable solutions. In manufacturing, design is commonly associated with industrial product design – specifically the ‘aesthetics and appearance’ of a product at a surface level interaction. However, the application of design is much broader, for example designing for functional appeal, ease of manufacture, consumption and sustain-ability. Designing may also be done for reliability or quality or business processes. Service designs are primarily to cater to customers experience of the delivered product and service.

The larger purpose of design is to do things in a better manner, to improve a situation and to make a positive difference. The role of design in business is to create value. A company can use the design process to add value to products, services, and the organisation. A well-designed product, service, or organisation is always more valuable.

Design, innovation and growth are linked. Innovation and design are not simply about new products or technology. They are also about how to improve products for everyday use, leading to reduced costs, increased usability and new business opportunities. Design is recognised as an innovative discipline that can help MSMEs to sustain and grow in an increasingly competitive market.

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1.2 About National Institute of Design

The National Institute of Design (NID) is internationally acclaimed as one of the foremost multi-disciplinary institutions in the field of design education and research. The Business Week, USA has listed NID as one of the top 25 European & Asian programmes in the world. The institute functions as an autonomous body under the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India. NID is recognized by the Dept. of Scientific & Industrial Research (DSIR) under Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India, as a scientific and industrial design research organization.

NID has been a pioneer in industrial design education after Bauhaus and Ulm in Germany and is known for its pursuit of design excellence to make Designed in India, Made for the World a reality. NID's graduates have made a mark in key sectors of commerce, industry and social development by taking role of catalysts and through thought leadership.

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1.3 About North East Development Consortium

The NEDC in an organization which offering consultancy services in different fields and expertise in different areas. It was started in 2000 at Guwahati aiming to serve the people of North- East. The organization is managed by a set of dedicated persons having expertise in different areas. It is not a profit organization dedicated to formulate and implements plans and projects that improve the social and economic condition of North-East people. Through this NEDC want to assist to improve house held condition of North-East with a sense of community & sense of personnel empowerment. It also offering services that assist women & children who are experiencing violence, homelessness & chronic poverty & to create an environment that strengthens a women belief in her ability to influence the direction of her life. In other words it want to serve as a regional voice for the land of eight sisters.

Organization Profile:NEDC is registered under the Societies Registered under the Societies Registeration Act, XXI of 1860 with registration no. RS/KAM/240/A-18/199.

Aims:NEDC aims to be a dynamic & responsive organization catalyzing the economic development of the North-East. Keeping in view the socio-economic scenario of the NE regionsof India, NEDC is mandated to address as a dynamic & responsive organization catalyzing the economic development of North-East. NEDC should make “ Sustainable Socio-Economic Development” of its region as its main goal. In line with goal, the organization should have its own vision & mission & that would provide proper direction to the activities of

North East Development Consortium

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the organization & the results it can achieve. As a result, the vision & mission of NEDC should be as follows.

Vision:1. To emerge as a excellence Organization Consultancy Service, Event Management, Marketing Linkage, Project Formulation & Implementation, Evaluation Studies, Research & Support, Training, Technology, Management & Development in different sectors.2. To improve the quality of life of the rural people of North-East.3. To create an environment that strengthens a women’s belif in her ability to influence the direction of her life.

Mission:1. To serve the people by offering quality services for their progress & economic up-liftment.2. Help North-East people to restructure their rural societies & to reconstruct the economy of the rural people.3. To develop a range of long term, safe, affordable housing options for & with low income women.

Function: 1. To collaborate with national & state level organizations, the national & state level bodies, governmental & non governmental for purpose of taking action to accelerate Socio-Economic development in the region.2. To held national & regional conferences, seminars, workshops & meetings to identify new areas of development.3. To organize & facilitate the conduct of national, regional, state level & district level training programmes to strengthen the capacity of local people by sharing views, experience & good practices.4. To initiate research & action research studies of specific or common

NEDC’s CEO- Mr. Jayanta Baruah

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interest & disseminate disaggregate data/statistics & information to the region.5. To serve as a clearing house & data bank for communication & information on Socio-Economy development, etc.

Offering Consulting Services in the Field of:a) Agricultureb) Rural Developmentc) Handloom & Sericultured) Marketing Linkagese) Handicraftf) Skill Developmentg) Educationh) Health & Sanitation

Experience: NEDC has been conducting Training programme throughout the state of Assam for the last ten years. The training programmes were related to Awareness, Motivation, Entrepreneurship Development, Skill Development, Group Formation, Credit Linkages, etc. The training programmes were conducted under different Govt. Schemes and were organized with the related Departments and Organizations like National Institute of Design (N.I.D),Ahmedabad, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurs (IIE), Guwahati, NI- MSME, SIRD,Guwahati.NEDC has not only confined itself to trainings of unemployed educated people but ensured that they after fulfilling the norms are credit linked & enable them to set up their own enterprises. Many such clusters have been developed throughout the state of Assam by NEDC under different Govt. Schemes and with assistance from the local banks. NEDC has also helped the interested persons by creating Marketing opportunities for their produce and ensured

Expertise in:a) Consultancyb) Marketing Linkagesc) Training & Reaearchd) Event Managemente) Advertising & Publicity

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that the producers get the actual price for their products. NEDC has established linkages for the weavers with many reputed organizations doing business with Handlooms products. NEDC has been offering consultancy services to many organizations as per requirement and has excelled in this regard. Many events has been organized by NEDC for many departments successfully and already earned reputation in this field. NEDC also entered the field of Advertising & Publicity and has also provided consultancy in this field.For conducting sessions during training programmes & for guidance time to time Faculty support is taken from all leading Universities & Institutions like Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship, National Institute of Rural Development, TATA Institute of Social Science, Indian Institute of Crop Processing Technology, Indian Institute of Banking Management , Weavers Service Centre, Central Silk Board, Gauhati University, Assam Agriculture University, State Institute of Rural Development, Assam Institute of Management, Assam Textiles Institute, Assam Engineering College ,North Eastern Regional Institute of Management, Girija Nanda Choudhury Institute of Management & Technology, Gauhati Commerce College, Sualkuchi Institute of Fashion Technology etc.

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Assam, state in northeastern India, bordered by the nations of Bhutan and Bangladesh.Assam means “Peerless” in the ancient Ahom language. To the east by the states of Nagaland and Manipur, to the south by the states of Mizoram and Tripura, and to the west by Bangladesh and the states of Meghalaya and West Bengal. The capital of Assam is Dispur. Its zenith under King Rudra Singh (1696-1714). Internal strife brought an invasion from Myanmar into Assam in 1817. The British eventually drove out the Myanmar invaders and made the area part of British India in 1826. By 1842 the whole Assam valley had come under British rule. Assam’s economy is rural and agricultural. Tea is cultivated in the hilly regions, and the state provides much of the tea grown in India. Other significant crops include oilseeds, peas, beans, canola (rapeseed), sugarcane, and fruits. Major industrial towns are Guwahati, Dimapur, Jorhat, Dibrugarh and Tezpur. Area 30,285 square miles (78,438 square km). Population: (1991) 22,414,322.

Administrative DataEstablishment: 15th of August 1947Legislature (seats): Unicameral (126)Capital: DispurLargest city: GuwahatiDistricts: 27 Officiallanguage(s): Assamese, Bodo, KarbiGeographical dataPopulation Density: 396.8/km² (2011 census) Area: 78,438 km²State Boundaries:East : Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and ManipurWest :West Bengal and MeghalayaNorth:Arunachal PradeshSouth:Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Meghalaya and TripuraInternational Boundary:North:BhutanWest:BangladeshGeographic Coordinates:Latitude:24° to 28° NorthLongitude:90° to 96° East Time zone: IST Forest Cover: 35.48 %

Statistical DataTotal Population (2011 census): 31,169,272Male - 15,954,927, Female - 15,214,345Literacy rate (2011 census): 73.18% Male 78.81% Female 67.27%Sex Ratio (Male:Female): 1000 : 954

DemographicsTotal population of Assam was 26.66 million with 4.91 million households in 2001.Higher population concentration was recorded in the districts of Kamrup, Nagaon, Sonitpur, Barpeta, Dhubri, Darang and Cachar. Assam’s population was estimated at 28.67 million in

1.4 About Assam and Berpeta:

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2006 and at 30.57 million by 2011, 34.18 million by 2021 and 35.60 million by 2026.In 2001, the census recorded literacy in Assam at 63.3% with male literacy at 71.3% and female at 54.6%. Urbanization rate was recorded at 12.9%. Growth of population in Assam has experienced a very high trajectory since the mid-decades of the 20th century. Population grew steadily from 3.29 million in 1901 to 6.70 million in 1941, while it has increased unprecedentedly to 14.63 million in 1971 and 22.41 million in 1991 to reach the present level. The growth in the western and southern districts was of extreme high in nature mostly attributable to rapid influx of population from the then East Pakistan or Bangladesh. Assam has many ethnic groups and the People of India project has studied 115 of these. Out of which 79 (69%) identify themselves Template: Explanation needed regionally, 22 (19%) locally, and 3 transnationally. The earliest settlers were Austro-Asiatic, followed by Tibeto- Burman, Indo-Aryan speakers, and Tai–Kadai speakers. Forty-five languages are spoken by different communities, including three major language families: Austro-Asiatic (5), Sino-Tibetan (24) and Indo-European (12). Three Template: Not making 45 in total!!! of the spoken languages do not fall in these families. There is a high degree of bilingualism.

ReligionAccording to the 2001 census, there are 17,296,455 Hindus, 8,240,611 Muslims, 986,589 Christians, 22,519 Sikhs, 51,029 Buddhists, 23,957 Jains and 22,999 belonging to other religious communities. The latter includes Animism (Khamti, Phake, Aiton etc. communities)

LanguagesAssamese and Bodo are the major indigenous and official languages while Bengali holds official status in the three districts in the Barak Valley and is the second most widely spoken language of the state

(27%). Traditionally Assamese was the language of the commons (of mixed origin – Austroasiatic, Tibeto-Burman, Prakrit) in the ancient Kamarupa and in the medieval kingdoms of Kamatapur, Kachari, Sutiya kingdom, Borahi, Ahom and Koch. Traces of the language is found in many poems by Luipa, Sarahapa, etc. in Charyapada (c.7th–8th AD). Modern dialects Kamrupi, Goalpariya, etc. are the remnant of this language. Moreover, Assamese in its traditional form was used by the ethno-cultural groups in the region as lingua-franca, which spread during the stronger kingdoms and was required for needed economic integration. Localised forms of the language still exist in Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh. The form used in the upper Assam was enriched by the advent of Tai-Shans in the 13th century.Linguistically modern Assamese traces its roots to the version developed by the American Missionaries based on the local form in practice near Sibsagar (Siwoxagor) district. Assamese (Osomeeya) is a rich language due to its hybrid nature with its unique characteristics of pronunciation and softness. Assamese literature is one of the richest. Bodo is an ancient language of Assam. Spatial distribution patterns of the ethno-cultural groups, cultural traits and the phenomenon of naming all the major rivers in the North East Region with Bodo-Kachari words (e.g. Dihing, Dibru, Dihong, D/Tista, Dikrai, etc.) reveal that it was the most important language in the ancient times. Bodo is presently spoken largely in the Lower Assam (Bodo Territorial Council area). After years of neglect, now Bodo language is getting attention and its literature is developing. Other native languages of Tibeto-Burman origin and related to Bodo-Kachari are DEORI Mishing, Karbi, Dimasa, Rabha, Tiwa, etc. Rajbongshi also known as Kamatapuri/Goalpariya is also widely spoken by the people of western Assam. Nepali is also spoken in almost all parts of the state.There are approximately thirty lakhs of Nepali speakers spreading over the area of all the district of Assam.

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Assamese language being the main language, they are well versed in it. Assamese language is the main medium in educational institutions but Nepali language is also taught as a major Indian language. In Guwahati and Digboi, many Jr. basic School and Jr. high School are Nepali medium where all the teachers are Nepali. As a major Indian language, Nepali is included by Assam State Secondary Board, Assam Higher Secondary Council and Gauhati University in their HSCL, higher secondary and graduation level respectively, in some jr. basic and higher secondary schools and colleges, Nepali teachers and lecturers are also appointed. In these institutions, Nepali and literature are taught. There are smaller groups of people speaking Tai-Phake, Tai-Aiton, Tai-Khamti, Tai-Khamyang etc., some of the Tai languages. The Tai-Ahom language (brought by Sukaphaa and his followers), which is no more a spoken language today is getting attentions for research after centuries long care and preservation by the Bailungs (traditional priests). There are also small groups of people speaking Manipuri, Khasi, Garo, Hmar, Kuki, Zeme Naga etc. in different parts. Bengali is the official language in Barak Valley and the widely spoken language there is Sylheti, a dialect of Bengali. Bengali is also largely spoken in the western districts of Dhubri, Barpeta and Goalpara.Santali or Santhali is also spoken widely by the tribal population in the tea garden districts of Assam. These people who were initially brought as tea estate labourers by the British to Assam have now made it their home state. Bishnupriya Manipuri language is also spoken by a small minority of people in Barak Valley.

Culture:Assam is the meeting ground of diverse cultures. The people of theenchanting state of Assam is an intermixture of various racial stocks such as Mongoloid, Indo-Burmese, Indo-Iranian and Aryan.

The Assamese culture is a rich and exotic tapestry of all these races evolved through a long assimilative process. The natives of the state of Assam are known as “Asomiya” (Assamese), which is also the state language of Assam. The state has a large number of tribes, each unique in its tradition, culture, dresse and exotic way of life. Diverse tribes like Bodo, Kachari, Karbi, Miri, Mishimi, Rabha, etc co-exist in Assam, most tribes have their own languages though Assamese is the principal language of the state.

A majority of the Assamese is the Vaishnavas (a sect of Hinduism). The Vaishnavas do not believe in idol worshiping and perform Namkirtana where the glory of Lord Vishnu is recited. The two important cultural and religious institutions that influence the cultural fabric of Assam: the Satras, the site of religious and cultural practice which have been in existence for over 400 years and and the Naamghar, the house of prayers.

Culture:Villagers generally associate on the basis of membership of a local center of devotional worship called “Naamghar”. Villages are usually made up of families from a number of distinct castes. In Assam, the caste system, although it exists, is not as prominent as in other parts of India. Other religions such as Buddhism, Christianity,

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Hinduism, Islam etc. are also practiced in Assam. The national festival of Assam is the Bihu which is celebrated in three parts during a year with great pomp and grandeur by all Assamese, irrespective of caste, creed or religion. Bengali-speaking Hindus and Muslims represent the largest minorities, followed by Nepalis and populations from neighboring regions of India.The most important social and cultural celebrations are the three Bihu festivals observed with great enthusiasm irrespective of caste, creed and religious affinity. From time immemorial, the people of Assam have traditionally been craftsmen. Artists, sculptors, masons, weavers, spinners, potters, goldsmiths, artisans of ivory, wood, bamboo, cane and hide have flourished in Assam from ancient times. Weaving is one traditional craft that every Assamese woman takes pride in. The Assamese women produce silk and cotton clothes of exquisite designs in their looms. Assam is renowned for its exquisite silks namely Eri, Pat and the world famous Muga silk. Gandhiji complimented the Assamese weavers as artists who could weave dreams in their looms. The Gamocha is one of the most easily recognizable cultural symbols of the Assamese people besides the tamol-paan (areca nut & betel leaf) which is an integral part of almost all socio-religious ceremonies.

The Gamocha, a white rectangular piece of cotton hand woven cloth with primarily a red border on three sides and red woven motifs on

the fourth (in addition to red, other colors are also used) is put to many uses. It is used as a towel, as a waistcloth or a loincloth; a Bihu dancer wraps it around the head in a knot, it is also hung around the neck at the prayer hall and thrown over the shoulder to signify social status or respect. Gamochas, also known as bihuwaans, are offered during Bihu as a token of love.Significantly the gamocha is used equally by all, irrespective of religious and ethnic backgrounds.

Arts And Crafts:The people of Assam have traditionally been craftsmen from time immemorial. Though Assam is mostly known for its exquisite silks and the bamboo and cane products, several other crafts are also made here. Different regions of Assam are known for their different forms of art and handicrafts.

Cane and Bamboo:Cane and bamboo have remained inseparable parts of life in Assam.

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Grown in abundance here and hence most of the household articles in the homes of Assamese are made of cane and bamboo. They happen to be the two most commonly-used items in daily life,ranging from household implements to construction of dwelling houses to furniture to weaving accessories to musical instruments.

Arts and crafts:

The Jappi, the traditional sunshade continues to be the most prestigious of bamboo items of the state, and it has been in use since the days when the great Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang came to Assam that visitors are welcomed with a jaapi.

Bell-Metal:Bell-metal and brass have been the most commonly used metals for the Assamese artisan. Traditional utensils and fancy articles designed by these artisans are found in every Assamese household. The Xorai and bota have in use for centuries, to offer betel-nut and paan while welcoming distinguished guests.The entire population of two townships near Guwahati - Hajo and Sarthebari, are engaged in producing traditional bell-metal and brass articles. They have also

used their innovative skills to design modern day articles to compete with the changing times.Gold, silver and copper too form a part of traditional metal craft in Assam and the State Museum in Guwahati has a rich collection of items made of these metals. Gold however is now used only for ornaments.

Handlooms:

Assam’s silk fabrics have earned immense recognition from all over the world. The state is the home of several types of silks, the most

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prominent and prestigious being muga, the golden silk exclusive to this state. Muga apart, there is paat, as also eri, the latter being used in manufacture of warm clothes for winter. Of a naturally rich golden colour, muga is the finest of India’s wild silks. It is produced only in Assam. The women of Assam weave fairy tales in their looms. In earlier times, te skill to weave was the primary qualification of a young girl for her eligibility for marriage.

Arts And Crafts:This perhaps explains why Assam has the largest concentration of handlooms and weavers in India. One of the world’s finest artistic traditions finds expression in their exquisitely woven ‘Eri’, ‘Muga’ and ‘Pat’ fabrics. The traditional handloom silks still hold their own in world markets They score over factory-made silks in the richness of their textures and designs, in their individuality, character and classic beauty. No two hand woven silks are exactly alike. Personality of the weaver, her hereditary skill, her innate sense of colour and balance all help to create a unique product.

Today, India exports a wide variety of silks to western Europe and the United States, especially as exclusive furnishing fabrics.

Boutiques and fashion houses designers and interior decorators have the advantage of getting custom-woven fabrics in the designs, weaves and colours of their choice. A service that ensures an exclusive product not easily repeatable by competitors. The Tribals on the other hand have a wide variety of colourful costumes, some of which have earned International repute through the export market. Weaving in Assam is so replete with artistic sensibility and so intimately linked to folk life that Gandhiji, during his famous tour to promote khadi and swadeshi, was so moved that he remarked : “Assamese women weave fairy tales in their clothes!”

Toys:The toys of Assam can be broadly classified under four heads (i) clay toys (ii) pith (iii) wooden and bamboo toys (iv) cloth and cloth-and-mud toys. While the human figure, especially dolls, brides and grooms, is the most common theme of all kinds of toys, a variety of animals forms have also dominated the clay-toys scene of Assam. Clay traditionally made by the Kumar and Hira communities, have often depicted different animals too, while gods, goddesses and other mythological figures also find importance in the work of traditional artist.

Pith or Indian cork has also been used for toy-making since centuries in Assam. Such toys are chiefly made in the Goalpara region and they

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include figures of gods, animals and birds, the last of which again dominate the over-all output. Wood and bamboo on the other hand have been in use for making toys for several centuries, and like the other mediums, come as birds, animals and human figures. Toys of cloth as also with a mixture of cloth and mud too have constituted part of the rich Assamese toy-making tradition. While the art of making cloth toys have been traditionally handed down from mother to daughter in every household, the cloth-and-mud toys are generally used for puppet theatres. Among the household toys, the bride and the groom are the most common characters, while the other varieties have animals and mythological characters as the plays demand.

Pottery:

Pottery is probably as old as human civilisation itself. In Assam, pottery can be traced back to many centuries. The Kumars and Hiras are two traditional potter communities of Assam and while the Kumars use the wheel to produce his pots, the Hiras are probably the only potters in the world who do not use the wheel at all. Again, among the Hiras, only the womenfolk are engaged in pottery work, while their men help them in procuring the raw materials and selling

the wares. The most commonly-used pottery products include earthen pots and pitchers, plates, incense-stick holders, earthen lamps etc, while modern-day decorative have also found place in their latest Wood Craft

Assam has always remained one of the most forest-covered states of the country, and the variety of wood and timber available here have formed a part of the people’s culture and economy. An Assamese can identify the timber by touching it even in darkness, and can produce a series of items from it. While decorative panels in the royal Ahom palaces of the past and the 600-years old satras or Vaishnative monasteries are intricately carved on wood, a special class of people who excelled in wood carving came to be known as Khanikar, a surname proudly passed down from generation to generation. The various articles in a satra and naam-ghar(place of worship) are stiff cut on wood, depicting the guru asana (pedestal of the lords), apart from various kinds of birds and animals figuring in mythology. Modern-day Khanikar have taken to producing articles of commercial values, including figures of one-horned rhino and replicas of the worldfamous Kamakhya temple - two items heading the list of demands of a visitor from outside.

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Wooden Mask:

With tribal art and folk elements from the base of Assamese culture, masks have found an important place in the cultural activities of the people. Masks have been widely used in folk theatres and bhaonas with the materials ranging from terracotta to pith to metal, bamboo and wood. Similarly, among the tribal’s too, the use of masks is varied and widespread, especially in their colorful dances which again revolve chiefly around their typical tribal myth and folklore. Such traditional masks have of late found their way to the modern-day drawing rooms as decorative items and wall-hangings, thus providing self-employment opportunities to those who have been traditionally making them.

Jewellery:Gold has always constituted the most-used metal for jewellery in Assam, while the use of silver and other metals too have been there for centuries.In the old days, gold was locally available, flowing down several Himalayan rivers, of which Subansiri is the most important.

In fact, a particular tribe of people, the Sonowal Kacharis were engaged only for gold-washing in these rivers.Jorhat in Upper Assam is one place where the traditional Assamese form of manufacture of jewellery is still in vogue, and people flock to Jorhat to get the exquisite Assamese jewellery. Assamese jewellery include the doog-doogi, loka-paro, bana, gaam-kharu, gal-pata, jon-biri, dhol-biri and keru, all of which have also encouraged the modern jewellers to producing similiar designs mechanically. Terracotta

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Terracotta as a medium has dominated the handicraft scene of Assam since time immemorial. The tradition itself has been handed down from the generation to generation without break. Today we have the descendent of such families engaged in improvised terracotta versions of various common figures of gods and goddesses to mythological characters, while toys, vases, etc have also found a new life.

Traditional Paintings:The tradition of paintings in Assam can be traced back to several centuries in the past. Ahom palaces and satras and naam-ghar etc still abound in brightly-coloured paintings depicting various stories and events from history and mythology. In fact, the motifs and designs contained in Chitra-Bhagavata have come to become a traditional style for Assamese painters of the later period, and are still in practice today.

How to reach Assam: Assam, the gateway to the northeast is well connected with the rest of India by air, rail and road.

By Flight:The Lokapriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport at Guwahati is 18 km from the city centre and is well connected to most of the metros in the country. There are regular flights to Guwahati running all year long on daily basis. All the major carriers of the country like Air India, Jet Airways, Kingfisher Red, SpiceJet, Go Air Business, JetLite and IndiGo airlines connect Guwahati to most of the major cities of India. Druk Air also operates an international weekly flight between Bangkok and Guwahati. Most of the carriers also operate flights connecting the other towns of Assam like Jorhat, Dibrugarh, Tezpur, North Lakhimpur and Silchar to Guwahati and to the other major cities in India.

By Rail:Assam has a convenient railway network connecting the state to the rest of the country. There are train services from Kolkata, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Cochin and Trivandrum. B.G. line connection is up to Dibrugarh and M.G. line with Haflong and Silchar.

By Road:A network of National Highways and other roads connect Guwahati with all the important places of Assam and India. It is the connector city of NH - 31, 37 and 40 with the other cities of India by road.

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Barpeta District At a Glance:The Barpeta district became a district in 1983 headed by the Deputy Commissioner. The district has two sub-divisions, namely Barpeta and Bajali. The Sub-divisional office (civil) Bajali is the civil head of the sub-division. There are six revenue circles in the Sadar Subdivision and three circles constitute the Bajali sub-division.

Geographical Location:The Barpeta District was carved out of erstwhile Kamrup District ofAssam in July 1983. The district derived its name from the head quarter town of Barpeta. Created as a Civil Sub-Division in 1841 by the British Administration, John Batlor was the first administrative Officer of erstwhile Civil Sub-Division. Today the District consists of two- Civil Sub-Divisions, (1) Barpeta and (2) Bajali. This Lower Assam District covers an area of 3245 square K.Ms and is bounded by international border i.e. Bhutan Hills in the North, Nalbari District in the East, Kamrup and Goalpara District in the South andBongaigaon District in the West. The District lies between latitude 26’5’’ North - 26’49’’ North and longitude 90’39’ East - 91’17’ East.

Topography:The general Topography of the Barpeta District varies from low-lying plains to highland having small-hillocks in the South- West-corner of the District, namely Baghbar, Fulora and Chatala overlooking the scenic and mighty Brahmaputra river.

Climate: The climate of Barpeta remains mild and pleasant round the year. Tropical monsoon climate of the District provides two distinct seasons- Summer and Winter. The Summer season of March to May is followed by the Monsoons from June to September. This is

followed by cool winter season from October to February.

Rivers: The river Brahmaputra flows from east to west across theSouthern part of the district. The tributaries of these river that flows through the District are Beki, Manah, Pohumara, Kaldia, Palla, Nakhanda, Marachaulkhowa and Bhelengi flowing from North to South. Rivers Pohumara and Kaldia joins near Barpeta town to form river Nakhanda whereas Palla and Beki join with Nakhanda to ultimately form Chaulkhowa river.

Soils: The Soil of Barpeta District may be classified as Sandy, Sandy-loamy and forest-soils

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Historical Background:Barpeta has been a place of great religious importance. Known byvarious names like Tatikuchi, Porabhita, Mathura, Vrindavan,Choukhutisthan, Nabaratna-Sabha, Icchakuchi,Pushpak Vimana,Kampur and Barpeta. It was Koch King Naranarayan who foundedBarnagar (Sorbhog) The present District formed an integral part of the Koch-Hajo and the Ahom Kingdom till British Administration took over. From the ancient period Barpeta witnessed the rule of the Varmans (380-654) the Salasthamas (655-985) the Palas (985-1260) the Kamatas (1260-1509)& the Koches from 1509. During the Kamata & Koch rule major historical development took place. During this period large number of local feudatory-chiefs who are primarily land lords called ‘Bhuyans’ ruled the region. Number of villages constituted a ‘Chakla’ placed under a Bhuyan was patronised by the Kamatas. These Bhuyans arrived from eastern part of India like Kanauj, Gauda and Bengal who in passage of time became general Assamese caste and accepted the Vaishnava faith under influence of Shrimanta Sankardeva. Koch King Naranarayan established his temporary capital at Barnagar.Here he met Shrimanta Sankardeva and his renowed disciple and subsequently accepted Vaishnavism when Sankardeva was invited by the monarch to Koch- Bihar. It was during king Naranarayan’s regime at Barnagar the great saint established Satra at Patbaushi to spread his Socio-religious faith. The Koch rule ended with annexation by the Mughals. The valiant Ahom fought a number of battles against the invading Mughals. Some of the well-known battles were fought at Jakhlikhana, Bhabanipur and Bhatekuchi. Ahoms were defeated and Mughals took over the Administration and systematised the entire revenue adminstration. Kamrupa became a Sarkar,which was divided into Parganas. Barpeta,Khetri, Bajali, Barnagar, Bahbari and Bijni became Parganas. A Gomasta was appointed to run the

‘Tapa’ and a number of Tapas bacame a Pargana. For administrative convenience the Parganas were divided into Taluks, lats and villages. Parganas were placed under Barbaruas and Choudhuries. Taluks remained under Talukdar. They were assisted by Thakurias, Patwaries,Kakati,Gaon barika etc. who kept the revenue accounts.Judges in Parganas were called Shikdar,whereas Amin and Kanango were responsible for land-survey, assessment and collection of revenue. With the advent of Shrimanta Sankardeva, this region turned into a religious place dotted with numerous satras and in fact Barpeta town came to be called ‘Boikumthapuri Dham’. As a part of providing pantronage to various religious-places irrespective of religions, the Ahom rulers provided a large number of land-grants to the Satras. Dr. Maheswar Neog in his edited work” Prasya Sasanawali” has mentioned a large number of land-grants during the region of Shiva Singha,Rajeswar Singha,Lakshmi Singha,Gaurinath Singha and Chandra Kanta Singha. Grants were made to Muslim-Darghas of Shah Madar at Baushi, Shah Fakir at Barnagar,Panch Peer at Khetri, Syed Shahnur Dewan Fakir at Bhella,where Chandra Kanta Singha granted 100 bighas la khiraj land. Grants were made to Devalaya also. These grants were made in copper-plate inscriptionswhich are invaluable source of history.Wide-spread destruction of life and property took place when theMaans invaded from Myanmar. Even the Barpeta Satra was razed to the ground during this invasion. To restore peace British army entered Barpeta to drove-off all the invaders. With the advent ofBritish rule Mouzadari system came into effect.In 1841 Barpeta became a Civil Sub Division and John Batlor became the first administrator. As a part of policy of exploitation,land-revenue rates were suddenly enhanced which resulted in a number of peasant unrest in between 1893-94 particularly in Bajali and Sarukhetri area. Large number of arrests were carried out to foil attempts of unrest.

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The Lachima up rising is one such shining example of peasant revolt against British rule.Raijor Sabha constituted during this period raised the banner of revolt. During the struggle for independence large number of people participated and were jailed. Madan Chandra Barman and Rauta Koch were first martyrs to sacrifice their lives during Quit India Movement of 1942. Some of the important Congress leaders who lead the Freedomstruggle are Umesh Chandra Brahmachari, Dhaniram Talukdar, Ganesh Lal Choudhury, Debendra Nath Uzir, Akshay Kumar Das, Bongshidhar Choudhury, Nanamohan Mazumdar, Golak Pathak, Sonaram Choudhury, Dr. Jinaram Das, Biswanath Das, Praneswar Das, Ambikagiri Raichoudhury, Mahendra Mohan Choudhury, Madhusudan Das, Upendra Chandra Das, Debendra Sharma,Naranarayan Goswami, Kabiraj Ghanashyam Das, and handraprava Saikiani. Mahatma Gandhi visited Barpeta in 1934. So did Jawaharlal Nehru in 1937.

Economy:Sarthebari town is located in the easternmost corner of the districtfamous for the household brass metal industry. Large number households carry out this industry that expertises in making Sarais,Bota, Ban-Batis,Thals,glasses etc. that are traditionally used by theAssamese people. These utensils are unique contribution towardsAssamese tradition and culture carried for long period of time. Due toincreasing cost of raw materials that is to be imported from other state, the artisans are finding it economically difficult to continue the industry. The main raw materials used in the craft is the brass which is an alloy of copper and zinc in the shape of sheets. The workshops where the artisans of Hajo manufacture the products of brass are called “Garshali”. There remains a furnace in the middle of the “Garshali” which the local people called “Affar”. The artisans work for the whole day with their hammers in the “Affar” to manufacture

the products out of brass. In old days the “Garshali” were in the nearby jungle areas away from populated places to avoid day long noises of the hammers from the people. Barpeta is famous centre for preparation of Traditional Assamese ornaments with Gold. The ornaments are stillas popular as during the medieval period among the female community. Among the various articles preserved in the Satras, the decorative items made out of wood reflects the skilful artistry of the carpentars. The Guru Asana or the pedestral of the guru,variousanimals and birds figuring in mythology are aesthetically designed by the artisans. Materials including Ornaments,Toys, images of Gods and Goddessess,Animals, Comb etc. are made by skilful artisans of Barpeta since the time of Shrimanta Sankardeva.

Demographics:According to the 2011 census Barpeta district has a population of1,693,190, roughly equal to the nation of Guinea-Bissau or the USstate of Idaho. This gives it a ranking of 292nd in India (out of a total of 640). The district has a population density of 632 inhabitants per square kilometre (1,640 /sq mi) . Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 21.4 %. Barpeta has a sex ratio of 951 females for every 1000 males, and a literacy rate of 65.03 %.MainReligions Are Muslims 977,943 (59.37%), Hindus 662,066, Christians 5,267 (Census of India 2001).

Culture Art Form:The Barpeta District is rich in cultural art from both ethnic and nonethnic. The great cultural ambassador Srimanta Sankardevacontributed a great deal in creating different art forms that became integral part of Assamese culture.

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Borgeet: Devotional songs composed by Shrimanta Sankardeva are still popular in this region.

Ankiya Geet: Shrimanta Sankardeva composed ankiyageet for ankiya-nats or plays. These are sung on special occessions like Doul festival,anniverseries of the two gurus and other festivals.

Holi Geet: Holigeet are the unique form of chorus songs that originated in Barpeta satra and spread throughout the state. These are sung during the Doul festival.

Loka Geet: Kamrupi Loka geet is popular form of folk music that expresses thoughts and emotion of the common people. These songs are sung from time immemorial by various people of earstwhile undivided Kamrup district. Beside this various forms of songs linking the day to day activites are also popular like biya(marriage) geet,now khelor(boat race) geet, maha-kheda (mosquito driveout)geet, loradhemalir(child’s play)geet, boroshibowa (fishing) geet, nisukoni (lallabye)geet and various forms of bihu geet.

Dances: Devadasi nritya was performed at Pari Hareswar Devalaya in Bajali. Deodhani nritya is another form that was popular during middle ages. Shrimanta Sankdardeva popularised the Satriya nritya among the common people. Other dance form that the guru popularised are Krishna nritya, Kalidaman nritya, Dasavatara nritya, Jhumura nritya, Sali nritya, Sutradhari nritya, Gopi nritya Raja Nritya, Rani

nritya etc. which were performed in the Satras. Ojapali is a popular dance form among the people.

Drama & Theatre: Sankardeva popularised ‘Bhaona’ or mythological plays that became centre of attraction from the common masses. Colourful dresses were worn on the occassion by the participants. The modern dance form became popular with spreading of dramas. These dramas resulted in formation of professional theatre groups in and around Pathsala region leaving behind an unique cultural legacy. Large number of professional theatre group enjoy popularity among the people in every hook & corner of Assam. Theatre groups like Nataraj, Kohinoor, Abahan, and Aradhana from Pathsala has not only carved out a niche but also revolutionised this medium despite challange from Cinema Halls.

Traditional CraftsHandicraft: Decorative items of daily use including furnitures,gift items, decoration items etc. are prepared by rural artisans out of cane and bamboo are wide spread in the district.

Bell And Brass Metal Industry : The renowned town of Sarthebari is well-known for the household bell and brass-metal industry. Traditional utensils and fancy items designed by the artisans are found in every Assamese household. Most popular utensils here prepared are xorai for offering as gift to namghars and bota on which paan and betel nuts served by hosts to guests.

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Pottery : Pottery works are popular among the common people.The Hira community is engaged in this profession. Ethnic and traditional items of daily use are prepared by the artisans. Great mathematician Varahmihira is said to have stayed in a potter’s village of Lehi dongra(now eroded by river Brahmaputra).

Wooden-Craft : Among the various articles preserved in the Satras, the decorative items made out of wood reflects the skilful artistry of the carpentars. The Guru Asana or the pedestral of the guru,various animals and birds figuring in mythology are aesthetically designed by the artisans.

Mask: Bhaonas introduced by Shrimanta Sankardeva used masks which are made with tribal art & folk element. These are prepared with materials like terracotta, pith, metal, bamboo, wood etc.

Jewellary:Barpeta is famous centre for preparation of Traditional Assamese ornaments with Gold. The ornaments are stillas popular as during the medieval period among the female community.

Paintings : Paintings are traced back to the medieval period. Paintings available in the Satras reflect the skilful work of the painters.

Ivory Carving: Materials including Ornaments, Toys, images of Gods and Goddessess,Animals, Comb etc are made by skilful artisans of Barpeta since the time of Shrimanta Sankardeva.

How To Reached Barpeta From Guwahati:

From guwahati Barpeta is 140 km.Barpeta can be reached by Bus & Railways. The nearest Railway Station being Barpeta Road which lies at a distance of 21 K.M. from Barpeta Town. Barpeta Road is connected to all over Assam by National Highway No.31, North of the District Head quarter Town of Barpeta. Howly connects Barpeta with the National Highway which lies about 16 K.M. There are regular bus services between Barpeta and Guwahati.

Railway Station:Barpeta Road/BPRD Railway Station.

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2. Brass Metal Works

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A. Sizing by Cutting

B. Hammering to Give Desired Shape

H. Suppliers & Dealers

E. Carving Design Patterns

D. To Smoothen Rough EdgesF. Final Products

C. Jointing the JointsG. Packaging & Transport

2.1 PROCESS

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2.2 Raw Material

The raw materials mainly used for brass-metal products is- brass metal sheet and wood-coal. The brass-metal sheet is generally provided by local supplier & middle man who pay only labour charges or less profit to them. The other material required include- lacquer, Borax Powder, Brass metal Powder, Zinc Powder etc.

Beating Metal Sheet:These brass-metal sheets are then again burnt in a fire vent, so as to soften them and are then hammered continuously in wooden mould to give them the required shape. After the rough shape is formed, the formed shape is beaten with several hammer & other tools to give it a final shape.

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Carving imprints on the brass metal wareOnce the basic brass metal products are made, its base is heated in another fire vent called the Kunda Apor and then sealing wax is used to fix the base of the items to a rolling bamboo tool called the Kunda Saal.The Kunda Saal is made to spin with the use of a pulley tugged at one side and on the other side a sharp edged instrument, twisted at the tip called the Luwaal is used to carve rings into the spinning items.

Carving rings (Bhor mara) on the itemsIn order to give final touches’ to the brass metal products, a sharp tool made of iron is use. The craftsman uses a small instrument called the Dhonukar as it is shaped like the traditional bow.One end of the sharp tool is put inside a small metallic cup placed in the palm of the craftsman for applying pressure while the other end is used to carve motifs and patterns on it.

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Scraping off the burnt layer

To scrap off the darkened burnt layer from the brass metal products, a long iron rod is used which is with sharp edges called the Khonta by the local craftsmen. This is basically done to bring the smoothness, shine and glaze in the brass metal wares.

The process is very tedious and requires a lot of strength and pressure.

The upper images shows the beating process to give or match final desired shape of the wares where, below both images shows the scrap-off process.

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2.3 Tools & Equipment

The main tools used for making brass metal products are:

- Hammer (small to Big one)- Chaini- Tong- Traditional Spinning Tool (Kunda Saal)- sharp edged instrument, twisted at the tip called the Luwaal.-Dhonukar as it is shaped like the traditional bow.

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2.4 Product Range

Different Range of Sarai

Decorative Traditional Sarai

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Range of Jaapi Traditional Jaapi

Wall Hanging Sarai, Decorative Momento and Jaapi

Range of Mementos

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A Traditional Serving Trey A Range of Traditional Thal/Plate with various design pattern

A Traditional Thal (Plate) to offer in marriageA Traditional Thal (Plate) and A Japi

National Leader Statue

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Range of Dipak (Lamp)

Different Figurative Art Works

Artistic Banana Tree & a Traditional Jaapi

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2.5 Insight- Understanding of the customer product producer market relation from design point of view

After the field work and secondary data research and study towards Barpeta Brass metal craft and its market relation and situation with consumer we can able to say that there is lacking and issues for their growth and to became interdependent for market.The cluster don’t have any proper business plan or strategy to carry forward their traditional business to the next level of growth therefore lot of loop holes are there which makes their situation worse and middlemen taking benefit of it. As the cluster is dependent for their work and raw materials on local dealers,hence they have negotiation power and it allows to exploit the cluster. Most of the time they engaged craftsmen with their order and create a barrier between to excess market directly. These things clearly state that cluster is lacking with proper plan, future strategy and Market information system.

Every month craftsmen cannot able to work for few days the reason behind this is the middleman don’t give required materials on time as well as the quantity of it is less therefore the craftsmen always relay on. By doing this they create sense of insecurity and competition inside the cluster. It makes middleman to have most of the profit as well as a dependent cluster.

AS the craftsmen don’t be able to have market exposure and direct connection with consumer therefore the craftsmen don’t get feedback on their work also not be able to innovate their work as per the market need and demand. Due to globalization, contemporary life style things are changing drastically, consumers preferences, prospective and purpose towards product is changing too so, there is a need to come up with new designs, product diversification and redesign the traditional products. On the same times craftsmen need to train for negotiate with local dealers as well as pricing strategy at different levels in the market so that they can be able to earn maximum profit. For the future growth they should also look forwards to new areas through design intervention which will allow to expand the market as well as growth therefore the business.

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Raw Material

Stacking & Packing

Health & Safety

Transportation

Sheet Making

2.6 OPPORTUNITYMAPPING

Branding &Marketing

Dealers

Process

Ergonomics

End Users

Local Community •Store for better quality raw material and it’s availability. Our Training Center.•

Better Stacking & •Space for StorageBetter Display or •Exhibition Room

Better Hospital•Mask & Safety kits •

Better Connectivity •with internal roadsA Common Vehicle •for the Cluster

Roller Machine•Sheet Cutting •Machine

Establishment of a •cluster brandProper Branding & •Marketing

Skill Up-gradation •& Training time to time.Awareness of •Modern Trend.

Looking for other •dealersFixing base rate •according to the raw material

Right body postures•Awareness about •Techniques

Aesthetic Products•Targeted Area•

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3. Design Audit for the Cluster

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Unit- 01

Business Background:Firm Name- Address: Village- Beniyakushi, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Kamal Roy Age- 32 years old Education- Contact Number- +91 9577917747Product Range- Sarai & Gamala Work Duration- Started own business 5 years back Experience- He has 15 years of experience.Number of Workers- 2 (himself + 1 other)Monthly Income- 4,500 to 5,000 Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- doesn’t have finishing machine, financial problem, raw material price, less income and no medical facilities at near by.

Family Background:Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only from family)

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Unit- 02

Business Background:Firm Name- Address: Village- Beniyakushi, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Khanjit Pathak Age- 35 years old Education- Contact Number- +91 9954188698Product Range- Brass Works- Sarai etc.Work Duration- Started own business 11 year back. Experience- He has learnt this work from his teacher ‘Gopesh Tamuli’ and has total 15 years of experience.Number of Workers- paying 3000 Rs/month to each worker.Monthly Income- 5000 Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- increasing rate of Pital (Brass), decreasing market order, availability of Karmasari (workers) and young generation negligence towards this job.

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Unit- 03

Business Background:Firm Name- Address: Village- Raully, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Naren Deka Age- 36 years old Education- Contact Number- +91 9954673960Product Range- Sarai, Jaapi and others as per orderWork Duration- Family business engaged from his childhood. Experience- He has 15 years of experienceNumber of Workers- Monthly Income- 3,500 to 4,000Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- Financial problem, Doing only order works, Fully depend upon mahajans (middle man) orders.

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Unit- 04

Business Background:Firm Name- Shakuntala Brass Works Address: Village- Beniyakushi, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Haren Das Age- 42 years old Education- 5th pass Contact Number- +91 9435288188Product Range- Japi, Sarai, Kalashi, Trey, Dulori, Gasa and Temple DabaWork Duration- started own business 22 years back Experience- He has 34 years of practical experienceNumber of Workers- 5 (himself + 4 others)Monthly Income- 5,000Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- No Union, Copetition within Cluster, No saving, No government support regarding brass

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 2 (mother+ wife) Children- 3 (3 daughters- elder one is in 8th, next one is in 7th Std., & younger one is in 4th Std.)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- 6th pass.

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Unit- 05

Business Background:Firm Name- Dheeraj Brass Metal Address: Village- Beniyakushi, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Haridas Das Age- 34 years old Education- 8th pass Contact Number- +91 9864585218Product Range- Sarai, Japi, Banana Tree, Statues & many art worksWork Duration- Started own business 18 year back Experience- He has 25 years of experienceNumber of Workers- 4 (himself + 3 others)Monthly Income- 10,000Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- Financial crisis, Less machinery, No initiative union (10 years back the unio were very active)

Family Background:Family Member- 7 persons Male- 2 (himself + brother) Female- 2 (wife + mother) Children- 3 (1 son- studying in 9th std. + 2 daughters- one is in 9th std. & another one is in 6th std.)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself + brother)Education of the Member: wife- 8th pass

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Unit- 06

Business Background:Firm Name- Maina Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Haldibari, Post Office- Serthebari Town, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Jatin Deka Age- 35 years old Education- 5th pass Contact Number- +91 9954213044Product Range- Sarai, Statues, Trey, Japi, Kalgacch (Banana Tree), Mandir Kalashi etc.Work Duration- Started own business 16 year back Experience- He has 25 years of practical experienceNumber of Workers- 5 (himself + 4 others)Monthly Income- 8,000 Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- There is no union, Shortage of raw materials, Less profit and Less government support

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 2 (mother+ wife) Children- 2 (1 son- in 2nd Std. and 2 daughters- one is in 9th Std. & another one is in 6th std.Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- 4th pass

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Unit- 07

Business Background:Firm Name- Ajit Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Haldibari, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Deepak Deka Age- 45 years old Education- 6th pass Contact Number- +91 9957090630Product Range- Sarai. Japi, Kalashi, Trey, Dulori, Gasa etc.Work Duration- Started this unit 16 years back Experience- He has 28 years ofexperience in brass metal.Number of Workers- 5 (himself + 4 others)Monthly Income- 6,000 Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- doesn’t gets enough order to work all 30 days of a month, Raw material availability (wood coal/angaar, lacquer & brass metal), Price Fluctuation of Brass Metal continuously, Financial and Health (head ache, fever etc).

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons Male- 2 (himself + father) Female- 2 (wife + mother) Children- 2 (2 son- one is 12 years old & is in 6th std. + another one is 9 years old & he is in 5th std.)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- HSLC (High School Leaving Certificate)

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Unit- 08

Business Background:Firm Name- Jyotsana Sarai Shilp Udyog Kendra Address: Village- Beniyakushi, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Banamali Deka Age- 59 years old Education- 4th std. pass Contact Number- +91 9864840410Product Range- Various sizes of Sarai & other brass worksWork Duration- Its a heritage business in his family so engaged in it since his childhood & open own unit in 1979. Experience- He has more then 34 years of experience in brass metal.Number of Workers- 6 (all 6 are workers on job basis)Monthly Income- More then 10,000 Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- Mahajans are misguiding artisans in sense of work quality & Assam identity, No solid union, Negligence of this work by younger generation, No initiative by the Government

Family Background:Family Member- 7 persons Male- 4 Female- 3 Children- all are well educated & at presently doing job in townMember Involve in this Business- 1 (himself)Education of the Member: wife- 4th std. pass + elder one is a daughter- M.A pass + middle one is son- Utpal Deka, H.S pass and his wife- H.S pass + after that another son is Mantu Deka- H.S pass + Youger son is Utsav- done B.A & doing computer hardware

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Unit- 09

Business Background:Firm Name- Anamika Sarai Shilp Address: Village + Post Office- Barkapla, District- Barpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Ajit Nath Age- 35 years old Education- Nil Contact Number- Product Range- Sarai, Trey, Gasa, Dulori & other brass works as per orderWork Duration- Started own business 12 years back Experience- He has more then 25 years of experience in brass metalNumber of Workers- 3(himself + 2 others)Monthly Income- 5,000 Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- High rate of raw materials (in guwahati the rate is much lesser than local place but there, the placed order should be minimum of 50,000 Rs) Products Rate, Low Wages, No Union

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 1 (wife only) Children- 4 (4 doughters- one is in- 7th Std., 2nd one is in 3rd Std., 3rd one is in 2nd Std. and the younger one is in L.K.G)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- 9th pass

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Unit- 10

Business Background:Firm Name- Sitashree Brass Metal Address: Village- Baghmara, Post Office- Barkapla, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Rajan Majumdar Age- 38 years old Education- 3rd Std. pass Contact Number- +91 9864679948Product Range- Gasa, Dulori, Sarai etc.Work Duration- running own unit since 1992 Experience- He has engaged in this business since 1983 & has 28 years of experienceNumber of Workers- 6 (himself+ 1 brothers+ 4 others)Monthly Income- 5,500 Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- There is die provision to mould metal sheet also to increase the production, Buffing machine should also be here to finish the products, Financial crisis and Middle man.

Family Background:Family Member- 4 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 3 (wife only) Children- 2 (1 son- he is an infant, 1 daughter- she is 6 years old)Member Involve in this Business- 2 (himself + brothers)Education of the Member: Under Matriculation

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Unit- 11

Business Background:Firm Name- Gunajeet Pital Shilpa Address: Village- Belbari, Post Office- Barkapla, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Gunajeet Deka Age- 34 years old Education- 7th Std. pass Contact Number- Product Range- Sarai, Trey, Dulori, Gasa etc.Work Duration- He is engaged in this business from last 10 years Experience- He has more then 18 years of experienceNumber of Workers- 7 (himself+ 1 brother+ 5 others)Monthly Income- 10,000Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- Doesn’t have union, Financial problem, Competition within the cluster, No base rate is fix

Family Background:Family Member- 7 persons Male- 3 (himself + brother + father) Female- 2 (wife + mother) Children- 2 (2 sons- elder one is 4 years ols & younger one is 1.5 years old)Member Involve in this Business- 2 (himself+ brother)Education of the Member: wife- Under Matriculation + brother- H.S.L.C (High School Leaving Certificate)

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Unit- 12

Business Background:Firm Name- Address: Village- Belbari, Post Office- Barkapla, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Hitesh Deka Age- 30 years old Education- 7th Std. pass Contact Number- +91 9957903010Product Range- Sarai, Trey, Mandir Kalashi, Japi, Gasa etc.Work Duration- Started own business 3 years back (in 2008). Experience- He has 15 years of working experience.Number of Workers- 6 (himself+ 5 others)Monthly Income- 6,000Rs/month approximateProblem Faces- Mediators how gives only wages, Doesn’t have union & less Government support

Family Background:Family Member- 3 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 1 (wife only) Children- 1 (son- 10 month old)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- under matriculation

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Unit- 13

Business Background:Firm Name- Hiteshwar Sarai Work Address: Village- Belbari, Post Office- Barkapla, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Hitesh Deka Age- 36 years old Education- 7th pass Contact Number- +91 9577281205Product Range- Sarai, Gasa, Dulori and other brass works as per orderWork Duration- Started own unit 15 years back Experience- He has 15 years of working experience Number of Workers- 5 (himself+ 1 brother + 3 others)Monthly Income- 8,000 to 10,000Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- Financial crisis, Raw materials availability etc

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons Male- 3 (himself + brother + father) Female- 2 (wife + mother) Children- 1 (sons- only 8 onth old)Member Involve in this Business- 2 (himself + brother)Education of the Member: wife- 9th pass + brother- 6th pass

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Unit- 14

Business Background:Firm Name- Archana Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Kamarpara, Post Office- Barkapla, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Kandarpa Deka Age- 69 years old Education- 4th pass Contact Number- +91 9070310692Product Range- Japi , Sarai, Gasa, Trey etc.Work Duration- Engagaed in this business since 1966 Experience- he has 56 years of experience.Number of Workers- 5 (himself+ 4 others)Monthly Income- 8,000Rs/month approximate (also, he is BPL card holder)Problem Faces- Raw materials, Doesn’t getting proper base rate or sufficient profit out of the order works etc.

Family Background:Family Member- 5 persons Male- 3 (himself + 2 sons) Female- 1 (Son’s wife only) Children- 1 (Grand daughter- 3 months oldMember Involve in this Business- 4 (himself+ 2 sons)Education of the Member: one son is 9th pass and second one is H.S.L.C (high school leaving certificate)

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Unit- 15

Business Background:Firm Name- Sabita Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Bar-Amrikhowa, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Ratan Pathak Age- 33 years old Education- H.S pass (higher secondary) Contact Number- +91 9508706592Product Range- Sarai, Japi, Trey, Dhunarani, Dulori etc.Work Duration- Started own business 7 years back. Experience- He has 12 years of practical experience in brass metal works.Number of Workers- 5 (himself+ 4 others)Monthly Income- 3,500 Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- Raw material rate, Not enough market, Lacking of awareness & planning and also almost all the artisans doing straight business.

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons Male- 3 member Female- 2 (Elder brother’s wife + mother) Children- 1 (1 boy- 1 month old)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- H.S.L.C pass, elder brother- B.A pass + also know carpentry, younger brother is H.S pass & has a shop at Guwahati.

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Unit- 16

Business Background:Firm Name- Deepika Brass Metal Works Address: Village- Amrikhowa, Post Office- Serthebari, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Ajit Ray Age- 35 years old Education- 6th pass Contact Number- +91 9954204151Product Range- Sarai, Trey, Kalashi & other such items as per orderWork Duration- The unit is 16 years old Experience- He has 22 years of experience.Number of Workers- 5 (himself+ 4 others)Monthly Income- 6,000 Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- Financial crisis, Raw material availability (wood coal/angaar, lacquer & brass metal), Price Fluctuation of Brass Metal continuously, Financial and Health.

Family Background:Family Member- 7 persons Male- 2 (himself + elder brother- doing fishery) Female- 3 (wife+ bhabhi + mother) Children- 2 (1 boy- 5 years old + 1 girl- 1 month old)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- 8th pass, sisters- one is 8th pass, elder brother is B.A pass and bhabhi has done matriculation.

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Unit- 17

Business Background:Firm Name- Kailash Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Amrikhowa, Post Office- Amrikhowa, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Chandrakanta Das Age- 65 years old Education- 2nd std. pass Contact Number- +91 8486803682Product Range- Sarai and all other brass metal worksWork Duration- Engaged in own business from last 25 years Experience- He has 25 years of practical experience in brass metal works.Number of Workers- 3 (himself+ 2 sons)Monthly Income- 3,500 Rs/month approximate (Have BPL card)Problem Faces- Raw materials, Financial crisis (cann’t purchase more metal at a time) etc

Family Background:Family Member- 5 persons Male- 3 (himself+ 2 sons) Female- 2 (wife + daughter) Children- NilMember Involve in this Business- 3 (himself+ 2 sons)Education of the Member: Elder son- B.A- 1st year, Younger son- H.S 2nd year and Daughter- H.S pass

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Unit- 18

Business Background:Firm Name- Nayak Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Amrikhowa, Post Office- Amrikhowa, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Parikshit Nayak Age- 33 years old Education- 10th pass Contact Number- +91 9577534438Product Range- All kind of brass works available at clusterWork Duration- Started this unit 15 years back Experience- He has 17 years practical experienceNumber of Workers- 4 (himself+3 others)Monthly Income- More then 5,000 Rs/month approximate (have A.P.L card & getting food item from govt. store). Problem Faces- increasing price of metal, Tools are not easily available at market, Wish to have buffing machine for polishing metal works, Want to incorporate dies for taking more production

Family Background:Family Member- 4 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 1 (wife only) Children- 2 (1 son- 13th year old & is in 7th std. + 1 daughter- 9th years old & is in 4th std.)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- 7th pass

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Unit- 19

Business Background:Firm Name- Bishwajit Sarai Shilp Address: Village- Gahiya, Post Office- Gahiya, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Girish Pathak (learn this work fro his guru- Dharnidhar Deka who was president of brass works association ) Age- 50 years old Education- Nil Contact Number- +91 9859666110Product Range- Sarai, Trey, Mandir Top, Kalashi etc.Work Duration- Running this unit from last 27 years Experience- He has almost 37 years practical experience in brass metal works.Number of Workers- 2 (himself+ 1 other)Monthly Income- 5,500 Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- From last 2 years workers are demanding 50-50 percentage of the business, Financial crisis, Body pain due to hard labour also because of continuous work since 1974

Family Background:Family Member- 6 persons (joint family) Male- 1 (himself + 2 sons) Female- 3 (wife + mother + daughter) Children- NilMember Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- 4th pass, elder brother- H.S pass, Younger brother- H.S pass, Daughter- 9th std. running

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Unit- 20

Business Background:Firm Name- Jayamati Sarai Shilp Address: Village + Post Office- Gahiya, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Trilokya Pathak Age- 48 years old Education- 6th pass Contact Number- +91 9957765231Product Range- Sarai, Mandir Daba (Nagaara), Gasa, Trey, Dulori and others as per orderWork Duration- He is engaged in this business from last 24 years Experience- He has 33 years of experienceNumber of Workers- 6 (himself+ 1 son+ 4 others)Monthly Income- 3,000 Rs/month approximate Problem Faces- Financial crisis, Raw materials price (now is 390 Rs/Kg.), Sometimes pital (brass) is not available in market, Coal rate, Workers availability & their salary

Family Background:Family Member- 5 persons Male- 2 (himself + son) Female- 3 (wife + 2 daughter) Children- NilMember Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- NIl, Elder daughter- Degree 2nd year, Younger daughter- H.S pass and son is in H.S 2nd year.

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Unit- 21

Business Background:Firm Name- Parag Piatal Works Address: Village- Rawlly, Post Office- Rawlly, District- Berpeta, AssamArtisan Name- Munindra Das Age- 35 years old Education- 7th pass Contact Number- Product Range- Sarai, Trey, Dulori, Japi and all other order works of brass metalWork Duration- Started own business 10 years back Experience- He has 15 years of experience in this business/workNumber of Workers- 4 (himself+ 3 others)Monthly Income- 5,000 Rs/month approximate (have BPL card)Problem Faces- Financial Crisis (Can’t able to purchase materials from Guwahati directly instead of local dealers where they can save a profit margin which also goes to dealers)

Family Background:Family Member- 5 persons Male- 1 (himself only) Female- 1 (wife only) Children- 3 (1 sons- is in LKG and goes to Aanganbadi, 2 daughters- one is in 7th Std. and another one is in 1st Std.)Member Involve in this Business- 1 (himself only)Education of the Member: wife- Under Matriculation.

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Existing Products

Existing Traditional Products

A Traditional Plate/Thal

3.2 Existing Products, redesign, new product development and product diversification

Existing Products: Sarai (for offering God), Jaapi (to present their guest), Thaal (Plate), and Decorative Works

Redesign: Varieties of Sarai (for offering God), Jaapi (to present their guest), Thaal (Plate), Decorative Works etc.

New products development: Few of the decorative and figurative art works have developed like- Lord Krishna, national leaders known as an icons etc.

Product diversification: Few of the artisan have taken training at places like- Muradabad and come up with new concept including- Framed Art Work & Pattern Designs.

Redesign and New Products

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New Products Development ProductDiversification

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3.3 Scope for research and development direction for future initiatives

Brass Metal

Functional Ware

Design Research & Development

Diverse Range of Productsaccording to emerging lifestyle

TraditionCraft Identity Benchmark

Need & UsageUsers

Existing MarketEmerging Lifestyle

Shape, Form & Pattern

Technical Research

Raw Material (Better Quality & It’s Availability)

Better Production Process

Suppliers & Dealers

Competitor Analysis

Existing Market Structure

Scope for New Segment with all proper channels

Advanced Tools & Equipment

Suitable Method & Environment

Adaptation of New Techniques & Products

Market Study & Segment

Art & Decorative Product

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3.4 Existing status and opportunity for visual identity, branding and communication design

- The units do not have proper knowledge and exposer towards visual identity and branding. So there is scope to create brand image for recognition of the unit in the market.

- The visual identity can be use for packaging and product details to attract consumer.

- Brochures and product catalogues can be introduce for B2B (business to business) B2C (business to consumer) clients. It will be also useful during exhibitions and trade fairs for its better image.

- A brochure can be designed with better graphics, presentation and composition keeping in the mind its identity.

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3.5 Scope for technology, modernization and design collaboration

A common Roller machine for sheet making, dies press can be incorporate.

Better Aesthetically appealing designed products with proper grading system.

Base rate according to raw materials, demand of better quality products &

understanding of emerging life style.

Skill training to better design, imprints & carving through lathe, new design & motifs keeping in mind Assam identity.

Packing according to design & grade, common vehicle for the cluster to

delivered order.

Grinder with different profile can beusetofiletheroughedges.

Small casting moulds can be made sand

casting would be a better option.

Commonfiringplaceformassproduction& crushable for melting metal.

Sizing by Cutting

Hammering to give Desired Shape

Jointing the joints

To Smoothen Rough Edges

Carving Design Patterns( Imprints & ring making in traditional Spinning

Tools)

Final Products

Packing & Transport

Dealers/End Users

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Existing traditional spinning tools to scrap off the burnt layer & imprints pattern.

Recommended machine for fast up the production & saving time.

3.6 Scope for operations and process innovation from design perspective

The existing tools & equipment are traditional & manually operated which need to be upgraded with new one. Also these new machine would increase their production & decrease hard labour.

Close-up of a Lathe Machine

Modern Grinder & Buffing gadget

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3.7 Design opportunity in workstation and tooling design

The craftsman are engaged involved in casual work habit and the work station is not designed ergonomically. On the same time they ignore health & safety measures, which creates problem in long run.There is a scope for redesign the workstation, the tools in use, organized space with proper light arrangement which would enhance the production and work efficiency.

A cluttered workstation always lead to decrease the work potentials, therefore, it is recommended that the workstation need to be have inner organized system and places for

each step work accordingly.

Better tools and new design can be developed

according to process, work phase & nature of

materials.

The workstation need to divide according

to work keeping in mind safety and

health hazards.

Better organized workstation to improve work efficiency and production.

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3.8 Details of market and competition study for design advantage and distinction

Sarai & Jaapi is the main products; produced by the cluster as per the tradition people use only sarai, which is made from brass. At present there is no competitors for this traditional product.

The other products like- trey, diyas, decorative art works etc. Also available in different materials and forms which creates competition not only form wise but also price wise therefore, redesign existing products and new product development needed as per the market demand & trends.

The unit is making only running products which has a big demand in the local market and it has fix clients/dealers who use to placed order and do business through their channels only.

At present, craftsman are producing traditional products & very few other products like- trey, diyas etc. Which is being sold at competitive price where, more variation in product, surface decoration and colors treatment could be proposed according to market.

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3.9 Need of training and skill up gradation

The craftsman are using traditional tools and methods to produce the products from shape making to final finishing but unfortunately the existing tools are not up to the mark for quality production and final finishing. Thus those tool need to be modify or redesign to achieve the quality standard for the market.

The workers ignore the critical aspects of finishing, They need to informed, explained and trained for the same and for this, time to time training camp need to be organized by concern authorities. As well as, they need exposure and knowledge regarding new techniques and process.

The existing design are common and not up to

date or according to contemporary trends.

Old method and techniques used for

finishing is not up to the mark can be improve

through modern tools & techniques.

Rendom hammering or without marking

products would lead variation in sizes.

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3.10 Ergonomic and environment factors in MSME premise

The environment of the workstation is cluttered and unorganized.

The body posture and tools are not ergonomically designed according to the workstation.

The insufficient lighting arrangement reduces the work efficiency and product quality.

While working with melted metal where its release gases so inhaling gases would cause of internal body diseases and affect health severely. Thus it is highly recommended that always wear a safety mask & kits to avoid inhaling harmful gas accidental cause.

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3.11 Packaging and logistics related design opportunities

Need to pack properly with suitable material and stacking techniques.

Need to be categorized according to the product size, quality and grade.

Need proper space division for different products which took time to arrange/shorting.

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3.12 Exhibition/Display design opportunities

The unit does not have any proper display area/showroom, there is hardly any unit who use to keep their stock in a proper display room.

With the branding, the cluster should have a organized display showroom which showcases all the designs for the buyers. Also in order to invite clients and make deals.

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3.13 Study of infrastructure setup from design perspective

Need to be organized, systematic,

Precise and reduce human error,

Workers friendly practices and ergonomics and

Improper awareness of market.

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4. Value Chain & Analysis...

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4.1 Description of the brass metal value chain

A detailed mapping of the brass metal value chain was carried out and the mapping identified actors in the cluster who were involved in the business of crafts production and sales including master crafts-persons, traders and other marketing intermediaries. A detailed analysis of the existing commerce in the cluster, including current sources of credit accessed by artisans and traders, was then undertaken.

Raw Material Purchasing (Brass Metal+Coal Wood)

Polishing to get the proper shine & glaze

Beating to give desired shape

Design Inputs- Shaping, Carving & imprints

Packing(differsforproducts) & Transport

Sac Packing, Box Packing or according to the dealers

requirements.

Labour Charge @ Rs- 150 to 2000 depends on design,

shape and size.

Only labour charges @ Rs- 100 to 250 for a day +

lunch.

Labour Charge @ Rs- 150 to 2000 depends on design,

shape and size.

Brass Rs- 400 for 1 kg. + Coal Wood Rs- 100 for 15 kg.

Filing&Scraping-offtherough products

100 Rs to 250 Rs for per artisan/worker per day.

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4.2 Market

Most of the craftsmen from the village are dependent on local traders and middle man for their raw materials to selling products. They don’t have proper exposure to contemporary market and trends. Therefore supply chain management is required to create better upliftmen of the craft as well as its market and overall business. The whole cluster still don’t have any brand name or image to the market so branding and promotion can be done to create more market and awareness, it will also help to increase demand and trust towards the vary cluster.

A View of Serthebari Market.

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4.3 Issues in the brass metal value chain

(a) Proper Costing and Pricing of the Products:The profit margin of the producers is very small, though the volume of production is high from the same cluster. Most of the profit goes to dealers and middleman. The craftsmen calculate their per day labour charges as Rs.100 to 250 while determining the price of their products. In a way they are not particular for their pricing as well as competition within the cluster makes it more effective. The labour charges of the other family members are not included while making these calculations. As these works deal with hard labour and time where any craftsmen give serious thought beyond their basic needs. The products made of high value and good quality and the production is done for the commercial sales except few products that are sold locally.

(b) Economies of Scale:In the cluster most of the family work as a unit and some work as a individual artist. Whole family members are involve to making products as per their strength and expertise apart from the women. Each work are divided and everybody do their job to create it even in family it’s good to see that they form large group and work together o create more production on time.

(c) Product Diversification and Design Inputs:The crafts men from the cluster are doing traditional work from their tradition but unfortunately now a days they earn very limited money therefore its difficult for them to invest it for new development because they don’t want to take risk until unless they get order from the local traders or middleman. So, very few new development has been done in this area and as usual they are making only traditional

products which gives them security to be sold in the market from years to years and it also creates competition within the craftsmen as they sell it through the same channel in the market. At the end there is possibility to develop new products as well as redesign the traditional products as per the calculated market risk.

(d) Marketing issues:Day by day market is shrinking and monotonous products make it more difficult to sell it to the consumers. The new generation and globalization have changing the life style of the people therefore demand of the traditional products limited to rituals and on the other hand the decorative and some utensil products are facing competition with the same kind of work which is available in the market with other materials which is also less expensive.

(e) Level of Skills:Craftsmen get their skill and training from their forefathers therefore it shift from one generation to another but with the time and demand the production and product quality decreased, local traders and middlemen are also responsible for this as they more focus on their own profit. The new generation are not much interested to carry on the same business so they don’t give proper attention to learn the techniques. The quality improvement of the products will help them to sell the products in the niche market where they can get better price for it. (f)External Linkages problem:Though the Brass Metal Cluster’s technique is unique & different regarding to their work area & manufacturing , also has significant characteristics in their works still there is an absence linkages of the cluster with technical institutions, design schools & marketing bodies which could promote & develop this cluster for further growth.

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Strength

Opportunity

Weakness

Threat

1. Raw materials shortage & unavailability throughout the year

2. Dealers & intermediates strategies for the craftsmen

3. Young generations not very interested to continue the same business and looking

forward to new job possibilities4. Competition and expansion of market at

national and international levels5. Less expensive other materials products

are continuously taking place in the market.

1. Reliance over dealers, traders and middleman2. No market exposure

3. Shortage of raw material4.Low income

5. Limited product range, surface finishes and quality

5. Traditional tools & equipment6. High competition within the cluster

7. No use of latest technology and working process8. Causal work attitude

9. Financial condition10. Less awareness about the cluster

1. Handmade skill to produce products2.Family work as a unit3. Government support4. Unique characteristics of the work5.Hard Work potential (gives 12-14 hours every day)6. Traditional business7. Popular craft within the state8. Craftsmen Association

1. New & diverse range of products development as per the market need.2. Exposure towards the contemporary market.3.Training and skill up gradation programme for better quality, productivity and future growth.4. Need for new machines keeping in mind the health and safety issues also for better production.5. Ergonomically design tools for their work.6.Target the new market areas not only nationally but also internationally.7. Identity of the cluster and create a brand of it.8.Variations in the work9. Joint venture to increase the production & sell10. Establishment of supply chain management

4.4 S W O T

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4.5 Issues & Concerns

National LevelCluster Level

Unit Level• Craftsmen vision for future growth• Overheads and maintenances• Management efficiency• Skills and workers availability for production• Logistic issues to cater in the market on time• Workstation & safety• Storage space . •Packaging and visual identity• Raw material quality• Production capacity• Standardization of the products• Work environment • Health Hazards• Time management/unorganized

• Diversification towards other job due to better pay & less labor• Education of the cluster is poor• Casual attitude in working • Competition within the cluster as a threat, decreases the products rate• Skilled labor shortage• Supply chain issues • Monotony in design • Internal roads condition for transportation • No one sticks to prices in a way no standard price for products• Doesn’t have right venture for future growth •Market knowledge

• Younger generation, to take up responsibility• Technology innovation and Research & development• Technical support by training programme• Policies for craftsmen at national level• Transportation and connectivity• Loan policies and subsidies• Lack of market awareness • Urban trends and consumer preferences • Better education• Excise duties• Brand identity and image building• Food & health security

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4.6 Present Status- of design at cluster

At the present scenario, the cluster has towards its downfall due to several issues, design is a big concern and due to not sufficient design intervention the situation is getting worse day by day. As design fostering needed in each level of the cluster start from the production to skill to technique and methods to final delivery to the market.There is lack of awareness towards education, health and hygiene, technology and work environment. The cluster does not have proper work environment which gives health issues too as well as unorganized working place effect the productivity and its quality. A proper business plan is required to take care of cluster’s future growth on the same time to deal with traders and middle man’s trap.As a design experts, we will able to help cluster to grow and get recognize not only nationally but also internationally. Throughout the process the sustainable growth for better eco-friendly environment, quality production, user friendly workstation and health concern will be focused.

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4.7 Design intervention need areas

Raw Material Improvement:Raw material shortage need to stock and don’t have to depends only local dealer. As well as quality of raw material should be standardize.

Product Improvement:Craftsmen are only involve in tradition products and very few decorative works which is getting repetitive and markets are getting saturated therefore new product development and diversification is required as well as redesign of existing products can be done as per the new life style and market trends.

Process Improvement:As the craftsmen are still using only traditional technique, process and tools therefore here is a big opportunity to introduce new modern tools and technology for better production process, quality, finishing and use the maximum strength of the unit. Also as per the requirement precise tools, techniques and training need.

Production Process Improvement Sizing & Shaping Improvement:Polishing, Filing & finishing is time consuming, casual attitude and working without any guide line, use of traditional tools implies the human error, unaligned, uneven finish goods, improvise the skill and practices, develop better moulds, jigs and fixtures for better material positioning during manufacturing process is needed .

Pattern Improvement:The traditional products pattern can be developed keeping in mind the contemporary trends. New design and pattern could be development for the new market segment with the cluster’s identity.

Packaging Improvement:Lack of proper packaging, no visual identity, standardization and quality, so possibility to design packaging for the products which can be also create brand identity and image for the cluster as well as awareness about the craft to its consumer.

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5. Conclusion

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The Berpeta Brass craft was very popular and the main economy of a vast area in Barpeta district was dependant on it. A number of families in the eastern part of Barpeta took up the occupation of making sarais as a hereditary business. Young people in large numbers were attracted by the industry, giving them ample scope for self-employment. With the time craftsmen also make decorative pieces like banana tree, peacock, tray, drums & utensils.

At present the whole cluster is fighting for their survival. It provided employment to thousands of families and determined the economy of a district in particular and the State as a whole, has begun to shrink rapidly, facing the threat of extinction.

The monopoly in the sale of raw materials used in the industry is cited as the one reason behind the misfortune of the cluster. Shortage of raw material is creating more difficulties to carry on the business. Though the price of the raw brass and other ingredients are rising day by day, the price of the finished sarai has not risen proportionately. Thus the poor artisans have been deprived of their dues and have been facing acute financial problems. Some have already abandoned the work in search of other jobs and the new generation is not at all attracted towards it anymore.

The poor artisans point out only the governments support will help them, especially in the supply of raw materials at subsidized rates, and assist in the marketing at reasonable prices. Although there are banks providing loans and cooperatives trying their best to survive even for the local suppliers who buy the utensils from the artisans but that is not sufficient and creating crucial time to survive the cluster.

At last Berpeta brass has unique characteristics and traditions behind its metal crafts though its going through a rough phase but it’s not yet dead so there is still time to revive this cluster from its present status to future sustainable growth which will not only help the crafts men and its society but also will generate economy for the state therefore the country.

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6. References

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Website:

http://www.designclinicsmsme.org/

http://www.nid.edu/

http://barpeta.nic.in/History.htm

http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=may1710/state05

h t t p : / / w w w. c o h a n d s . i n / h a n d m a d e p a g e s / b o o k 4 9 5 .asp?t1=495&lang=English http://barpeta.gov.in

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barpeta

www.assamonline.in/about/Districts/Barpeta.html

www.vedanti.com/News/brass.htm

www.mashpedia.com/Barpeta

Books:

Handmade in India: A Geographic Encyclopedia of India Handicrafts by Aditi Ranjan, M. P. Ranjan

Indian crafts: development & potential by D. N. Saraf

Handicrafts in India by T. M. Abraham, T. M. Abraham

Socio-economic Profile of Rural India: North-East India by V. K. Agnihotri, Chandragupta Ashokvardhan, Rajendra Vora

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