This 17-year-old shows you’re never too young to make a difference

Everyone talks about preserving their nation’s cultural heritage, but how many put their thoughts into action? Not enough. So it’s inspiring to see 17-year-old Arnav Agrawal empower local artisans through his online platform shilphut.com.

Many students today opt for medicine or engineering, but Agrawal decided to give back to his community by building a platform for local craftsmen to display and sell their art directly to a global audience.

Even though the artwork of local Rajasthan craftsmen attracts a global market, they struggle to earn anything close to its true worth. ShilpHut is a socially conscious organisation that turns artisans into independent small entrepreneurs by eliminating the commercial intermediary between artist and buyer.

Many local artists were initially apprehensive about connecting with Agrawal and his mission, but his urge to make a difference in their lives won them over.

‘’During my research I found that most artisans lack connection with customers, mostly urban-based. Artisans are often forced to depend on middlemen for orders too. Our analytics tools solve the problem of trend prediction and we have a facility for artisans to reach out to suppliers of affordable, quality raw material,” said Agrawal.

In 2015, Agrawal wrote a book called Shilpkar: Tradition, Innovation and Progress to share his findings with a larger audience. He presents the problems faced by both the handicrafts sector and local artisans, and also practical solutions. The book also includes anecdotes and artisan profiles based on his long association and interactions with artisans, creating a personal, humanising connection between artisan and buyer that’s often lost in modern times.

This is a big step in empowering rural communities and preventing the handicraft sector from fading away. It also sets an example, inspiring others to follow what they believe in.