Three engineers and a banker who quit jobs to build thriving craft businesses

A new generation of entrepreneurs is proving that turning to tradition can be a pathway to remarkable success. Engineers, bankers, and corporate professionals are leaving high-pressure jobs to revive handmade crafts while building profitable businesses. 

Craft entrepreneurship, once seen as risky and niche, is now booming as consumer preferences rapidly shift toward artisanal, sustainable and culturally-rooted products.

Urban and global buyers are willing to spend money on authentic, eco-friendly production, and the human touch behind each product. Along with this demand, digital marketplaces and social-media have dramatically reduced the gap between artisans and buyers, enabling small ventures to scale without large investments. 

Many craft forms, once on the verge of fading, are now experiencing a revival, generating local employment and stable incomes for artisan communities.

Here are some entrepreneurs riding this wave of craft entrepreneurship, where passion meets purpose and traditional arts find new economic strength.

1. Shisir Kumar Jena - From banking to a Rs 50-lakh craft business

Shisir Kumar Jena left his stable job at Axis Bank to start Art Godaam, transforming waste materials and traditional techniques like pattachitra, papier-mâché and lacquer into décor and lifestyle products. 

Starting small in 2012, he slowly expanded to more than 100 product lines representing 24 indigenous craft forms. Today, the business clocks around Rs 50 lakh in annual turnover and supports tribal artisans through steady work. Shisir is now working towards a Rs1-crore revenue target, proving that craft and sustainability can combine into a powerful growth model.

Read his detailed story here: Banker quits job to start craft business; clocks Rs50 lakh turnover

2. Tanushri SN and Shashishekhar - Reviving ancient Indian board games

Software engineers Tanushri and Shashishekhar quit their IT careers to launch Roll the Dice, reviving centuries-old traditional board games handcrafted with wood and natural materials. Inspired by game patterns found in ancient temples, they collaborate with artisans nationwide and sell through their online store and retail outlets. 

The venture generates over Rs2 lakh in monthly revenue and has created a growing community of customers who appreciate heritage-based play. Their experience centre introduces younger generations to cultural gaming roots, turning nostalgia into a viable business.

Here is their story: Software engineer couple quits jobs to revive traditional board games

3. Sushmita Kaneri  - Reviving endangered crafts 

Engineer-turned-entrepreneur Sushmita Kaneri founded Gullakaari to protect endangered art forms and build sustainable incomes for artisans. In just two years, she revived 13 traditional crafts across nine states and built a network of over 1,000 artisans producing eco-friendly lifestyle goods with modern design appeal. 

With annual revenues reaching Rs50 lakh, Sushmita’s success shows how thoughtful design, fair wages and ethical storytelling can scale rapidly without compromising cultural identity.

Here’s her story: Software engineer revives endangered art forms; annual revenues hit Rs50 lakh

4. Mohit Ahluwalia and Jagjyot Kaur - Reviving hand-block printing 

Chandigarh-based couple, Mohit Ahluwalia and Jagjyot Kaur, left corporate careers to breathe new life into handblock printing. Their business produces handcrafted textiles with traditional techniques while ensuring fair earnings for artisans. 

Through modern branding and direct-to-consumer sales, they turned a fading craft into a thriving venture that clocks Rs24 lakh annual turnover and empowers artisan communities while preserving regional heritage. Their journey demonstrates that handmade textiles can compete strongly in today’s design-conscious market.

Here’s more about them: Chandigarh couple quits corporate jobs to revive hand block printing; empower artisans 

(US Anu is a Madurai-based writer. She specialises in stories around human interest, environment and art and culture.)

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