200 Million Artisans

Pick the right route

• Craft startup or enterprise looking for awards and mentors: Kula Innovate.
• Artisan entrepreneur: the Artisan Innovator track is built for you. It asks for MSME registration and an Artisan or Pehchan Card.
• Revival of a heritage craft: Craft Revival 2.0 is for craft-based businesses focused on revival and preservation.
• Ready to meet investors: request an invite to Kula Conclave. It is by invitation only.

How applications work

• Applications for Kula Innovate go through a form linked from the Kula Innovate page on kulaconclave.com. The last cycle ran in 2025. A 2026 cycle was not announced on the site when we checked, so write to innovate@200millionartisans.org or sign up for its newsletter to hear when it opens.
• Each track has its own partner and eligibility list. Read it before you apply.
• The organisers also held open "Ask Us Anything" sessions for craft-led enterprises, artisan innovators and media founders last cycle.

What reviewers look for

• A well-governed team and a plan for how the capital will be used.
• Two or three impact measures you can track, such as jobs created, income growth, livelihoods or gender inclusion.
• Direct work with artisan communities, which the Catalyst AIC track says it prioritises.
• Tech or design-led solutions that create livelihoods are preferred on that track.

Good to know

• Kula Conclave selection is based on diversity of geography, gender, expertise and readiness.
• A Kula Conclave delegate fee applies, and co-creators whose sessions are selected get a discount.

200 Million Artisans, also written 200M, is an impact-first ecosystem enabler for craft-led enterprises in India. It runs three platforms: Business of Handmade, a research and media platform, Kula Conclave, an invite-only forum on inclusive capital for the craft economy, and Kula Innovate, an innovation challenge with awards for craft-led founders. It is not a classic incubator with a desk and a cohort. For a founder in handmade, textiles, pottery or other craft value chains, its main routes in are Kula Innovate and an invite to Kula Conclave.

What it does

The organisation says it works to close gaps in research and insights, collaborative networks and inclusive capital, so that craft-led brands, social businesses and startups can grow. Its stated aims are dignified employment, greater gender inclusion and positive climate action. Its about page says more than 1000 pan-India craft-led MSMEs have been engaged through its platforms. Its second Business of Handmade research mapped the financing needs of 516 craft-led enterprises. It has also been recognised as an SDG Innovator by Atal Innovation Mission, Niti Aayog.

Kula Innovate

Kula Innovate is the part founders can apply to. It is described as a sector-first innovation challenge for research and development across craft-based value chains. The 2025 edition had separate award tracks, each with its own partner and eligibility. Artha Impact backed three craft-led enterprises working on education and skilling, artisan-first models, dignified job creation and gender inclusion. Catalyst AIC, an innovation accelerator set up by IFMR Society in Jaipur, backed up to four early-stage enterprises working with traditional crafts, offering patient investment, in-kind support and early-stage grants. The Artisan Innovator Awards were for three to five artisan entrepreneurs, and Craft Revival 2.0 supported pan-India enterprises from underrepresented regions working on revival. A creative impact media track was also announced. Winners are paired with mentors, featured across 200M platforms and invited to Kula Conclave.

Who can apply

Eligibility depends on the track. The Catalyst AIC track needed a for-profit entity in the revenue stage, between 6 months and 4 years since incorporation, with DPIIT or state startup recognition. The Artisan Innovator track asked for MSME registration, an Artisan or Pehchan Card and at least 10 to 12 months of operations. Most tracks asked for a plan for how the money would be used and two or three trackable impact measures, such as jobs created, livelihoods or gender inclusion.

Kula Conclave

Kula Conclave is invite-only and capped at 300 delegates, including 100–120 craft-based enterprises. Enterprises operating for at least 3 years and ready for capital and collaboration are the focus, and the organisers aim for 50% participation by women. The 2025 edition ran on 1 and 2 December 2025 in Jaipur. Delegates pay a fee, and discounts may be offered to underserved founders. If an invite is declined or waitlisted, the organisers point founders to Kula Innovate and satellite events.

Where it is based

Its own sites do not publish an office address. A portfolio page of The/Nudge Foundation lists it in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Its flagship events have been held in places such as Jaipur and Goa.

How to reach it

General queries go to hello@200millionartisans.org. Kula Innovate questions go to innovate@200millionartisans.org and Kula Conclave questions to kula@200millionartisans.org. The site also has a collaboration form and a volunteer sign-up.