At Serendipity Arts Festival, for the first time a “Shark Tank” of sorts for art and crafts startups
How The Brij Incubator's “Investment Pitch Opportunity” gave artisan products a fighting edge
A pitch being presented to the jury at The Brij Incubator's Investment Pitch Opportunity In a makeshift enclosure in the Art Park at the Serendipity Arts Festival (SAF) in Panjim, visitors are pausing over products such as shawls and diaries created not from wool and pulp but from chicken feathers: a waste material reclaimed from the poultry industry. Presented by Golden Feathers, the space is drawing a steady stream of questions: How are the feathers cleaned? How is the waste collected? As founder Radhesh Agrahari explains the process, the larger idea that comes into focus is how an environmental problem can be reimagined as a material proposition rooted in craft.
Earlier this year, the fashion brand was one of the enterprises to have received support from The Brij Incubator, a platform aimed at nurturing early-stage cultural, craft-led and creative initiatives rooted in heritage, material innovation and community-led practices.
On Friday, The Brij Incubator saw its first public “Investment Pitch Opportunity” at SAF at the Old GMC Building. A roomful of people witnessed what was touted as a “Shark Tank” of sorts for art and crafts startups, a sector that often struggles for support and funding in India.
“On its own, startups can only reach a certain level and then they find it difficult to grow at an exponential pace. A platform like this certainly helps broaden the horizon. If we grow, the artisans will grow,” said Shaun Motashaw, co-founder of Rudhvay, an artisan-focused brand that offers handcrafted apparel and lifestyle products. He was one of the five entrepreneurs who pitched their ideas to the panel of judges.
His competitors included Raipur-based Hasthkala that makes art decor and utility products with artisans across India; Noida-based Millimeter that works with artisans to produce collectables and tableware, and Goa-based Jhappi that sources from several NGOs, including those working with people with disabilities and in remote geographies.
Over the course of the afternoon, as each founder took the stage to present their ideas, some pitches received accolades while others invited closer scrutiny but all were given a considered hearing by the jury that included, among others, DS Prashant, CEO, Startup and IT Promotion, Government of Goa; Swati Salgaocar, Vice-Chairperson, CII Western Region; and Gaurav Majumdar, Lead, Skill Development & Livelihood, HCL Foundation. “The idea behind the BRIJ Incubator came from a simple realisation: India has an extraordinary depth of cultural knowledge and craft practice, but there are very few clear, structured pathways for these ideas to grow into sustainable, future-facing enterprises. The Incubator is our way of bridging that gap –
bringing tradition and entrepreneurship together in a way that is thoughtful, responsible and rooted in community,” said Sunil Kant Munjal, Founder Patron, Serendipity Arts and The Brij.
The pitching session itself, meanwhile, generated interest as an inclusion site at an arts festival – a space typically reserved for more established names, enterprises and finished works. “India is a country of rich traditional craft and heritage, but we are losing so much now due to sheer lack of financial and mentorship support. Hopefully this forum will help retain some of those practices,” said Goa resident Priya Fernandes, who attended the session at SAF and hopes to make a pitch next year.
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