Location of the community: Daukeli, Ferozabad, Uttar Pradesh

Name of the local entrepreneur/NGO/master craftsman: Pranay

Number of artisan: 50

About the group:

Ferozabad, in Uttar Pradesh, is famous for the glass work. A local entrepreneur, Pranay is working here with around 50 artisans who are engaged in making glass beads based finely crafted handicrafts like bangles, bracelets, necklaces, etc. These artisans mainly belong to the backward class and their socioeconomic condition is poor. Though they have the traditional knowledge and skills they lack marketing competencies. CFM Market Linkages provides design inputs which the artisans convert into final products.

The creation of beads involves a great deal of imagination, creativity and dexterity. Glass is transformed into beads that are of various shapes and sizes. A bead may be decorated in various ways. It could be painted, varnished, engraved. It is possible to adorn it with glitter. Beads may be transparent, translucent or opaque. They are available in watery colors, pastels, bold shades, florescent bright colors, metallic hues. The glass beads are then manually strung on elastic, natural fiber thread, wire, or nylon, to create attractive bead jewelry. Alternatively, the beads are also adhered to surfaces which are then used to make bead ornaments. These glass beads are then manually put into high quality elastic/threads/wires by women to make the desired products. In short, there is no dearth to what the scope of a bead and bead jewelry is.