Where Threads Find Tomorrow

:Tapash Roy,Kolkata:BangaCraft Collective announced its inaugural Craft & Culture Forum at a press meet held at the Press Club, Kolkata, unveiling a four-day celebration of India’s living craft traditions to be hosted in the city from January 29 to February 1, 2026, an institution-led initiative organised by the Foundation for MSME Clusters in partnership with Karu, Red Strategy Partners and The Red Bari, Kolkata, and supported by Cisco under the India Cash Grant Program, aimed at strengthening the country’s craft ecosystem by bringing artisans, designers, institutions, buyers and cultural practitioners onto a shared platform that bridges traditional craft clusters with contemporary global markets through curated exhibitions, a marketplace, dialogue sessions, masterclasses and cultural performances, with artisan participation from regions such as Assam, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh offering visitors direct engagement with diverse regional practices, while Kolkata was chosen as the launch city in recognition of its historic role as a centre of textiles, trade and cultural exchange, a legacy underscored by Mr Sagnik Lahiri, General Manager, Foundation for MSME Clusters, and the forum is expected to draw leading voices from the textile and craft sector including Shri Vikram Joshi and eminent Bengal textile icon Nandita Raja, alongside senior diplomatic representation such as the Consul Generals of France and Italy, as the organisers invite designers, buyers, retailers, students and the wider creative community to engage with India’s rich craft heritage through dialogue, discovery and collaboration.