Small Scale/Cottage Industries occupy an important place in the economy of India, which is predominantly an agricultural country and a seasonal industry. Organised spread of rural and cottage industries would aid towards reducing unemployment by stepping up non-farming employment opportunities. The key areas in handicrafts that could contribute towards a faster pace of rural industrialisation are production and marketing.
Cottage industries in India face a dearth of capital and therefore a model which complements ‘giving’ with ‘growth’ is underway, to provide an integrated development thrust to this sector by companies seeking to leverage the BoP market.