Making local art go global- Rhea Punjabi

Ms. Rhea Punjabi, along with her husband, Mr.Vinod Punjabi, co-founded Ada in 2005 which today has become the most recognized Chikankari brand all over the world.
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In an industry that is unique to Lucknow city and isn't replicated anywhere in the world, the women artisans make up to ninety-five percent of the workforce. Despite their exquisite talent for the unique craft and the hard work they put into creating beautiful fabrics and apparel, it's shocking to learn that it only engages them in employment for no more than six months, making it quite tough to make the ends meet for them and their families.
This is what motivated Ms. Rhea to take up the challenge and work towards ensuring employment for these women artisans around the year.
Ms. Rhea wanted to work towards ensuring that the craft is mapped globally. This was around the same time that the digital space was booming. She shared multiple short videos and images across all social media platforms in an attempt to push awareness about Chikankari craft and how it stands out from other handicrafts in India. Not only this, but she also worked towards actively publishing various articles that were covered by well-established media outlets which enabled her to digitally map the craft globally and enabled Ada to deliver Chikankari products to almost all districts in India and more than eighty countries worldwide.

The spurt in the demand for this craft triggered employment for an increasing number of women artisans round the year and pushed them toward a better living standard.

In 2016, Facebook recognized Ms. Rhea Punjabi, and her work was awarded by Former Uttar Pradesh CM Mr. Akhilesh Yadav, Former Vocational Education, and Skill Development Minister Prof.Abhisekh Mishra, Facebook Country Head Mr. Ritesh Mehta as one of Asia's most promising Facebook Business Page.
Source: https://medium.com/@rheapunjabii/making-local-art-go-global-rhea-punjabi-44ee74661964