This first of the three volume series highlights the intricate relationship in the handloom industry between its culture and the various areas of sustainability. While there have been major disruptions in this age old industry, this volume presents the luxury and the entrepreneurship aspects to keep the industry moving ahead. The book contains seventeen chapters written by leading experts in the areas and discusses means to revive some of the cultures that are on the verge of closing/shutting down.

Malay society of the past has usually been characterized by the presence of the peasantry, a pre-modern class of producers, tied to the land and beholden to a feudalistic or feudal-like ruling structure. In contrast, this book explores the diversity which in fact colours the economic history of the Malays. The subject of this book is a relatively unknown class of people, the handloom weavers, who played a decisive role in the economies of the eastern Malay states of Terengganu, Kelantan, and Pahang. Today, the products of these handloom weavers, the beautiful hand-woven sarongs and cloths, grace the most elegant and auspicious of occasions. What is the story behind the vicissitudes, often brutal, of textile production in the early or proto-industrial phases of the Malay economy? Why was the handloom industry, at its height, halted from realizing its full potential of trans-forming into a full-fledged industrial manufacture? What exactly is the putting-out system of production and how did men and women actualize their roles in such production regimes? Why did the putting-out system endure? In answering such questions this book explores the origins of the Malay handloom industry, its technology, its people, and its turbulent relationship with the ambitions of both the colonial and modern nation-states.

This book showcases cutting-edge research papers from the 9th International Conference on Research into Design (ICoRD 2023) – the largest in India in this area – written by eminent researchers from across the world on design processes, technologies, methods and tools, and their impact on innovation, for supporting design for a connected world. The theme of ICoRD’23 has been ‘Design in the Era of Industry 4.0’. Industry 4.0 signifies the fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution was driven by the introduction of mechanical power such as steam and water engines to replace human and animal labour. The second industrial revolution involved introduction of electrical power and organised labour. The third industrial revolution was powered by introduction of industrial automation. The fourth industrial revolution involves introduction of a combination of technologies to enable connected intelligence and industrial autonomy. The introduction of Industry 4.0 dramatically changes the landscape of innovation, and the way design, the engine of innovation, is carried out. The theme of ICoRD’23 - ‘Design in the Era of Industry 4.0’ –explores how Industry 4.0 concepts and technologies influence the way design is conducted, and how methods, tools, and approaches for supporting design can take advantage of this transformational change that is sweeping across the world. The book is of interest to researchers, professionals, and entrepreneurs working in the areas on industrial design, manufacturing, consumer goods, and industrial management who are interested in the new and emerging methods and tools for design of new products, systems, and services.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.

"Exploring the Heart of India: The Artistic Legacy of Madhya Pradesh" is a captivating journey into the rich cultural and artistic heritage of Madhya Pradesh, often referred to as the 'Heart of Bharat'. This book delves deep into the state's vibrant tapestry of language, literature, music, dance, drama, and handicrafts, painting a vivid picture of a land where ancient traditions and modern creativity intertwine seamlessly. Madhya Pradesh, with its diverse influences from the Aryans, Buddhists, and indigenous tribes like the Bhils and Gonds, presents a unique cultural mosaic. The book highlights how these influences have shaped the state's multifaceted culture, making it a repository of varied art forms. Readers will be enthralled by detailed accounts of Madhya Pradesh's famous handlooms and handicrafts. The state's textile wonders, such as Chanderi and Maheshwari sarees, and the unique crafts like Gwalior carpets, Batik prints, and Gond paintings, are explored in depth. Each chapter dedicated to these crafts not only describes their beauty but also tells the stories of the skilled artisans behind them. Moreover, the book provides an insightful look into the Geographical Indication (GI) tags assigned to several of Madhya Pradesh's handicrafts and handlooms, underscoring their uniqueness and cultural significance. This is a must-read for anyone interested in Indian culture, traditional arts, and the vibrant legacy of one of India's most culturally rich states.

This book presents a comprehensive analysis of Geographical Indications (GI) in the Indian context with particular reference to the handloom sector. It discusses themes such as the rationale of GI as IP (intellectual property); the domestic position on GIs; GI protection under various international instruments; handlooms from Gujarat and their GI journey; the efficacy of GIs; and GI structure for handlooms. The volume fills the gap between law and policies and recommends the implementation of an efficient legal system. It highlights the status of Indian handlooms, a sector that represents the country’s cultural heritage and supports a range of livelihoods. We examine India’s GI protection system with its diverse cultures and explore how GI can help recognize, support and promote these products to bring socio-economic benefits. The work documents policy measures undertaken for the revival, restructuring and promotion of Indian handlooms and handicrafts, and will serve as an important intervention in Indian law on GI. An investigative study that evaluates the current law and policy on GI protection through detailed case studies and empirical research on select Indian handlooms, this book will be useful to scholars and researchers of geography, economics, development studies, sociology, law and public policy. It will also interest policymakers, legal practitioners, textile and handloom professionals, design and business administration institutes, media, arts and crafts museums and civil society organizations working on handlooms or in intellectual property.

The time-honored mode of interlacing of threads using a wooden country-made handloom for the production of a wide array of painstakingly hand-woven textiles with sole aid of manual labor, inherited skills and artistic imagery involving creative design interventions and alluring color ways had from times immemorial formed an integral part of the cultural ethos of people of India and its national heritage - a heritage that could withstand the onslaughts of the first, second and the on-going third Industrial Revolutions not to speak of quite some neglect by the exploitative European East India (trading) companies / alien rule from the sixteenth century onwards till India became independent of the British yoke on 15th of August, 1947.