Dastkar is a registered society, started in the year 1981, primarily to help craftspeople, especially women, to use their own traditional craft skills as a means of employment, income generation and economic self-sufficiency. It was an initiative of six women including Lyla Tyabji, who is the current chairperson.
Dastkar organizes cooperative shops, Dastkar exhibitions and Dastkari bazaars, where artisans sell their products directly to the customers. The objective is to expose craftspeople to the market and give them a firsthand knowledge of customer tastes and trends. Dastkar has also acquired an export license, thus enabling it to provide an alternative as well as an international market for the craftspeople.
As groups become self-sufficient, Dastkar directs its support to new groups and assists them in their growth. Presently, Dastkar is working in most of the states of India with over 100 groups of which at least 75% receive the full gamut of Dastkar services, and the rest benefit from its marketing activities. Crafts skills range from textile based craft producer groups to terracotta. The product ranges developed include garments and accessories, home furnishings, toys, stationery and objets d'art.
Dastkar Delhi also has sister organizations in Rajasthan and Andhra Pradesh.