Founders
Iti Tyagi
Somesh Singh
Somesh Singh
Iti Tyagi is the founder of Craft Village and India Craft Week. She serves as an Board Member (External) at MIT ADT, Pune. She has also served as a UNESCO/WCC International Juror for World Craft Cities. She was honoured with the prestigious 'Nari Shakti Puraskar' - the highest civilian honour for women - by the President of India in 2019, BW Disrupt Women Entrepreneur-2019 and India Fashion Awards 2020 and many more in the field of culture and social entrepreneurship.
She has studied Fashion Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) and Interior Design at KLC School of Design, London. Her career spans over two decades.
Iti Tyagi is also an Author of India-Good Stories Untold, is a memoir of journeys taken by Iti Tyagi to mystical parts of India. This book tries, successfully, to capture the essence of this India, through the manifestations of its culture, art and crafts. It traces the journey of India and the evolution of its magnificent diversity and gives us a glimpse of a country that is magnificent. -Dinesh K Patnaik, Former DG, Indian Council Of Cultural Relations.
Iti also like to pen down her thoughts around, crafts and culture at large which she finally presents through a series of Podcasts and Shows, you can also follow her work and research around culture at her You Tube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@ItiTyagii To know more about her, click here
Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iti_Tyagi
Somesh Singh
Somesh Singh
Somesh Singh
Somesh is the 'Steering Committee of World Crafts Council (World's largest organization in Crafts). He also served as a UNESCO/WCC International Juror for World Craft Cities. He also holds the position of Senior Advisor at Co-Creando, Italy.
He has many design patents to his credit – Paunch Proof, I-Shops, Fashion Clinics, and Folding Helmets. World media have covered his innovations including TIME Magazine, New York Times, The Times (London), The Standard (China), The Times of India, Hindustan Times, USA Today, BBC, CNN, and AajTak.
Somesh Singh is a graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), and served as professor and Head pf Dept, of Apparel Design at NID, Ahmedabad for a decade. Somesh served as the Director for Institute Of Apparal Management, under Min. of Textiles for 7 years before starting Craft Village as a dream project.
Advisors
Erroll Pires Nelson
Erroll Pires Nelson
Erroll Pires Nelson
Errol Nelson Pires is a master textile artist internationally known for his lifelong dedication to ply-split braiding, a rare traditional technique historically used for camel belts, containers, and utilitarian objects. For over three decades, he has refined and reimagined this craft, blurring the boundaries between art, design, and functional form through his distinctive contemporary practice.
A graduate of the National Institute of Design (NID), Mr. Nelson taught at NID from 1984 to 2011, shaping generations of designers and artisans. Working with recycled industrial yarns and his signature hand technique, he creates intricate, sculptural works by locking and interlocking twisted cords—bringing extraordinary precision, innovation, and artistry to a historic craft tradition.
Dr. Himadri Ghosh
Erroll Pires Nelson
Erroll Pires Nelson
Dr. Himadri Ghosh is a distinguished leader in textile education and industry, with over five decades of experience shaping India’s design, fashion, and craft sectors. He has served as Academic Head at the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, Director at NIFT–TEA, and Director of the Banasthali Institute of Design (BID) at Banasthali University, Rajasthan.
Dr. Ghosh has played a pivotal role on several Government of India committees and boards, contributing to policy formation across the textile, apparel, craft, and handloom sectors. A prolific author and academic, he has written numerous books and research papers and delivered thousands of lectures and presentations at leading universities and institutions worldwide, making him one of the most respected voices in India’s creative and textile education ecosystem.
Sundeep Kumar
Erroll Pires Nelson
Sundeep Kumar
Sundeep is an IIM Ahmedabad alumnus with over four decades of experience in brand strategy, communications, and general management across leading Indian and global corporations. Until 2021, he was with the Dalmia Bharat Group, where he served as Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications and later as Chief Executive of Craft Béton.
Earlier in his career, Sundeep held senior leadership roles at Novartis Healthcare, SABMiller India, and Godfrey Phillips, leading corporate affairs, marketing communications, and public engagement at scale. He is the recipient of multiple international honours, including India’s first Cannes Silver Lion, the AME Silver Award at the New York Festivals, and recognition by the International Advertising Association for his outstanding contribution to advertising, marketing, and brand communications.
BOOKS & PUBLICATION
INDIA – Good Stories Untold is a memoir of journeys by Iti Tyagi across the mystical landscapes of India—from the majesty of the mountains to the silent vastness of the salt deserts. Through temples, forts, and village communities, the book offers a deeply personal exploration of India’s ancient, diverse, and living cultural heritage, capturing the spirit, stories, and timeless beauty of the country as experienced from within.
