Professor Dr Sudha Dhingra is the Project Director of CoEK, which was set up in the year 2021 at NIFT as a sponsored project by the Ministry of MSME to support KVIC. She is a senior faculty at the Textile Design department at NIFT, New Delhi, and has also held the position of Dean (Academics) at NIFT since 2023. Her core competence lies in craft studies, Indian and World textiles. She has co-authored books on ‘Traditional Indian Textiles’ for CBSE, class XII, and two books on ‘Textiles Crafts of India’ and ‘Anant- Sustainable handloom textiles of India’. Her Doctoral Research is on Natural dyeing with Morinda citrifoliaand handloom weaving in Bastar of Chhattisgarh and Kotpad village of Odisha.

Nisha is a Fashion Design graduate from NIFT Gandhinagar. While pursuing her graduation, she developed a unique style reflective of traditional crafts and textiles. She has worked with renowned design labels and retail houses such as Shahi Exports, Simar Dugal, and Fabindia. she focuses on craft documentation, design development, and sustainable handloom practices. Known for her sari draping expertise and passion for folklore and cultural studies, Nisha envisions creating a global presence for Indian craft through a fusion of heritage and contemporary design.

An alumna of NIFT, Shrutika brings over 15 years of extensive experience in retail design, visual merchandising, and brand building. She has worked with leading brands such as Lifestyle, Nike India, VIP Bags, Lotto Sports, and Sports Station. Her expertise lies in curating impactful in-store experiences, developing strategic brand narratives, and integrating digital marketing to strengthen customer engagement. With a sharp eye for design and a deep understanding of retail dynamics, she specializes in creating cohesive, consumer-driven retail journeys.

Sobhit is a Textile Design graduate from NIFT, Chennai. He has experience working in international and domestic marketplace across many different disciplines and domains, including designing UI/UX, designing publication media, designing digital prints, graphics and a lot more. He likes to travel and explore new cultures, tradition and cuisines. He wants to make an impact by narrating grassroot stories to the people across the social media platforms.

Charu is a textile designer and an alumna of NIFT Delhi and NID Ahmedabad, with a strong academic and practical grounding in textiles. She brings over six years of industry experience, having worked with renowned brands such as Raw Mango, Abraham & Thakore, and Nalli Silks. Her area of expertise lies in sarees, with a deep focus on weaving and printmaking. Charu has worked extensively with craft clusters across India, developing a nuanced understanding of traditional techniques. She enjoys working across disciplines and brings a thoughtful, aesthetic approach to design—one that celebrates the richness of Indian textiles in contemporary forms.

Khushbu is a dynamic professional holding an MBA in HR & International Business along with a degree in software engineering. With over a decade of experience, she has successfully worked across government and private sectors. Her diverse portfolio includes contributions in services, manufacturing, handicrafts, and textiles, where she played a key role in project execution and policy development. Her unique blend of technical and managerial skills positions her as a versatile and impactful leader.

An alumnus of NIFT, Gandhinagar, Nargis, has over 21 years of rich and vast experience in Indian textiles & fashion. She has been associated with leading Indian wear brands like Fabindia, Kilol, Aavran, and SEWA Gujarat. Her area of interest lies in natural fabrics, hand block printing and traditional Indian embroideries & crafts. The adaptation of traditional aesthetics into everyday clothing is her forte

Vibha is a textile design graduate from NIFT, Delhi. She has experience working in different design disciplines, including textiles, surface ornamentation, weaving, graphics and space design. She is enthusiastic about Indian arts and handicrafts and wants to make a difference through her sensibilities

Rishabh is a communication designer who works at the intersection of brand identity, visual storytelling, and photography. From concept to execution, his practice brings a strong foundation in design principles, typography, and digital media, paired with a deep understanding of brand positioning and user-centered communication. With B.Des(FC) from Nift Delhi and MBA in Marketing, He has been developing visual identities, campaigns, and narratives for startups & big brands, always with a focus on clarity, consistency, and craft innovation.

Payal Kumari is a fashion design graduate from NIFT New Delhi, with a strong focus on Indian textiles and sustainable fashion. She has experience designing for both Indian and international markets, blending traditional crafts like Khadi and handloom with contemporary styles. She has explored various crafts and sustainable practices during her academic journey. Her work reflects a thoughtful balance of functionality, aesthetics and storytelling, making heritage crafts relevant for contemporary audiences.

Parshad is a textile design graduate from NIFT, Gandhinagar. He has experience working in Textiles, weaving and print design. He is fascinated by the emergence of a cultural movement that values traditional and organic materials and emphasises local, low-impact production.

Shubham is a post graduate (M.F.Tech) from NIFT Chennai having over 10 years of work experience in Merchandising, Buying & Category Management of apparel & textile products. He has worked with several renowned brands such as Fabindia, Raymond and Tailorman, as well as with leading buying houses like Triburg (For American Eagle & OJG brand). He has handled Product Development & Production of a variety of Khadi, Handloom & Craft products. He comes from strong technical & management background and is specialized in merchandise planning, product development, sourcing, production, vendor management, sampling, costing, quality control, category management, supply chain & inventory management across diverse product categories. He has also collaborated on multiple industry projects with reputed brands, focusing on process re-engineering, cost reduction, resource optimization and skill upgradation.

Sunanda is a textile graduate from Nift with an experience 25 years of in varied sectors. She started her career as a textile designer at Himatsingka Seide ltd., Bangalore. The love for handloom and the craft brought her back to Delhi to join the Rehwa Society based in Maheshwar. After 12 years at Rehwa, she decided to move to Uttaranchal to design textiles for Avani. After that, she joined The shop as a design manager, where she had a perfect mix of crafts and exports.

Ujjal Datta is a qualified Cost and Management Accountant, a Fellow Member of ICMAI, an MBA (Finance and Marketing), and a Specialised in Forensic Accounting & Fraud Examiner (FAFE). He has 25 years of rich experience in Private, MNC and PSU. He has worked in diverse sectors such as service, manufacturing, trading, media, Export and Import of Handicrafts and Handlooms.

Prince Ashutosh Sunny is a Textile cum Fashion Designer whose creative journey is deeply rooted in the diverse heritage of Indian arts and crafts. A lifelong apprentice of rich Indian arts and crafts, he holds an M.Des in Textile Design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, and a B.Des in Fashion Design from NIFT Gandhinagar. With rich industry experience across menswear, bed linen, and handcrafted carpets, Prince brings a nuanced understanding of material, technique, and market relevance. His practice reflects a deep commitment to ethical design, slow fashion, and celebrating India’s living textile legacies, believing in design as a powerful tool for social and cultural empowerment.

Bandita is a crafts enthusiast and an alumna of Pearl Academy, Jaipur. She has worked extensively with handloom especially from Assam for her clothing label Bibaar and other craft-oriented brands and NGOs like Aagor by the ANT and Kilol. She is also enthusiastic to work with Khadi for the upliftment of our grassroots level artisans and the betterment of society as a whole.

Rupak is a Textile Design graduate from the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Hyderabad, with over seven years of experience in the field. He has worked with reputed NGOs such as KADAM and the Bal Jyoti Foundation, where he has played a pivotal role in the development and strengthening of various artisan clusters—including rug clusters, bamboo clusters, block printing units, and handloom clusters. Over the years, Rupak has significantly contributed to generating sustainable livelihood opportunities for artisans. His efforts have supported many in obtaining artisan identification cards and becoming formally recognized, thereby enhancing their socio-economic standing. He is deeply committed to sustainable development, the integration of cutting-edge technologies, and the empowerment of economically marginalized artisan communities.

Hari Dutt is a qualified Cost and Management Accountant, an Associate Member of ICMAI. A finance professional more than 25 years of rich experience in Private and PSU. He has worked in Finance & Accounts, Import and Exports of Handicrafts, Handlooms, Apparel and Gold Jewellery, Taxation and Audit.