“Here Passion Meets Purpose, Creating Dreams into Reality”
About Kankali Trust
Empowering Artisans. Enriching Culture. Creating Sustainable Livelihoods.
“Culture thrives when creators thrive. Our work is to ensure artists can live, grow, and sustain their craft with dignity.”
Kankali Trust for Arts and Cultural Economic Development (KT-ACED) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening arts and crafts as sustainable sources of livelihood. We work to enable artists and artisans to pursue their creative practice with dignity, economic security, and long-term opportunity.
Our work focuses on identifying under-supported artistic and craft communities and developing targeted programs that strengthen business capabilities, financial literacy, product development, design, marketing, and professional skills. By integrating arts and crafts into mainstream economic systems, we aim to build resilient creative economies that preserve cultural heritage while generating sustainable income.
Kankali Trust collaborates with government bodies, non-governmental organisations, and corporate partners to leverage public policy frameworks and CSR initiatives for artisan development. We also provide on-ground insights and advisory support to institutions shaping policies for the cultural and creative sectors.
Our Vision
To create a world where artists and artisans – especially from rural and marginalised communities – achieve sustainable livelihoods, dignity, and social progress through arts and culture.
Our Mission
Our mission is to empower artists and artisans through skill development, economic opportunities, and social support, enabling them to build sustainable livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to their communities through arts and culture.
Towards Sustainable Cultural Economies
Kankali Trust envisions thriving artisan communities that are economically independent and creatively empowered. By integrating arts and crafts into mainstream economic activity, we seek to elevate their cultural and economic value, preserve living traditions, and ensure that cultural heritage continues to inspire and sustain future generations.
Bringing peoplentogether
to endnpoverty for good
The trust works in coordination with various Government and Non-Governmental Organisations to execute economic models by exploiting the provisions of various existing government policies as well as CSR initiatives of corporates in the environment towards improving the livelihood of artisans and craftsmen. We also use the grass-root level situational awareness garnered through our work, to act as an advisory body to agencies (both government and non-governmental) responsible for drawing out policies in support of the sector at large.
Promote access to healthcarenfor children
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Keep kids healthy andnready to learn
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Provide support in disastersnand public health crises
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Helped provide accessnto clean water
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Successful Artisan Communities and Sustainable Cultural Economies
Grow into the progress you want to see in the world
We anticipate that Kankali Trust’s efforts will result in a thriving community of artisans and craftsmen who are economically self-sufficient and free to pursue their artistic pursuits. This will result in the integration of arts and crafts into mainstream economic activity, increasing awareness of their cultural and economic worth, and ensuring the retention and enjoyment of cultural legacy for future generations.
Our Team
Beena Unnikrishnan
Sakina Ansari
Subbiah Annamalai
Abirami Vivek