Jaipur: As India’s luxury interiors market continues to grow, conversations around design are gradually expanding beyond aesthetics to include questions of sourcing, ethics, and livelihood sustainability. While mechanised manufacturing dominates much of the sector, a small but significant group of design-led brands is investing in traditional craftsmanship as a long-term employment model.
Man Made Rugs is one such brand. Founded by Pritam Khanna, the company works with handmade rug artisans across 64 countries in the world, partnering with weaving communities where rug-making has historically been a primary source of income. These communities, however, have faced mounting pressure in recent years due to competition from machine-made alternatives and irregular demand.
According to industry estimates, India’s handmade rug sector supports approximately 2 million artisans and workers, many based in rural or semi-rural clusters. For many, the challenge is not lack of skill but lack of continuity. Sporadic orders and price-driven sourcing have made it difficult for artisans to rely on weaving as a stable profession.
Man Made Rugs says it addresses this gap by maintaining long-term production relationships rather than short-term or project-based sourcing. The brand currently works with around thousands artisan families, offering consistent work spread across the year instead of seasonal commissions.
“Most artisans move away from the craft because they cannot depend on it for regular income,” said Nirmit Khanna. “When work is predictable, and systems are fair, they prefer to continue with the skills they already have.”
A Shift Away from Transactional Craft
Unlike industrial production, handmade rug weaving requires time, precision, and physical effort. Man Made Rugs follows extended production timelines that allow artisans to work at a sustainable pace, without the pressure to increase speed or volume. The rugs are produced using traditional hand-knotting and hand-weaving techniques that rely primarily on manual skill and minimal electricity.
The brand states that artisans associated with its production units receive Health support, houses to live supporting steady income for communities where rug weaving is a primary, generational skill rather than a supplementary occupation.
This approach, according to the company, also results in higher-quality products that can be cleaned, repaired, and restored rather than replaced. For interior designers and architects, this durability reduces replacement cycles in long-term residential and hospitality projects.
Preserving Skills Through Economic Stability
Experts in craft-led industries have long noted that traditional skills survive only when they remain economically viable. Handweaving, often passed down across generations, is increasingly at risk as younger artisans migrate to urban labour markets in search of steady wages.
Man Made Rugs says it has worked with some artisan clusters for 52 years, helping ensure that weaving remains a viable livelihood rather than a declining practice. The continuity allows artisans to refine their skills instead of compromising on quality to meet price or volume pressures.
“There is dignity in being able to practise a craft without rushing or cutting corners,” Khanna said. “Our responsibility is to make sure the system supports the people behind the product.”
Ethical Luxury Gains Ground
As consumers and designers become more aware of how products are made, ethical sourcing is gaining relevance within India’s luxury segment. Industry observers note an increasing demand for transparency, particularly in categories such as textiles and furnishings, where production processes are often opaque.
For design professionals, working with handmade rugs offers both functional and ethical advantages. Natural fibres and handwoven structures tend to perform better over time, while artisan-led production supports employment and cultural continuity.
As the interiors industry reassesses its impact, brands that combine design sensibility with livelihood responsibility are emerging as part of a broader shift toward ethical luxury.