200 Million Artisans (200M) Awarded Catalytic Capital Consortium Grant to Study the Role of Catalytic Capital in India’s Artisan Sector

200M is one of only 14 organisations around the world and the only one from India to have received this award from C3 Grantmaking

Mumbai, India (Oct 14, 2021) — The US-based Catalytic Capital Consortium (C3) today announced awards to support 14 research projects that will analyze the uses of catalytic capital around the world and help build the evidence base to fuel additional risk-tolerant, flexible and patient investments that address critical global challenges.

India-based 200M will use the funds to document the current role of catalytic capital in India’s artisan sector with a specific focus on how it applies to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). 

“We have been wanting to identify and document barriers, biases, and skill-gaps that inhibit the ability of craft-based MSMEs to access funding that will help them grow and scale sustainably. The wait has been well worth it! The C3 grant will enable us to carry out this first-of-its-kind research to map investment needs in the artisan economy by bringing in insights and data from enterprises as well as funders/investors working in the ecosystem,” said Priya Krishnamoorthy, Founder & CEO, 200 Million Artisans. 

“We are very excited about the momentum and potential of these projects. The C3 Grantmaking program aims to build a strong evidence base about the value of catalytic capital and equip investors with the data, knowledge and insight needed to drive deep and sustainable impact,” said Emily Duma, C3 Grantmaking Program Officer at New Venture Fund.

This announcement comes on the heels of 200M’s recently released research, Business of Handmade, that mapped the role of informality in India’s cultural economy through the lens of the artisan sector. 

"This support will maintain the great momentum we have gathered over the past year to carry out research to bridge information and data gaps, and focus it on building an evidence base that will inform investment and policy decisions with respect to furthering the artisan economy. We are delighted to take the lead in this new area,” said Aparna Subramanyam, Partner, 200 Million Artisans. 

About 200 Million Artisans

Founded in 2020, 200 Million Artisans (200M) is a purpose-led ecosystem-enabler reimagining the potential of the handcrafted by bridging gaps in knowledge, resources and partnerships. 200M’s focus areas include (1) Actionable Research and Insights (2) Resources for Inclusive Entrepreneurship, and (3) Partnerships to Build Culture & Community. 

For more information, visit www.200millionartisans.org and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. 

About Catalytic Capital Consortium

Established in 2019, C3 is an investment, learning, and market development initiative created and led by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and the Omidyar Network. Together, these partners jointly fund the C3 Grantmaking program, which is housed at and administered by the New Venture Fund (NVF). C3 aims to increase the flow and impact of catalytic capital to make social and environmental progress that would not otherwise be possible.

For more information, visit www.newventurefund.org