Stone Grinders- once a necessity, now a decoration
Stone grinders, or kutnis, were once a necessity in every household for cooking, but in this modern age, which has seen the advent of the mixer grinder machine, the traders of stone grinders can sell only about 1-2 of them per day in an urban market, and earn only about Rs 200-400 per day.
” We do what we can but we can’t compete against the electrical mixers/grinders. We only sell when there is a grihapravesh or a wedding now. “
There is not much demand for stone grinders now- it is mostly treated as an aesthetic showpiece in urban households, though the market for that is controlled by artisans rather than these poorer rural sculptors.
“People like us don’t get to dream of a better future for our children…”
The kutni sellers earn a meagre Rs 4500 per month, not even a close reward for their 11-12 hour working days and then long transportation hours and costs to sell their products. They cannot afford to educate their children well, which limits their prospects in the future as well.
Problem Statement:
How might we support small scale stone masons to make their business profitable, and provide better scopes for their future to supplement their existing skills?