Economic Empowerment Through GI Tagged Folk Art: Assessing the Livelihood Impact of Aipan Artisans in the Nainital District of the Uttarakhand Himalayas

Abstract: This study investigates the economic empowerment of artisans practicing Aipan, a traditional and vibrant ritualistic folk-art form of the Kumaun region, and focused on artisans of Nainital district in Kumaon Himalayas. The research assesses the livelihood impact of the GI tag ‘Aipan’ art (a traditional local art of Kumaon). The study employs mixed-methods approach, it utilizes structured interviews with the respondent artisans and market analysis of Aipan art to evaluate the economic contributions of this art to respondent’s household income, employment opportunities etc. Furthermore, the study also explores the challenges faced by respondents, which includes challenges to market access, availability of raw material, mechanism of fair pricing, and need for skill development among them. The study adopts both primary and secondary data for making it meaningful.