Crafting Bharat: NID Ahmedabad Designs Rashtrapati Bhavan’s 80th Independence Day Invitation Kit
The National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, is honoured to have extended its design services for the ceremonial invitation kit commissioned by Rashtrapati Bhavan for the reception of distinguished guests on the occasion of India’s 80th Independence Day, to be celebrated on August 15, 2026.
The project showcases the traditional crafts of Chhattisgarh, Goa, Madhya Pradesh & Maharashtra, developed through a collaborative dialogue between the artisans and the project team. The project was initiated in mid-March 2026 and involved the team of designers and staff at NID Ahmedabad travelling widely through the four states to engage with artisan communities in the region. Over the next month and a half, with the Rashtrapathi Bhavan team working in close collaboration, through extensive iteration and discussion with multiple stakeholders, the dialogue evolved into the artefacts we now see in the invitation.
The invitation showcases some inspiring examples of sustainable environment practices and conservation initiatives located in these four states, highlighting the deep bond between the crafts and the local environment in which they are practiced. Craft, in this sense, is not separate from life; it is embedded within it. Through inherited knowledge and lived experience, individuals shape objects, spaces, and systems that respond to ecological realities, sustain livelihoods, and carry memory forward. Whether working with natural materials, conserving resources, or reimagining habitats, people negotiate a balance between use and preservation, tradition and change.
Artistic expression emerges as both a reflection and an extension of this ethos.
Over 220 persons were involved in the design and production of this kit. Nearly 100 artisans collaborated with the design team, working within their home environments in the four states to develop and produce the craft artifacts. From Chhattisgarh, we have Dhokra casting representing the community’s practice of sacred grove protection and the wrought iron Pitwa craft contributing to the display frame and bell. Representing Goa is the painted tile Azulejo craft carrying scenes of the landscape and the centuries old Khajan system of community-managed coastal wetland reclamation. From Madhya Pradesh, we have the representation of the practice of community seed preservation illustrated through Bhil art as well as the block printed Bagh fabric of the Dhar district adorning the fabric envelope. Warli art from Maharashtra commonly represents life along the river and this artifact celebrates the Kham river restoration project as a collaborative effort to restore the natural environment. A ceremonial stole woven in Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh, brings together motifs of the textile traditions of the four states in a unique border designed for this occasion.
The artifacts were then brought to the NID Ahmedabad campus and assembled into the kit by teams of staff, artisans and students contributing to the process which took approximately a month to complete.
Led by Dr Ashok Mondal, Director of NID Ahmedabad, and a dedicated team of faculty, alumni, students, and technical staff worked over four months to bring this project to life. The result is a hands-on celebration of the region’s rich material culture, offering a glimpse into the master craftsmanship and collective effort behind every kit.
