A craft in trouble
The crisis facing Etikoppaka’s toys was not just that an old art was being forgotten. Colours, safety, saleability and changing buyer expectations all pressed on the traditional craft at once. C. V. Raju found his work in that gap: natural dyes, better processes and working together with artisans.
Etikoppaka’s lacquered wooden toys have long been part of the village’s craft tradition. But synthetic and lead-containing colours, along with a falling market, put the craft’s future at risk.
Colours from roots, bark and seeds
According to the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Raju worked on developing colours from roots, bark, leaves, fruits, seeds and other plant sources. His contribution was more than simply “using natural colours”. He worked to widen the range of shades, extend their shelf life and make the process more consistent.
The National Innovation Foundation (NIF) supported him in validating the herbal nature of the dyes, developing products and taking them to market. That gave the craft a new identity: toys that are safe for children and kind to the environment.
Linking innovation to livelihoods
Raju set up a cooperative called Padmavati Associates so that the colours and toys could reach markets and the artisan community could find steady work. That ties the innovation to a whole local system of makers, not to one person’s patent.
Recognition, and who gets credit for what
He received the NIF National Grassroots Innovation Award in 2002, was Innovation Scholar-in-Residence at Rashtrapati Bhavan in 2018, and was awarded the Padma Shri for Art in 2023. Etikoppaka Toys also received GI registration in 2017, filed by the state’s handicrafts corporation.
What his story teaches
When market pressure was pushing the craft towards synthetic shortcuts, Raju chose to experiment scientifically on the tradition instead of abandoning it. Preserving heritage does not have to mean stopping change; it can mean adapting responsibly. A heritage craft lasts only if the craftsperson’s livelihood lasts too.
Sources
- DST: grassroots innovator from Andhra Pradesh reviving a dying art
- DST: grassroots innovators conferred Padma Shri 2023
- IP India: Etikoppaka Toys GI record (No. 482)
- dst.gov.in/grassroots-innovator-andhra-pradesh-reviving-dying-art-making-sustainable-and-children-friendly
- dst.gov.in/grassroots-innovators-conferred-padma-shri-st-based-innovative-ways-reviving-traditional-art-and
- search.ipindia.gov.in/GIRPublicSearch/Application/Details/482