New Delhi: A Centre to promote indigenous crafts in India and contribute to a sustainable cultural economy with a vision to achieve self-reliance was launched here by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design (ABCD) has been named 'Project Aatman'. It is housed in a colonial-era barrack on the premises of the Red Fort complex in Delhi. The Centre was inaugurated along with the maiden India Art, Architecture, and Design Biennale (IAADB), which will be open to the public from December 9-15.

PM Modi launched the Centre with a click of a button from a dais set up in a temporary pavilion at the venue. Project Aatman is helmed by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), which comes under the purview of the Ministry of Culture.

The IGNCA has "set up the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design (ABCD) to pave the way for a sustainable cultural economy derived from the indigenous crafts of India by empowering the artisan communities with new designs and innovations," according to the IGNCA website.

This Centre is housed in a colonial-era barrack from the year 1861 on the Red Fort premises, a site of historical and cultural importance, it said.

"What is strikingly outstanding about this Centre (ABCD) is its philosophy to facilitate a self-reliant India, a mission led by the Prime Minister of India in relation to the economic development of the country. Due to rapid global industrialisation and technological advancement, the traditional handicraft sector has suffered a setback in the competing markets of today. To sustain, the crafts need to be moulded in a form that is in sync with the evolved needs and preferences of urban consumers," it added.

Therefore, it has become necessary to facilitate innovation in crafts that will lead to creation of "interesting juxtaposition of traditional skills and contemporary taste," officials said.

"This Centre will not only reinvent the craft sector but will also provide economic stability and livelihood to the people associated with it. As we celebrate 75 years of India's Independence, Aatmanirbhar Bharat Centre for Design will be a one-of-a-kind platform showcasing a part of our heritage for the citizens of our nation and international visitors to learn from, engage with, and appreciate," the IGNCA said.  

The mega event was inaugurated by PM Modi at the Red Fort complex, and seven "specially-curated" thematic pavilions have been set up in three British-era barracks located on the premises of the Mughal-era monument.