UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization

09/26/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/26/2025 09:24

UNESCO Reviving Marble Inlay Craft Through Market Access And Innovation

26 September 2025
In the narrow lanes of Taj Ganj, under the shadow of the Taj Mahal, one of India's most intricate craft traditions struggles to survive: marble inlay, or parchin kari. This centuries-old technique flourished under the Mughal emperors and remains inseparable from the identity of Agra. Yet for many artisans today, sustaining the craft means grappling with volatile markets, dwindling opportunities, and the absence of institutional support.

UNESCO, through the "World Heritage, Sustainable Development and Local Communities" project in Agra, is helping reposition these artisans as active cultural players rather than passive custodians of heritage. By enabling market access, digital innovation, and social protection, UNESCO is working to create an environment where craftspeople can thrive. The stories of three artisans - Asif, Islam, and Ruksar - reveal the spectrum of challenges and opportunities that define this sector.

Culture as a Global Public Good
Globally, culture and creativity account for 3.1% of GDP and 6.2% of all employment. Yet, despite this weight, cultural sectors remain among the most vulnerable. Over 10 million jobs were lost in 2020 alone due to the pandemic.

Re|Shaping Policies for Creativity

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To tackle this, UNESCO is committed to developing more effective and sustainable public policies for the implementation of the 2005 Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions:

Culture is not a luxury, it is a necessity - a global public good that must be cherished and supported for the benefit of all societies.
Audrey Azoulay
Director-General, UNESCO
Mohammad Asif Khan: Dreaming Global
Asif remembers the moment that defined his resolve. As a teenager, he delivered a six-foot marble inlay table to Agra's luxury hotel. It sold almost immediately for 7.8 lakh Indian rupees (nearly 8,500 US dollars), however, the actual cost was only a fraction of that amount.

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During a recent visit by Junhi Han, Chief of Culture at the UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia, to Asif's workshop. | © UNESCO
I was shocked. That moment stayed with me - it fueled my determination to return and become a marble inlay craft entrepreneur.
Asif
Unlike most of his peers - 68% of artisans still struggle with outdated techniques - Asif pursued a computer science degree before returning to marble inlay. Today, only 14% of artisans engage in e-commerce, but Asif has made it the cornerstone of his business. Listing products on IndiaMart and Etsy, he reaches buyers from Europe to the U.S., proving that Parchin Kari can be contemporary, competitive, and globally relevant. He dreams of becoming the first marble inlay artisan millionaire from Taj Ganj.

Islam Malik: Bound by Market Forces
Not every artisan, however, has access to such opportunities. Islam Malik, who owns a workshop in Agra, has struggled to recover from the pandemic's blow to tourism. With fewer international buyers visiting, his business remains dependent on local markets where margins are low and competition high.

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Islam with his team of artisans. | © UNESCO
People admire the work, but not in a way that allows us to make a living from it. Moreover, in Agra, we have no unions or associations. Everyone is on their own, and that keeps us weak. Moreover, the guides never bring tourists to our karkhanas (workshop). Customers don't know where to find us, so we are invisible.
Islam
Despite his skills, Islam finds himself trapped in cycles of debt and dwindling returns. His experience reflects the vulnerability of artisans who remain tethered to traditional sales channels. Without training, networks, or digital access, their craft risks becoming unsustainable. UNESCO's efforts to build market linkages and provide skill development directly address this imbalance.

Ruksar: Finally Existing in the System
Amid these challenges, Ruksar's journey illustrates how recognition can transform lives. A 30-year-old woman from Taj Ganj, she long lacked formal identification, excluding her from government schemes and banking. That changed when she obtained her first Permanent Account Number (PAN) card at a UNESCO-supported documentation camp organized in partnership with Ek Pehel, a social impact organization working with underprivileged children and women across slums and villages of Agra

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Young artisans, like Ruksar, are actively attending UNESCO workshops to upskill. | © UNESCO
For her, it felt like she:

finally (was) existing in the system.
Her story embodies the principles of UNESCO's 1980 Recommendation on the Status of the Artist and the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, both of which stress that traditions survive only when artisans themselves live with dignity and protection.

Advancing Living Heritage for Development
Together, the stories of Asif, Islam, and Ruksar reveal the diverse realities of Agra's marble inlay community: the promise of global markets, the persistence of structural barriers, and the life-changing impact of recognition and inclusion.

The 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage recognizes that living traditions are a fundamental pillar of cultural diversity and underpin sustainable development. Our work with Agra's marble inlay artisans brings these principles to life, empowering artisans like Asif and Islam and thereby their extended communities - especially women like Ruksar - to sustain and transmit their craft amid rapid change. In collaboration with partners such as the State Education Department, Ministry of Culture, National Institute of Design, Ek Pehel, Kaarigari Clinic, Not On Map, and others, UNESCO is supporting skills development, formal recognition, and direct market access. In doing so, we are not only helping artisans overcome marginalization, but also ensuring that this heritage remains a source of dignity, identity, and opportunity.
Tim Curtis
Director and Representative, UNESCO Regional Office for South Asia
UNESCO's engagement in Agra is not about preserving craft in isolation, but about placing artisans at the center of cultural, economic, and social systems.

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Local residents at the launch of the "World Heritage, Sustainable Development and Local Communities" project. | © UNESCO
Launched earlier this year, the "Heritage Wonders of Tajganj, Agra", a colouring book sparks pride in local children by connecting them to their neighbourhood's history and craftsmanship. At a time when younger generations drift from traditional crafts, such initiatives show how storytelling and innovation can reimagine artisans as changemakers. In doing so, culture is affirmed as a global public good - a shared treasure for generations to come.
UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization published this content on September 26, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 26, 2025 at 15:24 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]