India, Aug. 3 -- A craft can survive for centuries, but it still needs people willing to buy it. That is where trade shows step in. At the 19th edition of HGH India, which took place from June 30 to July 3, 2026, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, the Indian Heritage Pavilion brings master artisans face to face with retailers, designers, gifting professionals and buyers looking for something beyond factory-made products. I spoke with four craftsmen representing very different art forms, from Khurja pottery and Varanasi metal carving to Rogan art and Surat's rare Sadeli craft. Each one is protecting a legacy, but none is treating tradition like a museum piece.

Surat's Sadeli craft is one of India's most detailed forms of wood inla...