Ami Shroff is the second generation CEO of Shrujan and the Founding Director of the Living and Learning Design Centre in Kutch, Gujarat, India (LLDC). Ami’s heart and soul have been rooted in Kutch since her late mother, Chanda Shroff, began her pioneering work in the community in the late 1960s. Initially starting by helping a handful of women to earn a sustained income through their embroidery heritage, she organically developed an extensive network reaching thousands of women in 60 villages belonging to 12 communities and practising over 70 distinct hand embroidery patterns. From the time she was a babe in arms, Ami has been accompanying her mother in the field and has literally grown up with these women, giving true meaning to the phrase ‘it takes a village to raise a child’. Ami not only learned their unique dialect and unwritten systems of craft knowledge but also patiently and meticulously documented and translated their histories to help preserve, promote and protect their heritage. She established the Living and Learning Design Centre, built from scratch on a nine acre site, to go beyond embroidery and foster a hub of learning and creativity for all the crafts of Kutch. From metal work to leather work, pottery, lacquer work and many more, the crafts of the region have been carefully nurtured through a holistic system of lifelong learning. Housing permanent galleries and temporary exhibition spaces, alongside unique experimental artisan studio spaces and hands-on creative galleries, LLDC is a hub of knowledge and learning for the regional crafts and importantly for the craftspeople of Kutch. In 2026 LLDC will celebrate its 10 year anniversary.
The concept of establishing a museum in a remote region of India—one that is not only geographically isolated but also prone to natural disasters such as earthquakes and cyclones—presents a complex set of challenges. Yet, it also offers a rare opportunity to engage deeply with the traditional knowledge systems of local communities. Located in Ajrakhpur,…
