WEAVING THE GOALS: HOW WOMEN-LED CRAFT ENTERPRISES IN INDIA CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
Keywords:
Sustainable Development Goals, Triple Bottom Line, women entrepreneurship, handicrafts, sustainability, India
Abstract
This paper examines how women-led craft-based enterprises in India contribute to sustainability, understood through both the Triple Bottom Line framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing on nineteen in-depth case studies, the paper analyses each venture’s stated Unique Selling Proposition (USP), mission and self-reported sustainability contribution, before extracting and comparing the explicit SDG mappings across the full sample. Findings show near-universal engagement with SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), strong engagement with SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality) and negligible engagement with goals such as SDG 2, 6, 13 and 14 outside specific, contextually justified cases. The paper further develops a mechanism-sensitive method for distinguishing SDG claims substantiated by a specific, traceable practice from those resting on more general assertion, revealing that the sector’s underlying social and economic contribution is genuine. The paper contributes an empirically grounded account of SDG engagement among women-led handicraft enterprises, a population underserved by existing corporate-oriented SDG reporting frameworks, with implications for how future research and policy might better measure and support this contribution.
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References
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2.Agarwal, S., Lenka, U., Singh, K., Agrawal, V., & Agrawal, A. M. (2020). A qualitative approach towards crucial factors for sustainable development of women social entrepreneurship: Indian cases. Journal of Cleaner Production, 274, Article 123135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.123135
3.Al-Qahtani, M., Zguir, M. F., Al-Fagih, L., & Koç, M. (2022). Women entrepreneurship for sustainability: Investigations on status, challenges, drivers, and potentials in Qatar. Sustainability, 14(7), Article 4091. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14074091
4.Alshibani, S. M., Shabir, S., & Albishri, N. (2024). Women entrepreneur’s perspective towards sustainable entrepreneurship in the apparel sector of Saudi Arabia. Sustainability, 16(19), 8636.
5.Anderson, A. R. (1998). Cultivating the Garden of Eden: Environmental entrepreneuring. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 11(2), 135–144. https://doi.org/10.1108/09534819810212124
6.Anil, K., Misra, A., & Bal, R. (2023). Amounee: A case for micro entrepreneurship—Giving voice to the artisans of the Indian handicrafts industry. The Case for Women. https://doi.org/10.1108/CFW-07-2022-0036
7.Austin, J., Stevenson, H., & Wei-Skillern, J. (2006). Social and commercial entrepreneurship: Same, different, or both? Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 30(1), 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2006.00107.x
8.Bal, R., & Anil, K. (2024). Impact of microfinance on socio-economic status of women entrepreneurs in developing countries: A sentiment analysis. International Journal of Business and Globalisation, 38(2), 233–261. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJBG.2024.142231
9.Bhatti, A. A., Rehman, J., Shamsi, M. I., & Shamim, K. (2025). Triple Bottom-Line: A critical review and need for strategic renewal. Pakistan Business Review, 27(1), 1–20. https://doi.org/10.22555/pbr.v27i1.1368
10.Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
11.Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2019). Reflecting on reflexive thematic analysis. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11(4), 589-597. https//10.1080/2159676X.2019.1628806
12.Cohen, B., & Winn, M. I. (2007). Market imperfections, opportunity and sustainable entrepreneurship. Journal of Business Venturing, 22(1), 29–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2004.12.001
13.Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2016). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches. Sage publications.
14.Croitoru, A. (2012). Schumpeter, JA, 1934 (2008), The theory of economic development: An inquiry into profits, capital, credit, interest and the business cycle. Journal of comparative research in anthropology and sociology, 3(02), 137-148.
15.Dalal, A., Bhattacharya, S., & Chattopadhyay, S. (2024). Ideating a framework for sustainable livelihood of handicraft producers at the bottom of the pyramid: A mix-method study from India. Journal of Enterprising Communities: People and Places in the Global Economy, 18(3), 701–723. Emerald Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1108/JEC-03-2023-0035
16.Dees, J. G. (1998). The meaning of social entrepreneurship. Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Duke University. Retrieved from https://centers.fuqua.duke.edu/case/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/2015/03/Article_Dees_MeaningofSocialEntrepreneurship_2001.pdf
17.Elkington, J. (1997). The triple bottom line. Environmental management: Readings and cases, 2(1997), 49-66.
18.Elkington, J. (2004). Enter the triple bottom line. In A. Henriques & J. Richardson (Eds.), The triple bottom line: Does it all add up?. (pp. 1–16). Earthscan. London.
19.Elkington, J. (2018). 25 years ago I coined the phrase “Triple Bottom Line.” Here’s why it’s time to rethink it. Harvard Business Review, 25(2-5), 6. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2018/06/25-years-ago-i-coined-the-phrase-triple-bottom-line-heres-why-im-giving-up-on-it
20.Emerson, J. (2003). The blended value proposition: Integrating social and financial returns. California management review, 45(4), 35-51. https://doi.org/10.2307/41166187
21.Filion, LJ. (1997). Entrepreneurship: entrepreneurs and small business owner manager. Ecole Des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC): Montreal.
22.Hacking, T., & Guthrie, P. (2008). A framework for clarifying the meaning of triple bottom-line, integrated, and sustainability assessment. Environmental Impact Assessment Review, 28(2–3), 73–89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eiar.2007.03.002
23.Hechavarría, D. M., Ingram, A., Justo, R., & Terjesen, S. (2012). Are women more likely to pursue social and environmental entrepreneurship? In K. D. Hughes & J. E. Jennings (Eds.), Global women’s entrepreneurship research (pp. 35–51). Edward Elgar. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781849804752.00016
24.Hechavarría, D. M., Terjesen, S. A., Ingram, A. E., Renko, M., Justo, R., & Elam, A. (2017). Taking care of business: the impact of culture and gender on entrepreneurs’ blended value creation goals. Small Business Economics, 48(1), 225-257. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11187-016-9747-4
25.Hisrich, R. D. & Peters, M. P. (1998). Entrepreneurship (4th edition). New York: McGraw-Hill.
26.Mair, J., & Marti, I. (2006). Social entrepreneurship research: A source of explanation, prediction, and delight. Journal of World Business, 41(1), 36–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwb.2005.09.002
27.Nica, I., Chiriță, N., & Georgescu, I. (2025). Triple Bottom Line in Sustainable Development: A Comprehensive Bibliometric Analysis. Sustainability, 17(5), Article 1932. https://doi.org/10.3390/su17051932
28.Norman, W., & MacDonald, C. (2004). Getting to the bottom of “Triple Bottom Line”. Business Ethics Quarterly, 14(2), 243-262. https://doi.org/10.5840/beq200414211
29.Peredo A.M., Chrisman J.J. (2006). Toward a theory of community-based enterprise. Academy of Management Review 31(2): 309–328.
30.Raman, R., Subramaniam, N., Nair, V. K., Shivdas, A., Achuthan, K., & Nedungadi, P. (2022). Women entrepreneurship and sustainable development: Bibliometric analysis and emerging research trends. Sustainability, 14(15), Article 9160. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14159160
31.Rwigema, H., Urban, B., & Venter, R. (2008). Entrepreneurship: Theory in practice (2nd edition) Cape Town: Oxford University Press Southern Africa.
32.Schaltegger, S., & Wagner, M. (2011). Sustainable entrepreneurship and sustainability innovation: Categories and interactions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 20(4), 222–237. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.682
33.Shepherd, D. A., & Patzelt, H. (2011). The new field of sustainable entrepreneurship: Studying entrepreneurial action linking “what is to be sustained” with “what is to be developed.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 35(1), 137–163. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-6520.2010.00426.x
34.Slaper, T. F., & Hall, T. J. (2011). The triple bottom line: What is it and how does it work?. Indiana Business Review, 86(1), 4–8.
35.Śledzik, K. (2013). Schumpeter’s view on innovation and entrepreneurship. In Stefan Hittmar (Ed.), Management trends in theory and practice. University of Zilina.
36.Thomas, A. (2024). The role of women’s entrepreneurship in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs): A comprehensive review. Journal of Biotechnology & Bioinformatics Research, 174(6), 2-11.
37.Timmons, J. A. (1994). New venture creation: Entrepreneurship for the 21st century (4th ed.). Irwin.
38.Yadav, U. S., Tripathi, R., Tripathi, M. A., Kumar, A., & Mandal, M. (2023). Evaluation of factors affecting entrepreneurship: A case of Indian women in the handicraft industry. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, 10(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-01798-x
39.Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
40.Yin, R. K. (2013). Validity and generalization in future case study evaluations. Evaluation, 19(3), 321–332.
41.Yin, R. K. (2017). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Published
2026-08-14
How to Cite
RUCHIKA BAL, & DR. KANWAL ANIL. (2026). WEAVING THE GOALS: HOW WOMEN-LED CRAFT ENTERPRISES IN INDIA CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS. IJRDO - Journal of Business Management, 12(2), 91-99. https://doi.org/10.69980/bm.v12i2.6792
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