Olee Maatee was started in 2018 with the aim of harnessing the talent of artisans based in the Devrukh region of Maharashtra. It was incubated in CREDAR (Centre For Rural Entrepreneurship, Development and Research), a trust started by Pune-based sculptor artist Bharati Pitre’s in-laws, Vasant and Vimal Pitre. 

“The objective was to create opportunities for craftspeople based in that region to hone their skills and create viable and sustainable opportunities for their growth without needing to migrate to the cities and letting go of their quality of life and social pleasures,” Bharati tells us.