2024 Second International Conference on Advance in Information Technology (ICAIT-2024)

Digital Cottage Hub for Empowering Artisans,

Fostering Connectivity, and Promoting 'Make in
India'
Vani Hiremani Praveen Gujjar J Sumit Shinde
Symbiosis Institute of Technology, Pune Faculty of Management Studies Assistant Professor, B. Tech Computer
Campus, Symbiosis International (Deemed JAIN (Deemed-to-be University) Science and Engineering, ITM Skills
University) (SIU), Lavale, Pune 412115 Bengaluru, India University, Navi Mumbai
vani.hiremani@sitpune.edu.in dr.praveengujjar@cms.ac.in sumits@itm.edu

Raghavendra M Devadas Anser Pasha C A Lubna Ambreen

Department of Computer Science and Department of Computer Science and Faculty of Management Studies
Engineering, Gitam School of Technology, Engineering, Adichunchanagiri Institute JAIN (Deemed-to-be University)
Gitam (Deemed-to-be University) of Technology Chikkamagaluru, India, Bengaluru, India
Bengaluru, India anserpasha@gmail.com lubnaambreen@cms.ac.in
raghudevdas@gmail.com

Abstract— Aims to redefine the landscape of the cottage users and creating employment opportunities. Here we are
industry with an innovative social web application designed giving a digital touch to the cottage industry. Cottage is a
to simplify the exchange of handcrafted items. At its heart, small-scale industry where products and services are created
the platform aims to bridge the gap between producers and as home-based, rather than factory-based. It allows workers
customers by providing a thriving marketplace for one-of-a- to determine their own hours, take advantage of times when
kind, handcrafted things. With a focus on encouraging job they have the most personal energy, and allow people to
possibilities, particularly for women, the application work part-time if they so desire. E-commerce (electronic
corresponds with the wider purpose of supporting "women commerce or EC) is the buying and selling of goods and
empowerment" and contributing to national efforts such as services, or the transmitting of funds or data, over an
"Make in India. “The system study highlights the existing electronic network, primarily the Internet. These business
holes in present systems, emphasizing the necessity for a transactions occur as business-to-business, business-to-
complete platform tailored exclusively to the cottage sector. consumer, consumer-to-consumer, or consumer-to-business.
An architecture diagram and extensive use case overviews Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce that
for customers, producers, and administrators are included in allows consumers to directly buy goods or services from a
the system design. Implementation specifics include login, producer over the internet using a web browser. This project
identity, purchasing, and administrative operations, among aims to design and implement a web application for selling
others. The initiative aims to promote not just economic and buying handmade goods and creating employment
activity in the cottage industry, but also social issues like as opportunities. In order to achieve our project goals, we want
empowering women and inclusive employment. The to create a web application specialized to assisting cottage
dedication to ongoing development is obvious in the plans industries. This program aims to make it easier for
for the future, which include tightening security measures, customers to buy handicrafts while also offering a platform
notably for online financial transactions. Finally, the social for producers to sell their produced goods. Furthermore, our
web application aspires to build a dynamic and safe digital online application seeks to link workers with organizations
area for artisans, producers, and customers, therefore leaving in need and to generate job chances for people seeking
a lasting impression on the cottage industry in the age of remote work. To achieve these objectives, we are
technology. The chatbot is implemented using the rasa open- developing a social web application that stimulates
source framework along with the digital platform. The connectedness among end users and allows for community
results of the chatbot are discussed in detail in the results involvement. The goal of our project is to create this
and discussion section. application to offer cottage industry products a digital edge,
Keywords— Cottage Industry, Digital Innovation, E- with a major focus on encouraging "women empowerment"
commerce, Employment Opportunities, Handmade Goods, through remote work options. Our project is in line with
Women Empowerment national programs such as "Make in America." The report
includes crucial components such as a literature review and
I. INTRODUCTION a system analysis, as well as system requirements
In the present scenario of e-globalization Small Scale specification and functional requirements. We go over the
Industries are considered engines for economic growth system's architecture and implementation in depth, including
worldwide. Hence our project is aimed to design and module descriptions and pseudo code. In addition, we go
implement a web application for selling and buying into the results and debates, providing insights into the
handmade goods by providing connectivity between the end project's effect and consequences. Finally, the paper finishes

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2024 Second International Conference on Advance in Information Technology (ICAIT-2024)

with a summary underlining the relevance and benefits of the Using Technology Cottage Hub project, which aims to
our work in cottage industry assistance. empower artisans and improve connectivity for sustainable
development in traditional crafts [6]. The research tries to
II. RELATED WORKS analyze the digital influence of cottagecore in the context of
the crucial role of government initiatives, digital innovation, pastoral, romantic, and neo-Medievalist contexts. It grapples
and groups such as NITI Aayog, FICCI, and CII in driving with paradoxes, such as glorifying rural simplicity amid
MSMEs' development and long-term viability. It digital alienation, as shown in social media's involvement in
emphasizes the influence of numerous projects such as the cottagecore aesthetic's perpetuation. The research
ECLGS, Startup India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat on highlights the dynamic interplay between handcrafted
economic development and employment creation. The production, digital interaction, and the changing terrain of
evaluation emphasizes the need for a Better Customer modern internet culture [7]. The rapid advancement of
Experience, Decision-making, Empowerment, and computer technology in Indonesia creates both possibilities
Facilitating Speedy Implementation (BDEF) strategy to and problems for the cottage industry, particularly in regions
attain sustainable and equitable economic growth in such as Rw. 03 Cibaduyut, Bandung City. This research,
MSMEs[1]. the historical neglect and current challenges which focuses on leather handicraft firms, investigates the
facing the cottage industry sector in India, emphasizing its influence of E-Commerce on spatial and social dynamics in
pivotal role in rural development and job creation. Despite a densely populated hamlet, giving insights into community
India's abundance of cottage enterprises, inadequate behavior and industry demands through observation and
resources, policies, and implementation of SDGs hinder questionnaires. The study of literature emphasizes the
inclusive growth. The study identifies financial, transformational function of digital technologies in
infrastructural, and technological barriers, aligning with the transforming conventional home-based production
focus of the "Digital Cottage Hub" project, which aims to practices into more efficient and digitally affected
empower artisans, enhance connectivity, and promote processes[8]. the amounts of biogenic amines (BAs) in
indigenous production through initiatives like 'Make in fermenting red pepper paste. The study, which addressed the
India.'[2]. Traditional vocations, which Mahatma Gandhi issue regarding BA concentration in cottage industry
supported, have recently suffered losses as a result of the gochujang, discovered that all products had significant total
epidemic and ambiguous government. The numerous BA levels that were within acceptable limits, assuring their
cottage goods, which include khadi, leather, and food items, appropriateness for human consumption. This study,
not only benefit the local economy but also highlight India's drawing similarities with the digital cottage business,
rich cultural legacy, highlighting the need for programs like emphasizes the necessity for safety evaluations and
the "Digital Cottage Hub" in revitalizing and uniting these regulatory measures in innovative and old manufacturing
artisanal communities [3]. In the face of difficulties like as practices within cottage businesses, assuring customer well-
poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy, the Khadi sector being[9]. Some of the related works include[ 10-11].
emerges as an important answer through export-driven
efforts. Despite popular belief that cottage businesses are in III METHODS
decline, economic research demonstrates their resilience and System analysis: The contemporary online shopping
major contributions to national growth. The Khadi environment includes sites such as Amazon, Flipkart, OLX,
enterprise, which accounts for 55% of manufacturing and and eBay, which provide a diverse range of things such as
employment, emphasizes the potential for large-scale job electronic devices, clothes, and machine-made items. While
creation, highlighting the necessity of programs like the some platforms allow for both buying and selling, a current
Digital Cottage to empower craftsmen, improve connection, trend is to incorporate employment possibilities into online
and encourage economic growth [4]. In the face of applications. However, present systems lack a complete
difficulties like as poverty, unemployment, and illiteracy, platform that promotes cottage industry goods, empowers
the Khadi sector emerges as an important answer through women, handles the recruiting process, and links workers
export-driven efforts. Despite popular belief that cottage with organizations. The suggested system seeks to replace
businesses are in decline, economic research demonstrates this void by offering a forum for individuals to sell
their resilience and major contributions to national growth. handcrafted goods, therefore encouraging creativity and
The Khadi enterprise, which accounts for 55% of entrepreneurship. Consumers may discover a wide variety of
manufacturing and employment, emphasizes the potential handcrafted items, and employers can locate qualified
for large-scale job creation, highlighting the necessity of workers based on specific job interests. The emphasis is on
programs like the Digital Cottage to empower craftsmen, completely specifying the requirements that define the
improve connection, and encourage economic growth [5]. proposed system's capabilities and functionalities. This
Traditional cottage industrial gochujang manufacturing entails capturing the system's intended behavior via
is based on minimal equipment and traditional fermenting functional requirements, which identify the services, tasks,
procedures. The research emphasizes the many nutritional or functions that the system as a whole must do. Functional
benefits and organoleptic features that are impacted by raw needs are further subdivided into system and user
components, fermentation period, and microorganisms requirements, with administrators, producers, and consumers
involved. The research, which focuses on the interpatch defined as essential users. Login, registration, purchasing,
quality of gochujang, emphasizes the importance of quality producer-related chores, category administration, Wishlist,
control in cottage industries, which aligns with the goals of shopping cart, purchase history, and user account

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2024 Second International Conference on Advance in Information Technology (ICAIT-2024)

management are all included in the system. Non-functional - Provide tools for feedback, reviews, and customer
criteria emphasize the web application's user-friendliness engagement.
and customization choices, emphasizing ease of use and user
happiness. Furthermore, both the software and hardware 5. Empower Artisans:
requirements are detailed, describing the parameters - Offer training programs, digital literacy, and business
required for the system's best performance. development support.
- Provide access to market trends, pricing strategies, and
The Algorithm for the Digital cottage hub is outlined sales analytics.
below - Enable artisans to manage their profiles, inventory, and
orders efficiently.
Input:
- List of artisans and their crafts 6. Monitor and Improve:
- Digital platform features and functionalities - Track platform usage, user feedback, and performance
- Connectivity tools (e.g., internet, mobile devices) metrics.
- Marketing and promotional strategies - Gather insights to enhance user experience, features, and
- Funding and resource allocation services.
- Continuously update and iterate based on user needs and
Initialize: market trends.
- Develop a digital platform (website or app) for artisans.
- Design user-friendly interfaces for artisans to showcase The development technologies used are emphasized,
their crafts. including Bootstrap for site design, CSS for style, JavaScript
- Implement connectivity features for online networking and for better user interfaces, MySQL for database
communication. administration, and XAMPP as a web server solution stack.
- Integrate payment gateways and e-commerce The programming languages utilized are also listed,
functionalities for sales. including PHP for scripting on the server and HTML for
- Create a database to store artisan information and craft web page layout. The introduction of Notepad++ as a text
details. editor makes efficient code editing possible. Overall, this
- Set up marketing campaigns to promote the platform and chapter provides a thorough grasp of the system's working,
artisans. non-functional, and technological requirements, laying the
- Allocate funds for platform development, maintenance, groundwork for the succeeding stages of system design and
and marketing. development. System design is a systematic description of
the aspects of a system, including its architecture, modules,
Algorithm: components, interfaces, and data flow. This process, which
1. Identify Artisans and Crafts: can take a bottom-up or top-down approach, is critical to
- Collect information about artisans, their crafts, and developing a whole system, considering factors ranging
geographical locations. from architecture and hardware to software and data
translation. The dynamic web application architecture
2. Develop Digital Platform: developed for the cottage sector offers capabilities for both
- Create user-friendly interfaces for artisans to upload craft producers and consumers. Users may browse available
details. items, securely register with the relevant information, and
- Integrate connectivity tools for real-time communication select between purchasing and selling. Additionally,
and collaboration. organizations looking to hire staff may register on the site,
- Implement e-commerce features for buying and selling allowing individuals, particularly women, to work from
crafts. home. Producers can display their products with
- Ensure secure payment gateways and data protection descriptions, and customers can place orders for ready-made
measures. or customized items, paying cash-on-delivery.

3. Promote Artisans and Crafts:

- Launch marketing campaigns to raise awareness about
the platform.
- Highlight artisans' stories, craftsmanship, and unique
selling points.
- Utilize social media, digital advertising, and partnerships
for promotion.

4. Foster Connectivity:
- Facilitate online forums, workshops, and networking
events for artisans.
- Encourage peer-to-peer learning, knowledge sharing, and
collaboration.

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2024 Second International Conference on Advance in Information Technology (ICAIT-2024)

product in the timeline and can search according to the

category. New producer: A new producer can view the
product and for further processing, he must register to the
web application. Producer Use Case Overview -End users
are divided into producers and consumers, and use case
diagrams depict the interactions for each user group. The
Consumer use case diagram separates "Registered
Consumers" from "New Consumers." Registered users may
examine items in the timeline and search by category, whilst
new users must register on the online application to
participate further. This structure is mirrored in the Producer
use case diagram, which categorizes producers as
"Registered Producers" or "New Producers." Both categories
of producers may browse items in the timeline and search by
category, albeit New Producers must register first. The use
case explanations include step-by-step instructions for
crucial operations. For example, in the "View Products" use
case, visitors visit the homepage to view items in the
timeline or by category. Users must provide their
information in order to register and gain access to additional
web application features. Other use cases include adding
goods to the basket, purchasing them, processing payments,
adding products to the timeline, removing products from the
timeline, and adding product descriptions. These examples
describe the many functions available to both producers and
customers inside the web application, offering a user-
friendly and efficient platform for purchasing and selling
handcrafted goods. Admin is critical to system control and
monitoring, assuring efficient operation and user pleasure.
The system implementation entailed the creation of different
Figure 1 Digital Cottage Udyam modules, each of which contributed to the overall
functioning of the web application. Login, Identification,
My Account, Maker, categories My Cart, Wish List, Buy,
Order the past, and Admin were all methodically developed
based on the design and needs. The Login module lets
users see the timeline without checking in, emphasizing the
significance of logging in throughout the purchasing or
selling process. Users must create an account and provide
information such as their username, phone number, email,
work interests, and address. The Buy module requires user
authentication and provides numerous options to purchase
things, including adding a shopping cart, wish for, or
straight buy from the timeline. The Producer module entails
logging in and publishing products with descriptions and
photographs. Categories show similar products, while the
My Cart modules lets users add items for quick checkout.
The Wishlist feature allows users to save chosen goods for
future use. The Order History module records and displays
client order information. My Account contains user profiles.

IV. Results and Discussion

The BERT and GPT2 models can be used to generate the
text through transfer learning. By thwarting adversarial
attacks, the textual augmentation library seeks to enhance
Figure 2: Consumer use case diagram the performance of machine learning and deep learning
models. Enhancing the current model may involve future
Fig 2 shows the use case diagram for the consumer, where work on multimedia file augmentation. NLPAug will assist
the consumer may be of already registered one that is a in creating a thorough training programme for creating
“Registered Producer” or may be the “new producer”. chatbots. One option for developing the chatbot is to use the
Registered producer: Registered producers can view the open-source Rasa framework, the Chatterbot Python

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2024 Second International Conference on Advance in Information Technology (ICAIT-2024)

Library, or another conversational chatbot development tool.

Training is a crucial component of any chatbot development
tool, as it ensures precise results. The table 1presents a
comparison between RASA chatbot and recurrent neural
network.
Table 1: Chatbot accuracy comparison
Sl. No Chatbot Accuracy
1 Rasa NLU 0.95
2 Recurrent neural network 0.90

Open source nlp python library will help researchers and

professional for analyzing the unstructured data. All natural
Figure 4: Landing page for Digital Cottage Hub
language processing library undergone the basic principles
of tokenization, lemmatization and stemming.
The landing paper and product feature details are shown in
the figure 4 and 5 respectively. Order history ensures
openness and effective management by giving users a
thorough overview of their previous purchases and order
monitoring.

Figure 3: Stemming Algorithm

The system above implementation offers a feature-rich e-

commerce platform with multiple modules, such as order
tracking, product administration, user authentication, and an Figure 5: Display of Featured Products
administrative interface. The many pages and functionalities
are represented visually in the figure representations. Each The admin may monitor user comments and control orders,
module in the overall system has a distinct function and is products, users, categories, and subcategories with the help
well-defined. By registering, logging in, and accessing their of the administrative features. PHP code snippets are used in
account credentials via the "My Account" module, users can the system's implementation to show the underlying logic
traverse the system. A versatile and user-friendly experience for user login, registration, and other features. Examples of
is offered by the purchasing process, which entails adding important procedures, including user login, registration,
items to the cart, wish lists, or straight purchases from the updating user data, and overseeing product insertion by
timeline. Posting of products with comprehensive details producers, are provided in the pseudo-code section.
and photos is permitted by the producer module. Products Managing pending orders, altering order status, and deleting
are arranged with the use of categories and subcategories, products are among the admin functionalities.
which facilitates user discovery of what they require. The
Wishlist and cart features improve the shopping experience
by enabling consumers to track the products they have
chosen easily and save items they want.

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2024 Second International Conference on Advance in Information Technology (ICAIT-2024)

the local cottage sector. One of the most important aspects

of these planned enhancements is strengthening our
platform's security procedures, notably in the realm of
online financial transactions. We anticipate the deployment
of modern encryption techniques to strengthen the security
architecture, guaranteeing a safe and secure environment for
all users doing financial transactions. In essence, our social
website is a comprehensive endeavor that not only promotes
economic activities linked to cottage businesses but also
advocates for social reasons such as women's empowerment
and inclusive employment. Our initiative intends to make a
lasting influence on the digital environment by cultivating a
dynamic and safe area for craftsmen, producers, and
consumers alike via continual improvement and a dedication
to remaining ahead of technical changes.
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