The project was done as a part of a two year Masters degree by the author.

The city of Jaipur, a UNESCO world heritage site, has witnessed large scale development along with ambitious policy level schemes that aim at uplifting both, the tangible and intangible historical assets of the city. However, the artisans who form the backbone
of the city’s heritage, live a stark reality that excludes them from the rapid heritage based development. In such a tenuous situation where urbanisation capitalises on the artisans’ heritage and craft, it becomes important to explore how the community itself
accesses resources in an evolving and volatile socio-political urban context. This research regards urbanization should be an inclusive process, and with that under consideration, it aims to investigate the constraints and opportunities the artisanal community have in
securing critical resources. With this objective, the thesis adopts the Sustainable livelihood framework (SLF) and by conducting interviews, observations and transect walk, it uncovers the making up of the available and deficient resources that form the
livelihoods capitals for four artisanal communities. As the findings of the study, the social capital propounds as the strongest asset with an active connection to the more deficient political and financial capital. The study argues that in order to move towards
inclusive urbanisation there is a need to take into account the highlighted gaps between the state initiatives and the livelihoods of the community.

While cities have benefited from being the epicentre of urbanisation, the pace and scale of the process is accompanied by unequal distribution of resources that leave many
behind. In India, which has a society segregated on the lines of ethnicity, religion, caste, and income, the repercussions are more deepening along with the existing social biases.

It’s important to highlight the limitations and challenges faced before and during the course of data collection which influenced the depth and result of the study. Due to the
COVID-19 pandemic the study could not reach the depth the researcher had expected. On field, the sample size could also not be expanded to accommodate a greater number
of interviewees due to lack of time. The researcher conducted the interviews single-handedly and therefore could only play the role of an active interviewer besides observing the surrounding and documentation of the process. Post field research was also greatly affected due to the pandemic due to the resultant
shutting down of all institutes that made gathering secondary data ineffective.

Further research in the area can only strengthen the basis of this study by including other capitals unique to the situation, for example, cultural capital, information capital etc. The research was undertaken with the four artisanal communities in Jaipur as one unit of analysis. This meant that their historical background, caste systems, and needs specific to their individual artforms would require further in-depth investigation while finalizing any development plans. India has a heterogeneous societal structure which entails that different people have access to different resources and power. Future research could individually dissect these variables for an in-depth understanding specific to the human geography in India. Furthermore, the study could be carried for the artisanal communities nationally and internationally, to compare and contrast their livelihoods.