Finding his interest in the traditional handicraft, Ashok Bishnoi founded Hasthshilp- an NGO to promote the local handicraft of Rajasthan. He has been striving to promote the same for the past twenty years.

Ashok was born in a small village in Nagaur in Rajasthan. He received his initial school education from a government school in his village itself. And then when his father got a government job in Bikaner, he shifted there with his father and studied till 9th-grade from there at a private school. Then he completed the remainder of his school education from a government school with the Science-Math stream in high school. Thereafter he did a BA.

Ashok shares that in 2002, he happened to visit an exhibition, and there he saw hand-embroidered cushion covers which aroused in him a sense of culture and affinity for it. From there, he decided to do something to promote the traditional handicraft of Rajasthan. In 2004, he founded an NGO by the name Hastshilp- a society to promote handicrafts in Bikaner itself.

Talking about his childhood, Ashok shares that his father was a farmer and all his family members would work on their agricultural fields. He says his childhood was spent playing with his friends, herding cattle, etc. However, later his father got a government job in Bikaner and he too shifted there with his father.

Ashok shares that his father and his elder brother both were into government jobs. Therefore, he too was expected to get one. However, he was more interested in Arts and Crafts and Interior Designing. Hence he chose to follow his interest. He thinks that if you love doing what you do then your success is guaranteed.

Ashok idolizes and takes inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekananda, and Guru Jambeshwar - the founder of the Bishnoi Panth.

Talking about struggles in his life, Ashok says that initially he was in a dilemma with regard to his career as he was expected to get a government job but he was interested in Arts and Crafts. Later, when he founded the NGO, he had to struggle to get funds sanctioned from the government. He also had to struggle to find the right buyers who could appreciate his art and vision. But he says, struggles are a part of everyone’s life and he is living his life facing them all head-on.

Ashok laments that today traditional craftsmen and artisans are moving toward other sources of employment and they don’t want their next generations to take to Arts and Crafts which is worrisome.

Ashok says that for him success in a real sense means getting self-satisfaction. He says that people often equate success with the name and money one has earned but in reality, success means being able to do something which gives one self-satisfaction.