The rural handicraft sector plays a vital role in preserving cultural heritage and generating livelihood opportunities for rural communities in India. However, artisans in regions such as Saurashtra face multiple challenges including weak market access, low branding, dependency on intermediaries, and limited exposure to digital platforms. In this context, sustainable marketing has emerged as a strategic approach to enhance the competitiveness of rural handicraft enterprises. This study examines the impact of sustainable marketing practices on rural handicraft competitiveness and further analyzes the role of mediating factors (brand image, market access, consumer awareness) and moderating factors (government support, digital infrastructure, NGO intervention). A quantitative research design is adopted using structured questionnaire data and analyzed through SPSS regression models. The findings reveal that sustainable marketing significantly influences rural handicraft competitiveness, explaining 66% of variance. When mediating and moderating variables are introduced, the explanatory power increases to 74%, indicating a stronger integrated model. The study highlights that sustainable marketing combined with institutional and market-support factors plays a crucial role in improving artisan income, market expansion, and competitiveness. The study contributes to sustainable marketing literature and provides practical implications for policymakers, NGOs, and rural development agencies to strengthen the handicraft sector.
Sustainable Marketing, Rural Handicrafts, Competitiveness, Saurashtra Region, Artisan Livelihoods, Ethical Marketing, Green Packaging, Fair Trade, Digital Marketing, Cultural Sustainability.
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