Food · Craft · Ecology

Curated
interventions
for regeneration

An agency rooted in the commons, working at the intersection of ecology, food and craft, with over 15 years of embodied experience in rural India.

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Selected work

Where we work

Traditional food grains and handwoven grain-cleaning tools

Traditional food grains and handwoven grain-cleaning tools

Food

Aharam

A living inquiry into food systems, agro-biodiversity, and the cultural memory embedded in what we eat.

Handloom textile and block print stamp

Handloom textile and block print stamp

Craft

Kala

Exploring the intersection of traditional craft practices and regenerative rural economies.

Peacock and jungle fowl feathers

Peacock and jungle fowl feathers, collected in the field

Ecology

Bhumi

Ground-level interventions for land regeneration, conservation, and bioregional thinking.

Traditional millet processing Traditional grain storage clay jar

About Arugu

Rooted in the philosophy of the commons

We are an off-grid consultancy working in rural India, with over 15 years of embodied experience in design, strategy, development and sustainability.

"In Andhra architecture, an arugu is a common seating place, hierarchy free in design structure, multifunctional in nature, with a tree at its centre."

Arugu works at the confluence of ecology, food and craft, holding space for dialogues that inspire systemic change. We believe in approaches that are as layered and alive as the ecosystems we serve.

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What we offer

Our services

◈

Consultancies

Strategic and creative direction for organisations working at the intersection of ecology, enterprise, and social systems.

◉

Workshops & Trainings

Immersive learning experiences rooted in regenerative design, agro-biodiversity, and circular economies.

◎

Talks & Education

Keynotes, panels and education modules that bridge lived practice with systemic thinking.

◌

Immersive Experiences

Homestead stays and field experiences that reconnect people with land, community, and the commons.

Core practice areas

Creative Direction

Product, textile & biophilic design

Regeneration

Organic farming, agro-biodiversity & conservation

Enterprise Development

Social, rural & circular economies

Strategy

Systems design & behaviour change

Partners & collaborations

Who we work with

Ecology, Climate & Conservation: India

  • Adavi Trust
  • Disom Dialogues
  • Ecological Restoration Alliance
  • Farmers for Forests
  • The Timbaktu Collective
  • South Asia Bioregionalism Working Group

Ecology, Climate & Conservation: International

  • Asian Local Governments for Organic Agriculture
  • ICIMOD (Nepal)
  • IFOAM Asia
  • Movement for Land and Agriculture Reform (Sri Lanka)
  • WOCAT International
  • WWF–India

Film, Media & Creative Practice: India

  • Black Ticket Films
  • Fireflys Post Sound
  • Dark n Light Zine
  • Ellymental Designs
  • Hermon Productions
  • Nature in Focus
  • The Seventh Sense Movement Centre

Research & Academic

  • French Institute Pondicherry
  • University of Oxford, History of Science Museum

Design, Enterprise & Field Practice

  • The Timbaktu Collective
  • Nature Guides Academy
  • Uma Enterprises
  • W12 Program, Podcast (USA)
  • International Architecture Competition

From the field

The world we work in

Curry ingredients laid out on a wooden plate

Ingredients for a meal, rural kitchen

Stacked terracotta pots

Terracotta kundalu, Andhra Pradesh

Traditional woven bamboo fishing basket

Traditional bamboo fishing basket

Purple and green beans in a woven basket

Heirloom bean varieties, harvest season

Thread wrapped around a weaving shuttle

Handloom weaving shuttle with cotton thread

Forest mushrooms in a woven basket, trees behind

Forest-foraged mushrooms

Traditional stone grinding bowl

Stone grinder, Andhra Pradesh

Woven bamboo baskets with chickens in a courtyard

Bamboo coops, village homestead

Peanut harvest with dried plants

Peanut harvest

The people

Who we are

Arugu is a collective practice, bringing together practitioners, thinkers, and makers whose involvement in each project is curated as per specific needs. Depending on the work, we draw on expertise across ecology, design, enterprise, food systems, craft, and strategy.

Grounded in lived experience, our collaborations are human, contextual, and rooted in the places and communities we work with.

Let's talk

Start a
conversation

Whether you're looking for a strategic partner, a collaborator, or simply want to connect. We'd love to hear from you.

✉ ask.arugu@gmail.com
◈ @the.arugu on Instagram
↗ linktr.ee/Mollamma

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