Crafts are at the core of Indian living and practicing these crafts has been a way of life. Designing for crafts requires an approach distinctive from industrial design as it encapsulates within it the social and cultural aspect of the society embracing the beliefs, aspirations, and customs of the traditional maker and user communities. Traditional crafts find great relevance today as their designs invoke strong sense of visual identity as well as promote sustainable use of material and processes. Design education in the domain of craft is yet in its nascent stage as much of the learning happens in informal setting, with knowledge transfer being done from one generation to the next. There are select few institutes disseminating design education with a strong objective of promoting traditional crafts and craft-communities. Indian Institute of Crafts & Design (IICD) and Somaiya Kala Vidya (SKV) are two educational institutes working towards design teaching from the perspective of culture and heritage but working on different pedagogical models. This paper evaluates the models of these two institutes in detail highlighting the similarities and differences in their approaches towards design teaching and how each one has contributed to social and cultural development. Both the models share a similar vision and have been successful in mobilizing craft through design intervention making an impact in craft ecosystem. The study is important in the wake of changing global scenario wherein there is shift towards sustainability and sustainable practices, and handcrafting is gaining impetus. Design courses focused on crafts will help us align teaching and learning with our culture and heritage, as well as invigorate the craft sector for a better business opportunity.