Odisha Craft Odyssey is a research, documentation, and residency initiative that engages with the craft clusters of Odisha, working to integrate craft practices into pedagogy, exhibition, and cultural history writing. It is a joint initiative of MGM Foundation and BEADS (Bhubaneswar Experimental Art and Design Studio).

OCO is led by BEADS, with MGM Foundation as its institutional funding partner. The programme is guided by a Board of Advisors and a curatorial team, currently comprising Premjish Achari and Sibdas Sengupta, with oversight from Sandeep Hota, Managing Director of BEADS.

BEADS (Bhubaneswar Experimental Art and Design Studio) is a Bhubaneswar-based design studio, established in 2022, that creates ethnically inspired, environmentally conscious products and works to bring Odisha's art and craft heritage into contemporary contexts.

MGM Foundation is the CSR arm of MGM Minerals Limited and serves as OCO's institutional partner and principal funder. The Foundation supports OCO's multi-year effort to build a platform for research , documentation and wider development of Odisha's craft traditions.

Craft practices in Odisha have historically been regarded as lesser than fine art within pedagogy and cultural discourse. OCO was conceived to challenge this hierarchy, document endangered craft knowledge, and create durable platforms — publications, exhibitions, and a public archive — that give craft its rightful place in cultural history.

OCO's field research has covered more than 90 craft clusters across 30 districts of Odisha with crafts like Kansa (bell-metal) and Chandua (appliqué) covered so far.

The first residency (2024) focused on bell metal craft (Kansa) in Balakati. The second residency and fellowship (2025) focused on appliqué craft (Chandua) in Pipli. The third residency, opening in October 2026, will focus on Dhokra craft in Sadeibareni, Dhenkanal.

The first edition produced a book on Kansa (bell metal craft), with a foreword by Bose Krishnamachari. A second book, on Chandua (appliqué craft), is currently in production and is expected to be released in September 2026.

Besides the residencies, fellowships, and publications, OCO will launch the first public OCO symposium on discussions on the  craft ecosystem. It maintains a growing digital archive and blog, and engages in outreach with government bodies, embassies, and cultural institutions to widen support for Odisha's craft ecosystem.

BEADS and OCO are related but serve different purposes. BEADS is a design studio working in commercial, product-facing craft design. OCO is a research and documentation programme conceptualised by BEADS with an institutional, scholarly focus. The two initiatives are complementary and cross-link with one another rather than compete.