TIRUCHY: With more people looking at tattoo-making as a career option and applying for loans to set up studios, the Tamil Nadu Adi Dravidar Housing and Development Corporation (TAHDCO) is all set to conduct a 90-day residential course on tattoo-making for Adi Dravidar and Tribal youth in Tiruchy this week.
Around 350 aspirants have applied to attend the course, the first of its kind by a government department, sources said.
M Liviyaasree, a Tiruchy-based artist who currently works in Malaysia, will train the participants. Besides professional training, each participant will receive a monthly stipend of Rs 3,000.
TAHDCO officials added that trainees will also be provided accommodation, and the accommodation fee will be fully covered by the corporation.
Speaking to the TNIE, K S Kandhasamy, managing director, TAHDCO, said, “We receive 20 to 30 loan applications every month from people wishing to set up tattoo studios. With more youngsters showing interest, we introduced this training.” According to officials, it would cost around Rs 30,000 to set up a studio, including equipment and rent.
Professional tattoo artists say the field offers opportunities not just within the country but also abroad, including in Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai and several European countries.
Kodeeswaran Vasthiyam Pillai, a native of Tiruchy who runs a tattoo studio in the United Kingdom, said the international market has huge potential. “Abroad, artistic skills need to be sharper, and intellectual property laws are strictly enforced. Using someone else’s custom designs can lead to legal trouble. Hygiene standards are rigorous and artists must be licenced,” he said.
Pillai added that the Indian market has grown rapidly. “When I started my studio in 2015 in Tiruchy, there were just 10–15 artists. Today, there are over 150. The boom is real in India, though earnings abroad are much higher.”
N Karthick, a Tiruchy-based artist, said Murugan Vel (spear) tattoos were in high demand during the recent Shasti festival, while youngsters continue to prefer band designs. He stressed the need for regulation as studios mushroom. “We’ve seen unsafe practices, including the tongue-splitting incident in Tiruchy. Proper training must emphasise health precautions,” he added.
In Madurai, the trend mirrors Tiruchy. Bala Subramaniam, a tattoo artist, said studios in the city have doubled, from around 50 to more than 100 in the last five years. But only a small number of these are professionally trained artists, he claimed. “Many people now see tattoos as a business opportunity rather than an art form, which affects quality,” he said.
The story is reported by Vivanesh Parthiban for The New Indian Express