A sustainable business model hinging on the work of traditional artisans that uses bird motifs to promote eco-friendly products among consumers... seems clever? Well, that is exactly the motive behind Chatur Chidiyaa, a venture of Vadodara-based designer and entrepreneur Rutul Shah, who is in the city to showcase his products at an exhibition.
“Our model makes use of a very eco-friendly design concept; our products don’t harm nature yet make optimal use of human skill,” says Rutul, a graduate in ceramic and glass design from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad. “I wanted to come up with a sustainable model in which products are made by communities like potters and roadside painters with no technological know-how, who are unable to compete with foreign products.”
Rutul and his team design the products, and then they employ many artisans such as potters and painters at every step. Every colour combination is different because it’s done by different people on the same design, so each product is unique. “In essence, we give them a contemporary concept which they then implement using their skills,” explains Rutul. “These people may be employed elsewhere, but we provide a means of secondary employment with which they can earn an additional income.”
The two design the products so that these can be manufactured by any unskilled or semi-skilled worker or can be taught quite easily. “Hence the materials used are also clay, glass, ceramic, recycled paper and upcycled cloth (mandap cloth),” adds Ronak Shah, who handles marketing and communications for the venture. When the products are completed, Rutul and his team take over for promotion and retail.
Chatur Chidiyaa today has a product range that includes ceramic home decor shaped as birds, tabletop designs, stationery items, kitchenware, pouches, and many more. So how did the name come about? “We used to make several trips to the Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary near Ahmedabad, home to a wide variety of bird species. The name just popped into my head during one of those trips!” explains Rutul. “Chidiya is very close to nature, and chatur means someone clever, who sees the social or market gaps and connects them. So we named our venture after it!”
And taking inspiration from the name, their products include several that are bird-themed. “A very popular product is the Peppy Pops, ceramic birds which can be coiled and propped up in your home or garden. These reflect seven actual species of the bird sanctuary,” says Rutul.
They also have a range of fridge magnets depicting different emotions and faces, which are made by mentally challenged kids from BM Institute of Mental Health, Ahmedabad. “It makes them happy to be occupied with this and also no two expressions are the same. So in effect, it’s a positive use of randomisation!”
In addition to the products being eco-friendly, they also incorporate innovative secondary uses to their packaging to increase their footprint and reduce wastage. “The containers used to package these magnets can be used to store other materials. The covers for books have a rectangular cut-out in them that can be used as a bookmark, which also has the story of the person who hand-bound and hand-painted it. All the packaging is from degradable factory waste, so that when users throw them away, it will return to nature,” says Rutul.
Chatur Chidiyaa will showcase its range of products at Sampoorn’s Santhe Exhibition at Kalakshetra Foundation, Thiruvanmiyur, till September 18.
For details, contact 9638598579 or visit www.chaturchidiyaa.com