What started as a small carpet making operation in Meerut, now has a presence in more than 80 countries. While his father started the venture, Aditya Gupta was the one who took The Rug Republic to the international front.
With rugs fashioned from recycled materials, including used jeans since 2005, the brand has followed the philosophy of ‘Reduce. Recycle. Reinvent.’
“We constantly lookout for new ideas and are known for our creativity. When the idea of recycling came along, we experimented and succeeded. Also, the idea is relevant for business because it is in line with consumer thinking, green living and low price points,” says the South Delhi-based entrepreneur.
The paraphernalia of recycled products that go into creating these rugs and carpets include bicycle tubes, PET yarns extracted from recycled water bottles, recycled silk yarns, and other multi-fibre textiles.
Take for example their Zambezi rug, which appears trendy despite being made from used bicycle tubes and water bottles.
Gupta believes that it is not about “quantity” of what is recycled. “It is about adding force to this line of thought that creative uses of discarded or post-use items can be beautiful, trendy and functional,” shares the 50-year-old, also well-known for his sporty activities, including scaling Mt. Everest in May.
Gupta summarises his journey as one filled with exploration, creativity, managing scale and building operation for delivering handmade products with reliability and on time.
“There’s a fair share of blood, sweat and tears, with a generous mix of excitement, challenge and elation. But this has been possible because of the huge contribution by loyal and capable leaders of teams within the company.”
He reasons how the future involves expanding on both applications of existing ideas and discovering new ones. “There’s a story behind each of our rugs.
And the Internet and social media makes its possible to share these stories frequently and inexpensively. That’s why there’s been a growing awareness of the brand, and therefore a growing demand.”
Digest this
The paraphernalia of recycled products that go into creating The Rug Republic’s rugs and carpets include bicycle tubes, PET yarns extracted from recycled water bottles, recycled silk yarns, and other multi-fibre textiles.