NARAYANPET : Crises often create opportunities that favour the brave. It appears as if this was the thought running in Narayanpet Collector D Hari Chandana’s mind during the lockdown last year, when she sensed the scope and need to bring handlooms and artisans in the district together and showcase their talents. Impressed by her idea, 10 women came forward to materialise it and they have already made strides within a year.‘Aarunya’, the brand name created for Narayanpet’s specialised products, was registered under the Companies Act last October as Narayanpet Aarunya Handlooms, Handicrafts and Organic Producer Company Ltd.
“Unit owners had been exploiting the weavers by underpaying them for a long time. The only workaround to help the weavers access markets directly and eliminate middlemen was to bring them together and create a platform. This was how six women weavers came forward to run the company,” says J Satyanarayana, Narayanpet Additional DRDO.
Four more women with expertise in making terracotta jewellery, jute bags, handloom masks, bamboo-made decorative handicrafts, herbal tea and jams also joined the venture to give a diverse choice of products to buyers. Hari Chandana helped the women get the initial capital and also some orders for handloom masks, school uniforms for social welfare residential schools in the district and jute bags. The ball got rolling quickly and each of these women contributed to making their products be available swiftly, by engaging other women weavers and SHG members in the manufacturing process. Soon, an outlet named ‘Aarunya Mart’ was opened in Narayanpet to encourage locals and visitors buy their products.
The women have been displaying their products at exhibitions in Hyderabad and also at one recently held in New Delhi. To get more visibility, an e-commerce platform has been created that will be operational in the coming days. Customers can access their website at http://www.aarunyanarayanpet.in.
Narayanpet pure cotton sarees, kurtas, gowns, dress materials, cushion covers, kids’ wear and other accessories have been added to their wide range of products.
Not a cakewalk
Like any other startup, it was not a smooth-sailing for these women either. Some of the challenges they, especially weavers, had to face included striking a balance between production and supply, and finding alternatives to clear their stocks, just in case demand went down at times. “Weavers depend on unit owners for credit and though the remuneration was low, timely pay was assured. But here, we have to find our own sale. For instance, a silk saree will remain in stock for at least 45 days before it gets sold online. Unless the product gets sold, we won’t be able to pay our weavers,” says Y Ashwini, a handloom weaver who is one of the five directors of the Aarunya board.
There are other challenges like making design changes to suit the contemporary style and likes of a diverse consumer base. Some training has also been given to weavers on this front. Though the women are confident of taking their business to the next level, support from incubators could go a long way in helping these women entrepreneurs achieve their objectives.
A JOINT VENTURE
Ten women, who met each other through Collector D Hari Chandana, are now making strides by selling handmade products. To get more visibility, they have created an e-commerce platform that will be operational in the coming days. Customers can access their website at http://www.aarunyanarayanpet.in.
Pure cotton sarees, kurtas, gowns, dress materials, cushion covers, kids’ wear and other accessories have been added to their wide range of products