My pride lies with your comfort, my price is just my work.

My living has only one meaning, wish I never stop weaving.

-Kashmiri Artists

Rugs to Riches
Gadda Gyanis IMT Ghaziabad Srivenkateswarlu Y and Sharad Subramanyam
--

We are Perishable
We ,6 in every ten weavers quit weaving in search for better remuneration
80% of the weavers are below poverty line (we all weavers under 2 lakhs PA belt)
We are thoroughly exploited by government as well as the middlemen

E=

2 mc

of Kashmiri Carpets Eco-System

Aware Consumer

Higher Market Penetration

Better Demand

Network

Lower Cost of Carpets

Higher Production

Weaver

What can benefit the Weavers Fraternity?

What can create a sustainable value chain for carpets?

What can evolve into a Profit making Business model?

What can instill trust in the minds of consumer?

What is Agrabah Carpets to the Weavers? (Stage I )

Agrabah employs weavers- Salary based system Provides group health insurance and housing securities Establishes houses of production In-house training and education facilities Allowances for Children education and welfare Exclusive opportunities for women in management roles

Production and Management Centre

Ecommerce Division
Priority 1 Sell carpets and secondary products through Flipkart and other e-tail stores Ease of availability to targeted consumer across geographies Customizability and cost efficency

Retail Chain Division

Priority 3 Tie ups with Dcor showrooms Bulk-order negotiations with wholesale and retail houses Market penetration through product mix

Promotions and Exports Division

Priority 2 Brand ambassador Promotional campaigns Stalls in trade expos Alliances with 5-Star Hotels and corporate houses Exports and foreign partnerships

Strategy
Corporate Social Entrepreneurship Government proposed 2% of company revenues towards CSR Companies can help carpet industry by connecting weaver with consumer The connecting can be done by building a website or via exhibition in the offices In the process, the company doesnt charge the weavers This will eliminate middlemen and wholesalers Companies can show this as a CSR activity

Social Entrepreneurship Mohammed Yunus work towards entrepreneurship in Bangladesh Adidas made shoes for 1 for Bangladesh for poverty stricken areas at request of Grameen bank Loreal collaborated with Ghana workers to directly source Shea Butter for their Products

Markets
Exports
23060
18475 18320 18370 19690 20410 17 13

Demand
15

3329.25 2006-07

2727.87
2007-08

3178.19 2008-09

2892.44 2009-10

2863.76
2010-11

2353.33
2011-12

150 KNOTS >

300 KNOTS >

500 KNOTS >

Demand

800 KNOTS >

Production of Silk(in MT)

Exports (in INR crores)

Targeting NRIs specifically Colder countries where warmth is a need, not a want UK, USA, Germany top importers

Do a Royal Enfield Customization on WebSite User chooses templates and colors Generating demand keeping traditional flavor intact

Promotions
Brand Ambassador Precedent Gujarat Tourism Promotions in Flight Thai Airways Interior Dcor magazines Educate consumer Star Hotel Suits equipped with Carpets for a feel of the carpet to the users which attract foreign as well as Indian consumers to buy Social media houses like Facebook, twitter, blogger, RSS and YouTube Trade fairs and Exhibitions Stall in Kashmir, metropolitan airports

Richer Weavers?
1,90,000.00 1,70,000.00 1,50,000.00 1,30,000.00 1,10,000.00 90,000.00 70,000.00 50,000.00 30,000.00 10,000.00 Mirzapur Kashmiri Agra Belt Silk Weavers Weavers Lower Limit Wage Upper Limit Wage

Weaving .5 to 1.5 carpets of 800 knots and above Greater Knots, greater time for the weaving Greater time for weaving=lesser per annum earning potential

The Agrabah solution Weaver gets variable pay in proportion to the carpet demand Variable Pay depends on the number of knots Promise fixed pay component to weaver No daily wage-will make him feel more like a corporate employee No weaver takes the complete responsibility of a single carpet