Редакция журнала «Позитивные изменения» – Позитивные изменения. Том 4, №1 (2024). Positive changes. Volume 4, Issue 1 (2024) (страница 3)

In 2006, we officially launched rangSutra Crafts India and started work in full swing. Our purpose is to ensure regular work and sustainable livelihoods for rural artisan communities. We build on the skills that artisans and their teams already possess, training them in the operation of modern equipment and technologies necessary for managing a 21st century enterprise – one which is equally committed to people and the planet, along with financial sustenance / profits.

RangSutra constructs a bridge connecting artisans and their creations with the handcrafted goods market, both within India and globally.

The primary shareholders of rangSutra are the village artisans themselves. And this is not the most obvious solution. How did you come to adopt this governance model?

We needed capital to start, but philanthropic organizations were unwilling to fund us as we were not a charitable organization. Banks were unwilling to lend us money due to our lack of business experience, and our inability to provide collateral for loans. Then William Bissell of Fabindia (an Indian retail network specializing in clothing, home décor, furniture, textiles, and handcrafted items – ed. note) proposed that artisans put in their own capital, however modest. Without much ado, 1,000 artisans, 800 of them women from the URMUL Trust community tackling poverty, put in trust, talent and a 1,000 rupees each into our venture. Thus was born rangSutra – a community-owned social enterprise focused on producing and selling ethically made, handcrafted apparel and home furnishing.

Later, Aavishkaar (a leading Indian firm in robotics, engineering, and technological education – ed. note) and Fabindia became investors in rangSutra. We also headed a government initiative to conserve traditional handloom weaving and gained support from the United Nations Development Program and the World Bank to establish artisanal and weaving clusters in other states – Uttar Pradesh and Kashmir. More recently, we have partnered with the CSR departments of major Indian corporations.

Who can now become a shareholder in rangSutra, and what does this mean for the artisans themselves?

Individual artisans cannot become shareholders; they have to belong to a group, who work collectively in this sector and are keen to work with us, as part of rangSutra. It is essential to acknowledge that they have their representatives on the company’s board of directors, and they weigh in on crucial decisions of the company.

In hindsight, I can confidently state that the decision to invite artisans to become shareholders was the right one. This has fostered a sense of independence, particularly among female artisans for whom rangSutra shares might be their sole owned asset, as land and family homes are often owned by men. Moreover, collaboration with our company has provided them with personal bank accounts and funds, which they can manage at their discretion.

How is rangSutra structured at present?

The enterprise’s structure can be visualized as a wheel, where the spokes are arrayed around a central hub. The village craft centers (rangSutra Kala Kendra) represent the “spokes,” while the district headquarters are the “hub” center. One or two managers, and at times more, oversee and supervise the work of around 15–20 artisans. Managers are present in every village center. These managers, both women and men, are artisans themselves with at least a high school education and, importantly, leadership skills. They assist other artisans, elevating the centers themselves to a higher level.

Originally, the craft centers were just set up in someone’s backyard, but gradually, they were moved to specialized production sites constructed by local government bodies. Among our artisans, there are many young people, particularly women. Initially, some women were reluctant to join us, and often their husbands and parents did not permit them to work outside their homes. However, there were always bold trailblazers and soon the others followed.

People turn to us because, regrettably, in the areas where they live, there are not many options of non-farm work in the areas we work in. Partnering with us provides them with a job they enjoy and comfortable work conditions.

What occupation does a rangSutra artisan undertake, and what is the average income?

RangSutra employs 110 full-time employees and 2,500 artisans. The remaining 500 are still in the cluster development phase and get intermittent work. The average part-time income for a 4-hour workday, 5 days a week, is about 6,000 rupees per month. A full-time artisan, working 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, can earn up to 16,000 rupees.

Full-time staff primarily engage in handloom weaving, while part-timers do hand embroidery. Weaving is complex: before sitting at the loom, one must perform preparatory tasks such as winding yarn onto a spool, dyeing it, preparing the base, and securely attaching the base to the loom. Attention to detail is crucial to ensure the fabric on the loom is uniform and the patterns conform to the design.

You celebrated a decade of partnership with IKEA last year. I understand it was this alliance with the brand that motivated the establishment of the centers. Could you elaborate on that?

A decade of collaboration with IKEA marks a significant step on rangSutra’s path towards societal and economic advancement. It has propelled our growth and stimulated the creation of village centers, which over time became learning and developmental hubs for many women who lacked access to education.

Just like with our partnership with C&A (an international clothing retail chain – ed. note), understanding the nuances of the global market is crucial for us, and conversely, our capacity to mass-produce handcrafted items is key for them.

For concrete examples, one can observe IKEA’s recent MÄVINN collection, which underscores the value of artisanal craft. Here, one can discover vibrant cushion covers and carpets that embody the spirit of our artisans and serve as tangible proof of the expertise and artisanship of 100 weavers and 100 embroiderers at rangSutra.

Surprisingly, in addition to everything else, your project is also about eco-friendliness and caring for the environment. Please share insights into this aspect of your enterprise’s impact.

Annually, we create approximately 900,000 items, which includes women’s and men’s apparel, napkins, tablecloths, and pillowcases embellished with traditional motifs and embroidery. Thanks to our artisanal production approach, our products generate roughly 21 % less environmental pollution compared to industrially produced cotton textiles.

We significantly surpass our counterparts in the textile sector in minimizing our environmental footprint. For instance, we utilize solar panels and environmentally sustainable BCI cotton (Better Cotton Initiative – a global non-governmental organization leading the largest cotton quality assurance program worldwide. Among the participants of this initiative is IKEA – ed. note), which produces 40.8 % less intense emissions per ton of seeds compared to conventional cotton.

However, as our impact report shows, rangSutra still has much to strive for. Thus, we can accomplish additional water savings by fully transitioning to BCI cotton. We are also concentrating on harnessing renewable energy sources and considering the acquisition of green certificates to bolster the growth of wind or solar energy, thereby compensating for our environmental impact.

You have mentioned the rangSutra impact report already. How do you evaluate the work’s results and the scale of the impact?

We benchmark our activities against the UN Sustainable Development Goals, carry out Life Cycle Assessments (LCA), and Social Return on Investment (SROI) evaluations.

As previously stated, via trainings and seminars, we’ve successfully drawn the younger generation to view craftsmanship as an economically advantageous pursuit. In the years 2022–2023, our enterprise has trained 18 artisans. From a social standpoint, we’ve created a cumulative human capital value estimated at 2,657,453 Indian rupees over the following five years.

We provide employment to women and men in rural locales in the textile crafts sector, while also instituting eco-friendly production techniques. In doing so, we’ve transformed a fading craft into the vanguard of fashion, intrinsically linked to sustainable development.

Naturally, this revitalizing experience is something one is eager to adopt and propagate. What counsel would you offer to an individual aspiring to establish a social enterprise following rangSutra’s model? First and foremost, one would need to amass at least 200 artisans within a singular geographic vicinity. Subsequently, it’s necessary to establish integrated centers capable of fabricating the entirety of a product – from the initial raw materials to the final processes of weaving, sewing, and embroidering. And, of course, at the same time, it is necessary to form a small team of 3–4 professionals who will be able to manage the center.