Made in India, sold in US

An interesting new initiative promises to enable small Indian companies to sell on American shelves.

In a refreshing change from all the stories of various international brands and manufacturers coming to India, here is one where small Indian brands are going overseas.

Global Network, an Ahmedabad based consultancy, is carrying out a series of roadshows in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore to sign on small Indian companies, to retail their products directly through Worldstreet, a part of the 2,400 acre resort near Washington DC "" Celebrate Virginia.

The Asian section would form a large part of the overall Worldstreet, spread over 750,000 sq ft. About 30,000 sq ft is being allocated to India and 400,000 sq ft to China, says Jagat Shah, CEO, Global Network.

Shah has been focussing on the small to mid-sized companies and has so far signed on a writing products and a ceramic company apart from a number of small handicraft firms.

The idea is to bring these retailers in direct contact with the consumers which, apart from increasing the profit margins for the companies (by eliminating the middle men) would also enable the companies better judge the consumer preferences and tailor their products accordingly.

Worldstreet, which would be operational only from November next year will function both as a B2C (business-to-consumer) as well as a B2B (business-to-business) set up, with retailers having access to American wholesalers as well.

Shah hopes to sign on 30-35 retailers across product categories by the end of the roadshows. So far, a large number of textile companies have shown interest including the Khadi and Village Industries commission and a number of smaller garment manufacturers.

The Federation of Indian Export Organisations or FIEO has also sought a 30,000 sq ft allocation at the retail centre, which it would then make available to its members.

The Celebrate Virginia resort attracts about 20 million visitors annually, a number which is expected to up substantially once more areas of the shopping village are operational.

Retailers will gain from the full advertising and marketing support from the promoters, including advertising through a dedicated satellite channel. With the interest in India, and things Indian, on a high, it seems unlikely that there would be a dearth of buyers.