SEWA to add 12 handicraft outlets in 2 years

SEWA is planning to launch 12 handicraft retail outlets across the country in the next two years. At present, SEWA's Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC) has two outlets under the brand names of 'Banascraft' and 'Hansiba.' The Banascraft store is located in Gujarat, while the 'Hansiba' outlet is in Delhi.

STFC is the commercial arm of SEWA in the textiles and handicraft sector which was formed by over 15,000 rural artisan-shareholders from the desert districts of North Gujarat including Banaskantha, Kutch and Patan.

STFC has generated employment for around 4,000 women artisans from these districts and does a brisk business of Rs 5 crore to Rs 6 crore per annum.

Reemaben Nanavati, project director, Economic and Rural Development, told Business Standard, "We are planning to open 12 new retail outlets to sell our handicraft in the next two years. The stores will be located across the country including Udaipur, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai and Kochi among others."

"The outlets will be fully-owned and managed by SEWA and will be of the standard size, 2,500 square feet each," she added.

For the reason behind these plans, Nanavati said, "The demand for our handicraft has been increasing at a rate of over 100 per cent per annum over the last few years. The demand is not only from the metro cities but also from tier two cities. Handicrafts from Kutch, Patan and Banaskantha districts have its own uniqueness and beauty."

Talking about various products she said, "We have products like embroidered garments, purses, handbags, decorative panels and wall hangings, bed spreads and cushion covers among other products."

The handicraft are also sold through SEWA's business partners which include large national retailers like Shoppers Stop, Fab India, Arvind Mills and international organisations like Novica, Oxfam and Norm Thompson. STFC has also entered into a technical partnership with International Finance Corporation (IFC) to evolve a commercial business strategy.

Apart from dedicated retail outlets STFC also does business through institutional sales by way of B2B marketing, exhibitions in the major metro and emerging cities in India and exports to the USA, Europe, South Africa and Japan and promote e marketing through the STFC portal.

STFC also provides comprehensive market intelligence including market surveys for specific product categories, access to buyers' databases, information on tariff structures and non-tariff barriers, identification of possible distribution channels and development of an effective sales strategy. Exposure of the artisans to the demands, operating procedures and quality norms.