An IIT-Kanpur graduate gave up his job as general manager at a leading IT firm and now retails traditional carpets because he says he felt a disconnect with his life sitting in an AC car and office all the time; he wanted something he could touch and feel.
Vivek Shrivastava started Kalavilasa in Whitefield, Bengaluru as a social enterprise, working with weavers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.
“When I quit my IT career of 20 years across India and the U.S.A., all I knew was that I wanted to work at the grass-root level with primary producers.
It had to have a strong social element to it, and I’m not trying to talk from a moral high ground here,” he says.
“I was looking at craft, and textile continues to be a strength in India. But I didn’t want to do anything fashion driven, because I don’t have an understanding of the sector.” So he boiled it down to floor coverings.
He does admit that the Indian mindset of having issues with floor coverings because of “dust” may have been a problem, but it’s quickly changing.
Kalavilasa now works with weavers in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, producing cotton and wool Punja dhurries. Carpets and dhurries from these regions are really the best, he reasons. Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka are next on his plans.
“I made a decision to produce these products, not source them readymade from weavers, having established a rapport with the weaving communities and having understood their culture,” he says. He has local coordinators in each region.
Freelance designers work on the contemporary designs of the products. These are “Craftmark” certified by AIACA – which means it’s guaranteed to be hand-woven, it’s an assurance of fair-trade and no child labour used. Vivek says he also customises designs and colours for customers. Another popular product is the hand-tufted wool carpets that they make, says Vivek. “These carpets are only made on order. They are made using Indian as well as New Zealand wool.”
As of now, he sells these floor coverings through craft exhibitions like Dastkar Bazaar, select online stores, and through Facebook. He also exports his products.
Cotton dhurries sell at Rs. 4,000 to Rs. 8,000 and wool ones between Rs. 3,500 to Rs. 8,500.
For details log on to >facebook.com/kalavilasa .
