It's brand 'SHG' in textiles

Ahmedabad-based Bhu:Sattva is sourcing garments from women SHGs

While textile brands including Pantaloons and Westside maybe ruling the roost in cities like Surat and Ahmedabad, rural Gujarat is gradually witnessing emergence of local brands.

By forming self-help groups (SHGs), rural artisans and textile entrepreneurs, mostly women, are being assisted by the non-government organisations, educational institutions and textile firms alike in developing their own local garment brands.

For instance, Bhu:sattva—the organic and natural clothing brand that was launched in March 2009 at the Lakme Fashion Week, is now sourcing its garments from women self-help groups (SHGs) across four districts in Gujarat.

The company, that exports its clothesline to Germany, UK, US, Canada, Italy and other European countries, plans to position these garments as made by rural women in the international market.

"While these clothes would be marketed under the Bhu:Sattva banner, we will definitely position these garments as manufactured by rural women. It will have its own connotations.", said Jainam Kumarpal, director of Rising Tradelink Ltd (RTL) that owns Bhu:sattva. Its a win-win situation for both, he added.

Using its expertise in fashion and textiles, the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar is helping rural artisans in product development, design development, branding and marketing of their textile products. "These artisans are forming their own federations and self-help groups through which they market their own brands. On our part, we assist them in developing their local crafts by giving product development, branding and design inputs in textiles. For instance, they have been able to market crafts like ikhat and tangalia within and outside Gujarat," said Rupali Pandit, associate professor, textile department, NIFT.

Even Bhu:Sattva is supplying the raw material (organic cotton fabric) to these women together with imparting training by designers from the National Institute of Design (NID) and National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT).

"We have developed around 10-12 courses varying from designer stitching, khadi stitching technique, design work like kalamkari, kashida and traditional Gujarati artwork. Post training, these women will be well equipped to manufacture designer garments.We will buy-back the entire production from them," said Kumarpal. The company will pay Rs 100-150 per day to each woman craftswoker, taking their average monthly income to the range of Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,500.

Among NGOs, the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Career Development (ICECD) has been training women in rural areas in self employment and entrepreneurship.

The organisation has also set up its own garment training institute for churning out rural entrepreneurs. "We provide training in apparels in rural areas across Gujarat. Through SHGs, these women are able to market their own brands in embroidery, jardori, patchwork, bags, curtain, quilts, and industrial apparels as well," said Chandramauli Pathak, senior executive, entrepreneurship program, ICECD.

According to Pathak, through such SHGs, the rural women entrepreneurs in textiles are able to earn anywhere between Rs 3,000 and Rs 50,000 per month.

Meanwhile, Kumarpal admitted that there definitely is a cost advantage in using rural labour, adding at the same time that it also provides a means of livelihood to these women, nearly 40 per cent of whom belong to the below-poverty-line (BPL) category.

At present, the company is working with 1800-2000 women in four districts of the state including Bhavnagar, Surendranagar, Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

Bhu:Sattva plans to expand its sourcing network to cover around 8,000-9,000 women over a five year period, and sees its turnover from the SHG segment to touch around Rs 400-450 crore by then.

In contrast, the investment from the company's side in terms of raw material and training cost would be around Rs 35-40 crore during that period.