Not just by design

RETAIL NGO: meets crafts meets product designers as home products get an international makeover.

It's an old story: local craftspeople oblivious of market demands; a non-profit organisation to provide marketing assistance; and market-savvy designers "" this time from both India and Italy. Shake them all together and what do you have "" some more "ethnic" chic?

Not in this case, no. Aram Se, a range of designer lifestyle home decor and home utility products, is the result of Sasha, an NGO, collaborating with Italy-based Cosorzio Altromercato. And there's nothing expected about the range that was launched on January 18 at the Sasha outlet in Kolkata.

"Products from non-profit organisations are functional and value-for-money. However, focusing on just these parameters sometimes means standard and routine stuff," says Roopa Mehta, executive director, Sasha.

For instance, consider the scale. The products by 13 craft and textile groups with over 600 artisans across four states in India, using 15 different skill sets and materials, are lightweight, subtle, durable and utilitarian but have not dispensed with their inherent Indianness.

Sasha's turnover for 2004-05 was Rs 5.56 crore, with Rs 5 crore coming from exports to countries such as Japan, Australia, the US and the UK, and the rest from domestic sales.

Another motive behind an initiative like the Aram Se range was to give craftsmen a better deal. Functioning on the basis of fair trade principles, Sasha's mark-up ensures that 70-75 per cent goes back to the producer. For the Aram Se range, Sasha aims at 80-85 per cent going back to the artisans.

However, the designer range also meant world-class standards "" something craftspeople find difficult to emulate.

"It was not aram se (taking it easy) for us at all. It was way more difficult this time," says Dilip Kumar Das. "Several people in my group thought making leather look like cloth was impossible. But we persevered and got the desired results."

Das's group of 36 craftspeople earns about Rs 1.5 lakh a month. Despite Sasha's non-profit tag, there has been no compromising on the profitability of the project.

"We are very clear that a project has to be monetarily viable and profitable," says Rajeshwari Srinivasan, national marketing director, Sasha.

"Our products are unmatched. They are sold in high-end boutiques like Cinnamon in Bangalore," she says. The current range will be sold in four continents through nearly 150 outlets and lifestyle stores.

The organisation is also in talks with restaurants, interior designers and architects to consider its products for furnishings. "We require path-breaking strategies for marketing our products, but I wonder if we are equipped for it," muses Mehta.

Whatever her concerns, it's clear Sasha is going to grow, with a pan-India launch planned next month across Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Pune and Ahmedabad. "This is just the beginning," promises Srinivasan.