RangSutra Crafts India: The Story of Colored Threads and Weaving Artisans

Abstract

(a) Situation faced: As of 2021 there are 6.86 million artisans in India with only handful of social enterprises to develop, market, and export handicrafts while providing livelihoods to them. RangSutra Crafts India works with more than 2000 women artisans across India and has been doing revolutionary work in several ways including enriching artisan communities through training and upskilling workshops, cluster development in different rural locations in the country, supporting artisan wellbeing and promoting socially responsible consumption. Due to Covid-19 and subsequent lockdown, the company has been facing the challenges of resource scarcity and artisan training and mobilization which in turn has slowed their operation (and halted in few places).

(b) Action taken: RangSutra is a well-known social enterprise which has worked as a bridge between the consumers and artisans. Taking the responsibility of training, packaging, and marketing, the company has earned the badge of being a collaborator with local communities where artisans can learn, earn, organize, and meet challenges. They have maintained sanitization and hygiene led processes to continue their work along with online workshops in few places.

(c) Results achieved: RangSutra worked closely with HCL from 2019 to 2020 (till present) and is associated with Jammu Tawi Flood Recovery Project from 2014 which is supported by World Bank. Their work is committed to promote women through skilling, training, mobilizing, and organizing the artisans leading to new design development and more demand from socially resilient consumers who promote such organizations. Leading artisans to contribute through their heritage driven skills, RangSutra has also opened retail outlets in Delhi and Varanasi and is very active on social media, thereby developing sustainable responsible market behaviors and earning trust.

(d) Lessons learned: This case is unquestionably a great example of socially responsible marketing within social enterprises (e.g., NGO’s). This work is essential for practitioners, educators, university students, and researchers from any field of work who wish to make a positive impact on consumers and society through socially responsible marketing.

Case problem:

• 1. How can women led social enterprises’ (social entrepreneur), promote local community engagement (artisans), and influence the responsible consumption of the produced goods (crafts)?

• 2. Highlighting on responsible business solutions, how these social enterprises sail through challenges posed by Covid-19?