Nikita Agarwal believes in sustainability. The Siliguri-based entrepreneur realised the shortage of sustainable decor while redecorating her house. She wanted to decorate her house with interiors made from bamboo or jute, but could not find apt products in her neighbourhood or online. This encouraged her to start Idhiyaan Handicrafts, a sustainable products store, in October 2019.
Here is the story of Idhiyaan Handicrafts
The bootstrapped startup works under Suvnik Concierge Services Pvt Ltd and sells jute rugs with cane baskets and boxes. The shop also has a Facebook group called ‘Handicraft Buyers and Sellers’ where sellers showcase their products. The place gives access to 15,000 local artisans and vendors. The startup has Nikita’s brothers Nikhil Agarwal and Suraj Agarwal as co-founders.
In the initial days, the challenge was to convince the locals in Siliguri to buy the products. Nikita says it was because of the people’s lack of awareness about sustainable products. As it hampered the growth of their business, besides the physical store in Siliguri, they took their products online through their website. Corporates and wedding planners showed interest in the products. Later, when the covid restrictions relaxed, many hotels began to buy their products as interior decoration.
The firm currently has products in stationery, personal care, and home decor categories. Cane products are sourced from artisans and vendors in Manipur. Bamboo products are from Tripura. Maharashtra and other states provide earthen products. The platform currently has 30 to 40 vendors and artisans. It completes 80 to 90 orders every month, amounting to sales of Rs 3-4 lakhs.
In the financial year 2021-2022, Idhiyaan generated Rs 22 lakh in revenue. The firm aims to generate Rs 1.10 crore by the end of FY23.
