How a master craftsman and a techie joined hands to help Kutch artisans

Team L&M

The brainchild of Ajrakh Block Printing master craftsman Sufiyan Khatri and techie Juned Khatri, Kutchi Bazaar is an online platform that helps artisans of Kutch affected by the Covid pandemic. It all started with a simple conversation between the two on how to help the out-of-work artisans financially. Sufian decided to pitch in with his crafts knowledge and his exclusive product collection while Juned agreed to develop a website for the same. The project saw the light in March this year.

Kutchi Bazaar Founder Juned Khatri (left) and Sufiyan Khatri 

“We are extremely happy to have developed a platform to promote Kutch handicrafts and art on a global scale. We have the most unique and local craft, which tells compelling stories and is a reflection of intangible Kutchi tradition. Purchasing from Kutchi Bazaar provides buyers with the satisfaction of supporting the artisans financially, and in doing so they give these artisans the respect and value they deserve. It also raises awareness about the need of conserving and exercising their hereditary abilities,” says Juned. Sufiyan tells us more:

How much investment went into it, and how has been the progress so far?
We have so far put in around Rs 50 lakh, and the progress has been really good. We have seen 40 per cent growth month on month since the month of July.

How many artisans are onboard with you? What’s the selection criteria?
Currently, we have more than 35 artists on board across different crafts. The selection process is simple. The QA team visits the artists and does a stringent quality check. If satisfied, we go ahead with it. We have celebrated names like Dayalal Kudecha, Master weaver of Bhujodi weaving; Sajid Khatri, Master craftsman of Bandhani, on-board with us.

How many total products are there? Which all areas do you deliver, in India and abroad?
We have more than 3,000 products and we plan to add about 1,000 every month. We promote native handicrafts, which are intertwined with legends and mythology from the fascinating Kutchi culture. The creations range includes products like sarees, dupattas, stoles and suit pieces with Ajrakh block printing, Banarasi, Bandhani printing, Bhujodi weaving to Rogan art, leather art, wood carving among others, all of which demonstrate Kutch’s status as a thriving area of crafts. These products are delivered pan-India and we also ship them globally.

How has been the demand? How do you ensure timely deliverance of products to customers?
The demand is very high. Since we deal with crafts and handicrafts, the audience who love craft, love us for the products we have and the stories we say and the mission we have; to help artisans across Kutch.
We ensure timely delivery by using the best courier partners out there such as Bluedart, DHL or Delhivery at times.

How is your platform different from others, what is your USP?
Our platform is more of a market, a market of Kutch and that is why it is called Kutchi Bazaar. On the platform we have customers and vendors. Since we on-board only the top talents of Kutch the quality of the products we have is extremely high.
On the customer end, they get the best craft they can ever get. Some of the products we have are like an MF Hussain paintings i.e. only one in the world, so when a customer buys that exclusive product it’s like owning a prized possession.

Your products are very high-priced, only for niche segments. How do you make yourself relevant to the masses?
We look at our products as masterpieces, owning one means owning a work of art which took more than a year to be made. If you look and survey through the Internet, our products are priced very fairly and we do not overcharge our customers. We have products which cater to all the audiences of ages 15 to 60. Also, we have products ranging from 300 to 20,000.

What are your future plans?
We plan to on-board as many as 1000 artists in the coming months and impact as many as 10 lakh lives across Kutch.