Anuprerna

The Challenge

West Bengal has a rich cultural heritage in handloom fabrics, but rural artisans here face uncertainty and hardship. Many are self-employed women who are dependent on exploitative middlemen. They lack access to credit facilities, social security, or government schemes and increasingly have to compete with cheap, mass-produced textiles that upend their industry and imperil their way of life.

The Innovation

Anuprerna connects rural artisans directly to the global market. The company takes custom orders from an international array of brands and designers. It buys raw materials and processes them in an eco-friendly fashion, then delivers these materials to rural artisans so they can weave custom-tailored handloom fabrics. Without the burden of sourcing raw materials, the artisans have less dependence on middlemen or predatory credit schemes and can make more money with greater safety and dignity.