How I involved in this line and change in concept

During the time of my business tour all over West Bengal in the year of 1986, I have found the lamentable position of these ‘Dhokra’ communities. After categorical audit, I have observed the draw backs of the steps taken by others for their development. But due to the wrong implementation of the policies upon them, the craftsmen were suffered by the side effects of that policies. On the other side, lack of communication between the craftsmen and the policy makers creates an insecure marketing environment of their products in this sector.

As it was very easy to misguide them due to their ignorance about the internal and external demands of their artifacts and after the fair season they became idle, the mischievous class of business people came around them tempted them to produce this artifacts for them by lending money from the money lenders against higher rate of interest. As a result, the craftsmen thus exploited by the moneylenders and had been forced to lost their standard way of living. At the end of every month, after their hard labor, they were afraid of to spent their whole income towards the burden of debit. They thus became drunker and as it slowly poisoning their ideology, our heritage has gone to loose its most ancient type of craftsmanship.

This mismanagement worried me and at last I had settled to do something for the ‘Dhokra’ craft community of my area within my limited strength.

I have collected few special samples from the artisans and personally I have made contacts with the exporters, whole sellers and retailers at Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Kochin with my own city Kolkata. Within a few months I have got an unexpected response and ultimately I have tie-upped with some reputed buyers those who were placed me huge orders. I have placed order to the craftsmen with some advance and other facilities. Thus they cover my order too time and ultimately I have supplied my products to my buyers. Simultaneously, a good faith and better understanding has been grown up among us and due to the timely supply, my buyer’ are also pleased upon me and still now they are sending good orders time to time. Now these craftsmen have got an assured way of living and free from anxiety, their mind, imagination, emotion and spirit again work successfully.

During the supply of my products to the exporters I always minutely follow the procedures of exporting my crafts to the overseas market. Finally, I have opened my own SSI unit and I have settled to export my products directly to the foreign market after some especial finishing which is my speciality. As a result in the year 1993, I have started my own SSI unit and have got the RBI code numbers. After all I have registered my unit with the “Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts, N. Delhi, D.G.C.I.S, Kolkata, and Regional Design and Technical Development Center, Ministry of Textile, Govt. of India, Kolkata. In the year of 1997, “National Geographic” provide us marketing assistance through their e-commerce site www.novica.com. In the same year C. B. I, The Netherlands nominated us for ' International Marketing Assistance for Novel Handicrafts' programme and were exhibited our products in their gallery at Amsterdam for 30 days to cater buyers opinion.

In this trade I have felt that due to the growing diversity of tastes and the growing price competitiveness for imported goods in the foreign market, overseas customers now have begun to make their own choice according to their preference. As the global consumers have much more diversified taste than ever before in buying goods and service which has created a wide market than ever before for foreign business and service to enter. The imported handicraft products in overseas market includes articles of daily use and interior decoration suitable for their room plans of condominiums and westernized life styles.

Keeping in mind the consumers trends and consumption patterns, I felt that we have to create good quality, highly functional, ease and convenience of use, to explore the possibility of making due change in pattern of the product keeping the traditional motif intact, which are the important factors for consumers when choosing merchandise. The main job of my unit is to make good use of ideas of overseas designers and to make their products in our workshop with the help of our products after matching their tastes keeping commercial aspect in mind.

During 2022, my antiquities and contemporary designs in 'Dokra' has got "GI - Authorised User Certificate" under ' Bengal Dokra' category from Govt. Of India.

Now, we have a vast field of handicrafts in this region with several state and national awarded craftsmen but they are living and working in a very un-organized sector. After the handicrafts exhibition period (December to February) when they became idle then we have tried to revive their economic condition by giving them continuous flow of orders round the year. We are trying to organize them into our observation to consist our presence in the present handicrafts market. So, I have decided to collect unique products from the various place of our region to make craft amalgation here with the help of our experts maintaining the national characteristics of the merchandise i.e it’s identity. Because all importers, trading firms, wholesalers and retailers unanimously agree that designs are the most important factor in merchandise choice, followed by the related elements of color, pattern, shape and size. So, during the time of production we have to keep all these factors in our mind.