The Indian carpet makers weaving their magic globally – YourStory

Carpet weaving in Indiadates back to the 16th century, when Mughal emperor Akbar tried bringing weavers from Persia to make rugs for his palace. Today, India is a hub of carpets that have much demand in the international market.

According to a report by Mordor Intelligence, almost 90 percent of carpets made in India are exported, with overseas shipments worth Rs 64,407.19 crore ($916.15 million) duringApril-November 2019.

Indian handmade rugs have wide international appeal, despite competition from countries such as Turkey, China, and the US that specialise in machine-made carpets. SMBStory curatesa list of four domestic manufacturers that export India-made rugs to several countries.

Gaurav Sharma, MD, Obeetee

A hundred years ago, on the banks of the Ganges, three British men started a small, carpet-making enterprise. It was 1920, shortly after World War I, and the founders were looking to capitalise on the rising popularity of Indian carpets in the West.

FH Oakley, FH Bowden, and JAL Taylor gathered the finest local craftsmen in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, and began manufacturing carpets. Their business was started as Oakley Bowden & Taylor, and the enterprise derived its brand name, Obeetee, from the founders initials, OBT.

Over the last century, Obeetee has built its legacy as one of Indias largest handmade carpet and rug makers. Its primary factory in Gopiganj, Uttar Pradesh, has 1,100 employees and the brand works with 20,000 artisans, who manufacture the handmade products.

The Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi is home to two Obeetee rugs, the larger one of which measures 452 square metres and contains 100 million intricate knots. The US is a large market for the company.

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Monty and Radhe Rathi, Co-founders, Kaleen Group

Until 1994, Radhe Rathi was involved in his familys textile business, handling its exports arm. But due to some differences, he decided to move out. Radhe, who had been living and working in the US, saw an opportunity in the rugs market when a trading project accidentally fell into his hands.

He dived into the industry and started exploring new avenues. In 1996, he established Kaleen India, a rug manufacturing and sales business. Although the company started out trading rugs in the overseas markets, it gradually moved into manufacturing.

In 2000, Radhes younger brother, Monty Rathi, Chief Operating Officer of Kaleen Group, joined the business and the duo shifted base from the US to Mumbai, setting up manufacturing units in Panipat, Mirzapur, and Bikaner. At present, Radhe divides his time between the US and India.

Radhe emphasises that Kaleen Indias USPis leveraging technology in a largely traditional business segment. The company specialises in machine-made and handmade carpets using techniques such as hand-knotting, hand-tufting on broadlooms, pit looms, and power looms.

In FY20, the group clocked a turnover of Rs 250 crore.

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Aditya Gupta, Director, The Rug Republic

Aditya Gupta got attuned to carpets and rugs while growing up in Meerut. His parents, JK Gupta and Meenakshi Gupta, had started making carpets at their home in 1983, when Aditya was in Class X. Eight years later, after completing his education from the Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee, and Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi, Aditya joined the business with his brother, Ashish Gupta. Their company came to be known as Sharda Exports.

The business was earlier focused on the domestic market, until there was an opportunity to showcase its collection atan exhibition in Germany. Sharda thus entered the overseasmarket in 1991.

Shardas first international clients included Swedish furniture brand IKEA and UK-based household furnishings company Habitat. Between 2013 and 2014, Sharda was renamed The Rug Republic.

Currently, The Rug Republic manufactures five lakh carpets a year and exports to 85 countries. Aditya doesnt disclose the turnover, but saysthe companys growth rate is around 20 percent year-on-year. The Rug Republic has an exclusive showroom in Delhi andmore than 10,000 retail stores worldwide.

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Asif Rahman, CEO, Insigne Carpets

Asif Rahmans association with carpets started in 1988, when he was frantically looking for job opportunities after graduating from Calcutta University. One day, he stopped outsidea rug store on Kolkatas Park Street and started checking out the carpets through the glass window. Intrigued, the owner called him inside and after a brief conversation, offered him a job to head his carpet installation team. Asif started working with the team to install carpets at five-star hotels. Thus began a three-decade-long journey in the carpet industry.

Asif launched Insigne Carpets in 2011 with a primary investment of Rs 35 lakh from personal savings.The Gurugram-based luxury brand is an end-to-end solutions provideroffering consultation, manufacturing, installation of carpets, and other services.

The company has an impressive clienteleacross the entertainment, hospitality, commercial, residential and other sectors.It has designed and created carpets for luxury projects such as La Samaritaine (Paris), The Pierre (New York), Wynn Casino (Las Vegas), and Salalah International Airport (Oman). The companys USP, Asif tells SMBStory, is customisation. He claims that the company makes only one piece of a particular design and doesnt recreate it again.

Insigne Carpets manufacturing unit in China has a capacity to produce 5,000 square metres of carpets, whereas the Indian unit can manufacture 1,000 square metres.

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The Indian carpet makers weaving their magic globally - YourStory