MSME SuperPower:
Crafting a Future in the villages of India
Prerna Agarwal
Founder, Samakhya Sustainable Alternatives, Bikaner, Rajasthan
Born and raised in Delhi, the capital city of India, my life was always surrounded by the vibrancy of a middle-class household. My father, an artist who turned to printing, along with my mother, a homemaker and yoga teacher, nurtured my love for creativity and communication. They encouraged me to pursue these passions professionally. Following my dreams, I earned a degree in mass communication from IB University in Delhi, and later, a postgraduate degree in advertising and marketing from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.
For over six years, I thrived in the advertising world of Delhi, Gurgaon, and Mumbai. But beneath the surface of this success, a question that nagged me was – “What impact am I making and truly what is my purpose in life?” The corporate world, with its processes and constraints, left little room for true creativity or meaningful work. Then a day dawned when I decided to step out of my comfort zone, to seek a purpose that resonated with my soul.
A Leap into the Rural Heartland with Samakhya
My journey took an unexpected turn when I stumbled upon Urmul, an NGO in Rajasthan working with artisans. Without a second thought, I left my city life and moved to a village in Rajasthan. This was more than a physical move; it was a leap into a new world, one that was about to change my perspective forever.
After eight years of immersing myself in rural life and understanding the deep-rooted challenges faced by artisans, I founded Samakhya Sustainable Alternatives. The name ‘Samakhya’ means a collective, symbolizing our goal to bring together natural fibers and green crafts to create sustainable alternatives for the market. We focused on the forgotten pastoral communities, leveraging their natural fibers for innovative thermal and acoustic insulation products, a first in India.
Our products under Samakhya and our other brand, Magra, targeted different demographics but shared a common purpose: to create a sustainable, equitable future for both the communities we worked with and the environment.
Learning with Walmart Vriddhi
Joining the Walmart Vriddhi program in 2023 marked a turning point for Samakhya. The mentorship I received was not just about business strategies; it was a holistic learning experience. It empowered me to train my entire team, most of whom had basic education in the nuances of business operations.
The Walmart Vriddhi program helped me clear the fog in my mind, particularly in handling two different brands under Samakhya with distinct consumer bases and USPs. It was a struggle to articulate what Samakhya stood for, but the program’s mentorship helped me streamline our thought process and ask strong, necessary questions that I had been avoiding.
One of the key realizations during the program was the importance of visibility and availability in rural and artisanal value chains. Unlike urban businesses, the challenges here were deeper and often hidden. We worked on improving our supply chain, and creating systems and structures that could support the dispersed nature of our operations. This meant reaching out to artisans in remote villages, ensuring quality standards, and fostering a learning environment for them.
Future Plans and Growth
The Walmart Vriddhi program guided us through legal and structural aspects of eCommerce, helping us overcome issues and prepare for launching our products on platforms like Flipkart. This journey from zero to significant sales figures is a testament to the program’s effectiveness in propelling our growth.
Our focus has been on expanding Samakhya’s reach. Currently, our immediate plans are concentrated on strengthening our processes in India. Our approach involves setting up physical stores, as we realized the synergy between online and offline platforms is crucial. Additionally, we are gearing up for online exports in the coming years.
Looking Ahead
Today, with a team of dedicated individuals and a network of over 3,000 artisans and pastoralists, Samakhya stands as a testament to the power of social entrepreneurship. We are not just a business; we are a collective dream, striving to make a difference in the lives of those who work with us.
As I reflect on this journey, I am filled with gratitude for every challenge and every learning that has shaped Samakhya into what it is today. Our journey ahead is filled with hopes of expanding our reach, both within India and internationally, continuing to innovate and create sustainable alternatives that make a real difference.
In the end, it’s not just about the products we create or the profits we make. It’s about the lives we touch, the communities we uplift, and the sustainable future we are building, one artisan, one fiber at a time.