MSME SuperPower:
When love for nature inspires a sustainable & equitable business
Anindita Chaudhuri
Founder & Managing Director, Ecoserve India, Pune
Surrounded by Sal and Piyal trees, I grew up loving nature from a young age in a small, cozy town called Durgapur in West Bengal. After completing my graduation in Literature, I pulled myself out of my comfort zone and moved to Delhi to pursue an MBA in Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication.
Even as my academic years made me a ‘people person’, my love for nature always reflected in my work. Before setting up Ecoserve in 2017, I was focused on social advertising, which ensured I was doing something meaningful for the community and the environment. A few years later, I settled in Pune after marriage and worked as a consultant teaching advertising in MBA colleges.
My action-packed work life, however, came to a sudden halt, when I was pregnant with twins, and I was medically recommended ‘to take a pause’.
Pivoting to entrepreneurship
On the threshold of motherhood, I decided to hang my boots after a good 15 years of working. I quit on a happy note – devoted myself to my kids – enjoyed being a homemaker and indulged the dormant nature enthusiast in me.
But deep within I wished to do something meaningful for the environment.
Starting a business was not necessarily my first choice, as nobody in my family is a businessperson.
All I knew was that I wanted to do something which gives back to nature. Encouraged and supported by friends and family, I launched Ecoserve India.
Challenges and success along the way
Ecoserve India was born six years after my twins. I was on a mission to do something eco-friendly, and Ecoserve started as a social enterprise from my own savings. Our first offering was Areca disposables made from Betelnut leaves. As I began from scratch, I also had to set up all the machinery to manufacture the products.
Transporting the raw material was the tricky part of this business. I started with a manufacturing unit down south in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, close to where betelnut leaves are found. A key observation during my travels was that women artisans endure inequalities in work and pay compared to their male counterparts. This gave me another reason to build a sustainable business that is equitable. Today, out of the 30 artisans that Ecoserve employs, 90% are women, and everyone is compensated for every piece they make, regardless of gender. Ecoserve produces bags, plates, baskets, jewelry, corporate gifts, wedding and event boxes made from natural fibers and grass like kauna grass, shitalpati, bamboo, palmyra leaf, water hyacinth, and areca leaves.
Benefits of signing up for Walmart Vriddhi
Joining the Walmart Vriddhi program in August 2023 transformed Ecoserve’s business strategy. I was thoroughly confused regarding product management and needed someone to handhold me in the practical journey of running the business. The mentoring I received under the program was extremely beneficial in understanding inventory management, logistics and infrastructure, and positioning of artisanal products on different channels in a crowded market.
Four Walmart Vriddhi program modules – marketing, packaging, digital and cost competitiveness – gave me clarity on how best to position my products and how to package and price them appropriately for both the B2C and the B2B markets. The program also boosted my confidence to hire more people to manage key tasks. Now I have a dedicated resource for digital and one to manage logistics.
When I saw my products listed on Flipkart, it built my confidence about eCommerce. In 2021-22, we experienced 2x growth, and in 2023, it soared 4-5x times, thanks to my enhanced presence online. To test the waters, I began with listing only three products. My real journey with Flipkart started in April 2024, when I uploaded Ecoserve’s entire gamut of 25 products on the platform. In terms of revenue, it is safe to say that there has been a 50% increase in revenue in 2023-24, compared to 2022-23.
The future and growth plans
The Walmart Vriddhi program has taught me the importance of setting short-term and long-term goals that help businesses to drive growth. Goal setting can be extremely beneficial. Prior to Walmart Vriddhi, I was confused, but now I have clear goals. My immediate goal is to achieve phenomenal growth and get organised pan India. Once I have gauged the hero products of my collection, I will engage in market research to understand suitable international markets for these items. This will help fulfill my long-term goal of becoming an exporter of eco-friendly handicrafts.
This year, at the Startup Mahakumbh, I got a deep insight into the potential of the handicrafts market. Currently at 3.8 million, it is expected to soar between five to six million in 2030. Demand for handicrafts will rise in India, and globally.
Being an entrepreneur is not fashionable, especially in the sustainability business. A lot of hard work and perseverance is needed to connect with your target audience, as these are not mainstream products. As a CII-certified green auditor, I can articulate the importance of sustainability and make people understand its application in business. My visit to villages has taught me everything about the craft of making various types of handicrafts and the pain points of artisans. This kind of knowledge has given me the advantage of building not just a sustainable business, but also an ethical one.