UnLtd India’s incubation program is unique because of its Coaching model. For each cohort, multiple Coaches – industry professionals with varied backgrounds and experiences, are assigned between 3 to 10 Social Entrepreneurs (SEs). The Coaches work closely with their SEs to understand them and their work in order to support them through every step of the program. So a critical part of this process is knowing the SE. And the best way to do so is meeting in person on home ground. Hence the first major activity in UnLtd India’s 9 months Incubation program is a site visit by the respective Coach.
The objectives of a site visit are multiple. Apart from building rapport between the Coaches and the SEs, it allows the Coach to better understand the work conditions and challenges faced by the SE. The Coaches also meet the Co-founders (if any), team members, key stakeholders like local leaders or influencers, Board members (wherever possible) and the most important stakeholder – the beneficiaries.
Sunita and Suhas Ramegowda of Indian Yards were selected in January this year to be a part of UnLtd India’s February 2022 cohort. After semi-retiring from their professions in Bangalore, the couple wanted to live close to nature, and so moved to Coonoor, a small beautiful town in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu, India. But here they witnessed first-hand the difficulties of the local women in making two ends meet which spurred them to start Indian Yards – a social enterprise that trains women in different crafts like Macrame, and gives them the opportunity to earn better incomes.
As part of UnLtd India’s Incubation program, Karan Kaushik was assigned as Coach for Sunita and Suhas. Karan decided to drive from his home in Bangalore to Coonoor for the site visit scheduled in March 2022. The 6 hour 350 kilometers drive would have been tiring were it not for the rejuvenating pure vistas of the Nilgiris.
Karan met up with the couple at their office cum workshop and they immediately got down to discussing various aspects of the work. He also met the team and was able to see some of the completed work of the local women. The designs were very impressive and beautiful. Towards the end of the day, the plan for the next day was discussed.
The next morning, Karan, along with Sunita and Suhas, traveled to a hill-side hamlet – Kurumbadi, about 20 kms from Coonoor. Women from this hamlet, trained by Indian Yards, were finding it difficult to travel frequently to the center to pick up and drop off material for the designs. So the team explored if they could set up a small collection center there itself so that bulk material could be delivered and picked up from. The women welcomed this idea. A room in one of the houses was cleared out and renovated to make a collection center. The women, whose homes Karan visited, were very welcoming and happy that they had visitors. They quickly plucked a few beans from the wild coffee plants growing around, roasted them and made delicious coffee for everyone. The enthusiasm of the women and the dedication of Suhas and Sunita to support these women was very inspiring.
Back at the center, Karan met a few women who had come to deposit their completed work. While interacting with them, Karan got a deeper understanding of their struggles. They came from villages which were 20-30 kms away, by riding multiple buses and taking at least 2 hours to reach the center. They sometimes had to carry heavy bags of material to and from their homes. During the rainy season, this became very difficult, as they had to ensure that the material did not get wet. On top of these operational challenges, the women had to take care of their children and home, but still managed to complete the assigned tasks on time.
On an average, the women working with Indian Yards earn Rs 7,000-10,000 per month. But a few months prior they had hit a peak earning upto Rs 25,000. The women said they were currently working at half capacity and could do a lot more. The additional income working with Indian Yards improved their lives significantly, as they were now able to provide better nutritional food and education to their children.
At the end of these discussions, Sunita brought out a cake to celebrate the birthday of one of the women. It was heartwarming to see the closeness and strong bond between the team of Indian Yards and these women.
Later that day, Sunita and Suhas were scheduled to shoot an Instagram live video at the Pony Craft Store, which is the retail store of The Needles Industries, a very popular enterprise in The Nilgiris. This store is a must visit attraction for almost all craft enthusiasts who visit The Nilgiris. Due to a last-minute engagement Suhas could not lead the shoot. With no previous experience shooting an Instagram live video Karan was nervous, but he was happy to do it because he felt like he was part of the team.
With Karan behind the camera, Sunita led the shoot showing the amazing macrame designs and craft kits displayed there. Despite some issues with the internet connectivity, the shoot went well and the viewer reactions to the live video were very encouraging.
Suhas and Sunita graciously welcomed Karan to their home for dinner that night. They went for a small hike around their home, to a place where the Indian Yards team does photoshoots for their products. After the hike, they had more discussions about the growth of Indian Yards over a delicious home-cooked meal.
Close to the end of the visit, Karan felt that this was less of a site visit and more like a visit to an old friend’s place. The welcoming nature of everyone and the compelling stories of the local women, made this a memorable experience for Karan.
In the coming months, through UnLtd India’s Incubation Program, Karan aims to help Sunita and Suhas scale and connect with as many beneficiaries as possible from the current 22 women. Potentially there are thousands of talented women in the Nilgiris district who can benefit significantly from this intervention. Challenges like building a strong core team for Indian Yards and partnering with large-scale buyers will also have to be addressed along the way.
And that brings us to the end of this blog. If you can relate to any of Karan’s experiences, please do write to us sharing your experience.
