A Woman entrepreneur who started handicrafts exports business from her garage with just Rs 27,000
The women’s presence as entrepreneurs increasing day by day which has led to the change in business and economic growth of the country, enterprises headed by the women are playing a prominent role in the society. For promoting balanced growth in the country there is a need to encourage women entrepreneurship into society.
To strengthen women entrepreneurship startup India is preparing and implementing various laws and policies, taking initiatives, creating opportunities for them.
In this article, we talk about Miss Surbhi Agarwal a woman entrepreneur who started her handicrafts export business with just Rs. 27,000/- from her garage, having a mission to uplift more than 1 million women till her last breath. She is a self learner and determined entrepreneur who made indelible marks in the Indian business ecosystem.
Miss Agarwal quit her family business and started her own startup “The Art Exotica” which manufacture and export Indian handicrafts and textiles. It works with artisans in rural areas of Rajasthan to manufacture home furnishings and home décor for the global market.
While organizing the medical camps for the hospitals in rural areas Surbhi met several female artisans who told her about their struggles to get fair wages. They wanted someone like her to reach their work in international markets. She was having the experience of an investment analyst, brand, and product management on which basis she started The Art Exotica from the garage in Jodhpur.
She took up the responsibility to educate, enrich, emancipate these artisans from their struggle.
The Art Exotica Create –
- Sustainable
- Eco-friendly Products
- Recycled
- Organic
- Ethical Products
She helped to popularise and monetize terracotta Art Form which was practiced in villages of Rajasthan. She has helped many artisans to showcase and promote their traditional art forms.
Now it has been 3 years since she continued working with women Artisans in Rajasthan, Bhuj, Gujarat. Now she has her own warehouse, and exports in France, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden and Finland, Australia and Canada.
To support these kinds of business and to promote the exports of handmade products Government of India has launched various Incentive schemes. Under MEIS Scheme exporters can avail the benefits of 2% – 7% of FOB value of exports in the form of duty credit scrip which is transferable in nature. Aim of these schemes to promote the manufacture and export of goods from India.
Recently Government approved RoDTEP Scheme to replace the existing MEIS Scheme which is compliant with WTO. Yet rates are not decided under RoDTEP scheme and implementation of the scheme will be done phase-wise.
She is patiently persevering towards her goal and pledged not to get married, devote herself to the cause of uplifting underprivileged women in the country.
She was selected as the top 25 entrepreneurs by TiE women in 2019 in collaboration with the US embassy. She supports her employees & artisans with the assistance of food, support in Children’s education and other aspects, she is helping to provide employment to the local tailors in Jodhpur to produce mask, gloves using recycled cloths.
She noticed the absence of a platform for her products and to bridge the gap she will launch a platform to connect importers and exporters which will function like Alibaba and will be the house of home décor goods, furnishings, and furniture. It will use tech like Artificial intelligence, Augmented reality to give a real feel of products and it may take 3 months.
