About Us

It is 3rd July today and Shahid got his first salary. About 3 weeks ago, he got a job as a driver for a school bus.

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His mother is happy and so is his sister and brother; both younger to him. Salma will now be able to get a new dress to wear for Eid. Sikandar will get a new cellphone.

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Though his father Md Idris is slightly relieved at the sight of some money coming to the house, he is unhappy.

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Md Idris, now 74 years old, has done bead work all his life; and he wanted Shahid to carry on this tradition. Be it jewelry, garments, handbags or wedding outfits, he has done wonders. Shahid has seen bead working ever since he opened his eyes and the skill is in his blood. He makes very good sequin bags. But there are no orders. So there is not enough money to support the family. He had to take up the job of a bus driver.

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Shahid and Idris are not a unique case. The whole village community of bead workers in Mauza Mudali , a hamlet on the outskirts of Meerut, about 80 kms from New Delhi, the capital of India, face a similar fate.

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A few years ago, sequins and beads were in fashion. Md Idris was enterprising enough to take trips to Delhi and get orders from Saree shops, Bag & Jewelry exporters and wedding outfitters. He would distribute work to the 50 families in his village block. Women would complete their household chores and get down to bead working. Girls came back from their Madrasas (Schools) and helped their mother with the bead work.

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There was no electricity in the villages, so most of the bead work had to be done in natural daylight. However, most families had built up reasonably comfortable dwellings with open courtyards during the good old days when land was cheap and the order book was fat.

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Today the young men from these families are taking up jobs in Meerut or Lucknow or New Delhi. No one does bead work, as there are few takers for this fine art. The burgeoning middle class, which constitutes the major buyers consider these things old fashioned.

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Sitting in our plush office in New Delhi, we would never have known this. Md Idris used to visit our office to collect orders and deliver samples. Given the constraints of rural India, Shahid would attempt last minute deliveries, sometimes as late as midnight. But things went on.

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Md Idris has grown old now and does less travelling. During one of our recent orders, Md Idris requested we send one of our office representatives to their village to collect the goods. In our 15 years of association, this had never happened before. But we could sense the pain in Idris' voice when he said this. So, I decided to go there myself. Idris greeted us, served tea and showed us the consignment which was packed and ready. 'There is no one to carry them to your warehouse'. He then narrated the scenario.

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"We have discovered, albeit late, that while middle-class India has turned its back on its glorious past, some of the world's most-desired fashion brands are wanting their goods".

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The artisans of India - the weavers, the wood carvers, screen printers, the hand embroiders and textile craftspeople, the likes of Md Idris - are an endangered species.

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At Raun Harman, we are making a modest attempt to help artisans re-skill for a modern market; So they can earn a sustainable livelihood while not be forced to abandon their skills.

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But we are not Bill Gates with deep pockets and hefty allocations for charity. Government funds are not easy to come by. And for all such activities, one needs to spend time.

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Taking a cue from the basic tenets of Sikhism, of which we are both followers, we decided to allocate tithe to support the likes of Md Idris and their community. We call it Responsible Commerce with a Heart. A small beginning. And we are sure when the word spreads, angel funding / investing would come by.

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Providing livelihood is not on our agenda. God provides for everyone.

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Saving the skills which these people have is important to us. These skills, which have been passed down through the generations, are like languages and if they're not used, they will become extinct.

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So is the environment. We use natural material like cotton. We prefer vegetable dyes. Some fabrics and materials are animal derived and hence not cruelty free; leather, fur, silk, wool etc. We don't use them in our products.

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We work together with artisans and our associates in a healthy business relationship. This focus shapes our entire business process, as outlined below:

1. Building Relationships

We first seek to nurture our relationships with the artisans we partner with. Our close connection with many artisan groups, helps us in finding our partners and understanding their culture, needs and skills.

2. Developing Partnerships

We prefer to work with artisans who have the basic skills enabling them to make a quality product that reflects their culture and tradition.

3. Determining Fair Prices

It is critical that artisans have a voice in determining what they believe to be fair pay. Working directly with artisan groups, we arrange prices that are mutually agreed upon. This dialogue is essential in demonstrating the respect and dignity of the artisans as well as reinforcing our partnership.

4. Paying for Product Up Front

Once prices are determined, we ensure that artisan groups receive their compensation in full. We pay them advance and provide all assistance & help from the procurement of raw materials to final output. We keep no credit with them and settle all accounts at the time the final order leaves the country of origin.

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M P S Punn and Jasbir Kaur Punn

Founder Team, Raun Harman