Chanda Shroff visited Dhaneti village in Kutch to help run a free kitchen. The village women were reluctant to accept charity. But in the exquisite hand embroidery displayed on their clothing, she saw a way to enable them to earn a sustainable and dignified livelihood.
This was the beginning of Shrujan (meaning Creativity in Sanskrit).
Today over three thousand five hundred craftswomen, spread over a hundred and twenty remote villages across Kutch, are part of the Shrujan family.
Our craftswomen work from home. Our production team ensures that the fabrics and threads reach them wherever they are, right at their doorstep. The women do not have to pay for the materials. But they receive their fair dues for their skill and their time, as soon as they have completed the embroidery.
The embroidered textiles are then fashioned into high – quality apparel, accessories and lifestyle products, and marketed through our shops and Shrujan exhibitions.
It has been an extraordinary adventure – and one that has changed all our lives
Shrujan’s founder Chanda Shroff was honoured with the Rolex Award for Enterprise in 2006.