By Elizaveta Dyatko, Semester at Sea, Spring 2017
Shree Carpet & Textile Mahal is a social enterprise based in Jaipur. Its mission is to preserve and share unique Indian culture while empowering local communities. Shree Carpet & Textile Mahal employs 560 local families and provides them with job training and a stable source of income. This local business specifically focuses on female empowerment, acknowledging the fact that women need more at home time to take care of the kids. Shree Carpet & Textile Mahal supplies locally produced materials to the households and picks up finished products at the agreed date.
Additionally, as the name suggests, Shree Carpet & Textile Mahal specializes on textiles and weaving. A traditional technique called screen printing is used to transfer ink on the material. All materials are environmentally friendly and are usually extracted from local plants and herbs as well as rocks and minerals. Due to the fact that the enterprise is located in the desert region of Kashmir with very few employment opportunities, Shree Carpet & Textile Mahal receives 28% of governmental subsidies to support their social mission. As a result, despite the fact that all products are handmade, they can compete with foreign manufactures on the open market.
Photos
Local woman weaving greige, an unbleached or undyed cloth or yam, Jaipur, India
The owner of the Shree Carpet & Textile Mahal demonstrates his carpets, Jaipur, India
