A brand that's reviving the dying art of Khurja pottery, and other top stories of the week
This week, SMBStory spoke to Country Clay, a Delhi-based brand that works with Khurja-based artisans to sell a range of ceramic products. We also introduce you to Bizotico, which distributes international fashion and luxury brands in India, and other businesses.
The Indian pottery industry has seen a steady decline in the past several years due to mass-market production and change in consumer preferences, brought about by imported products. Countless artisans in Khurja, a small town in Uttar Pradesh, have witnessed their livelihood wilting due to the struggle to find a market for indigenous pottery.
The stagnating state of affairs caught the attention of the couple Siddhant Agarwal and Rashi Akar when they visited Khurja, considered the hub of ceramic products, in 2020.
In an effort to revive this dying art and provide artisans with a source of livelihood, the due started Country Clay, a brand that aims to spread awareness about Indian pottery and offer an alternative to toxic materials.
Country Clay
Delhi-based helps the artisans of Khurja showcase their talent in the market in exchange for a decent livelihood.
Apart from ceramics, the brand's collection also consists of lifestyle products, wellness kits, aromatherapy and bathing essentials. Country Clay has also created custom gift hampers for organisations such as Sleepy Owl, Walmart Global Tech and Niti Ayog in the B2B space.
In the span of a year, the company entered the D2C space with its own website. Later it joined the e-commerce platform ‘Amazon Karigar’ to sell its products. It also has a retail presence in Bengaluru and Solapur.
The company says its products are unique in design, organic, and toxin-free. The paint used in ceramic glazing is lead-free, thus eliminating the chances of contaminating food and water.
The brand has sold more than 70,000 units. It garnered a revenue of Rs 15.7 lakh during May 2021-March 2022 and Rs 7.3 lakh from April 2022 till now.
Other top picks of the week
Bizotico
Bizotico is a distributor of international fashion and luxury watch and accessory brands in India.
Before starting Bizotico in 2015, Akshay Gopal was engaged in the distribution of premium eyewear brands. A stint with Ferrari for distribution of its sunglasses led to talks of handling the iconic brand’s watch distribution in India.
Akshay says, “Every other international brand is focussing on India, especially after the pandemic as the industry is seeing a rebound after staggering losses."
The Bengaluru-based company is an exclusive distributor for the Movado Group; it markets and distributes top international watches and jewellery brands from the group’s portfolio, including Movado, Ebel, MVMT, Hugo Boss, Lacoste and Calvin Klein in the country.
When COVID-19 disrupted many businesses, Bizotico too was impacted. Akshay says that, at one point, the business had zero revenue. However, he utilised most of the lockdown period in studying the market and proposing deals to various companies that were not present in India.
His dedication to the business bore fruit. Bizotico has grown from having exclusive distribution rights for nine brands in 2020 to 28 brands now. At least 11 brands have entered the Indian market through Bizotico, including Earnshaw, Strand, Aries Gold, Duxot and Jacques.
The pandemic also nudged Akshay to open an online shop, Zotick, which sells premium brands, competing with the likes of Collective and Ethos. In future, Akshay plans to strengthen the company's offline presence and foray into jewellery.
Lavna Locks
Smart locking systems have transformed from being a luxury to a necessity.
Capitalising on this trend is Lavna, a ‘Made in India’ brand, which combines security with technology to make smart locks accessible in the country.
Started in 2021 by Vishal Jain and Sanat Jain in Delhi, Lavna is striving to stand out amid stiff competition from large enterprises such as Godrej and Yale in India and Chinese players dominating the Indian market.
“The smart lock industry is at a nascent stage in India but is opening up vigorously. However, there are only a few completely grown homegrown brands in the picture. The market is flooded with Chinese products,” says Sanat.
Presently, Lavna locks are available at hardware retail stores and on Amazon and B2B portals such as Moglix.
Lavna deals in seven variants that start from Rs 4,000 and go up to Rs 12,000. The basic variant consists of fingerprint unlocking along with the key, while the highest range comprises fingerprint, RFID card, PIN, Bluetooth unlocking, OTP unlocking, and the key.
In just a year of its launch, Lavna has bagged notable clients such as Adani Power Plant Group and Air India. Its B2B clientele has 1,100 customers, while the B2C clientele comprises 10,000 customers.
The company is eyeing a revenue of Rs 10 crore by the end of this fiscal year. Technology is the key in the smart lock business and Sanat says the company is continuously working on upgrading technology to bring in more features into its products.
Waaree Energies Limited
Solar panel manufacturer Waaree Energies has raised around Rs 1,000 crore through investor funding. The company will use the capital to expand its base and increase its manufacturing capabilities in India from 2GW to 9GW for solar panels.
Hitesh Mehta, Director and CFO, Waaree Energies, said, “We aim to revolutionise the solar manufacturing sector by increasing our manufacturing capacity, expanding our offerings, and ensuring increased employment opportunities."
Owing to the fundraising, the company recently withdrew its draft red herring prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India.
Waaree supports the COP 21 climate change goals set for 2030 and the carbon neutral goals set for 2070. It is one of the largest exporters of high-wattage solar panels in India.