Launched by two sisters, this saree startup is sourcing unexplored weaves of India
Run by sisters Ipsita Dash and Vinita Dash, Noida-based saree startup 6yardsandmore works with weavers in remote villages across India and sells sarees, accessories, and more.
Work pressures and a corporate career slowly buried Ipsita Dash's creativity. After a successful 10-year stint with companies like Caritor, Mindtree, and Infosys, in Bengaluru, she started her first entrepreneurial venture, TESTMIND, to prepare engineering graduates for the workforce.
However, when her husband changed jobs, Ipsita also decided to shift base from Bengaluru to Noida, and moved out of TESTMIND. The shift enabled her to get in touch with her creative side.
Ipsita Dash, Founder of 6yardsandmore
“I had a strong inclination for colours and patterns, and was often complimented by friends and family for my sense of clothing and styling,” says Ipsita, whose hobbies include sketching and painting.
Combining her creative skills and entrepreneurial drive, Ipsita started 6yardsandmore, which brings authentic and unexplored weaves of India to consumers worldwide. “I wanted to meld my creativity with the beautiful traditional weaves of our country,” Ipsita says.
Unearthing weaves of India
Noida-based 6yardsandmore was founded by Ipsita and her sister, Vinita Dash, who handles operations from Kuwait, in 2016.
With the desire to bring to the fore all the beautiful weaves from across the country, Ipsita handpicks and curates the startup’s flagship product, the six yards or the sarees, from different weavers in remote villages across the country.
She travels across the country to connect with local weavers and artisans and unearths traditional and handcrafted sarees and products.
Sarees are sourced from all over the country, including Assam, Bengal, Bihar, Manipur, and Odisha in the East; Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra, and Karnataka in the South; Lucknow, Banaras, Madhya Pradesh, and Maheshwar in the North; and Maharashtra and Rajasthan in the West.
6yardsandmore also has a fusion collection, which offers a mix of modern and traditional weaves, for which Ipsita provides ideas to artisans and weavers.
Apart from sarees, the startup curates handcrafted and ethnic products like fabrics, dupattas, and stoles. It also offers traditional handicrafts in products like handcrafted jewellery in terracotta, semi-precious stones, and lead-free oxidised options, handcrafted bags in traditional ikat, kalamkari and block print fabric, and home furnishings like tables runners, coaster sets, bedsheets, and bedcovers.
Ipsita runs all sales from the startup’s social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.
6yardsandmore aims to be a socially responsible startup and gives back to society through its collaboration with Hunar Foundation, which provides skills and livelihood opportunities to women in need.
6yardsandmore has sarees from across the country like East Odisha silk saree, Paithani saree, and Kanjeepuram silk saree.
Targeting the NRI market
The products are Indian, but the demand is global, especially among non-residential Indians (NRIs). To cater to this demand, Ipsita started a new vertical, Pravasi by 6yardsandmore, offering products curated for people staying abroad and that keep their preferences, choices, and comfort in mind.
“The need for this arose due to the fact that people outside India prefer traditional wear for special occasions, and not as daily wear. Also, they want fabric that suits their weather conditions and offers ease of maintenance, which is why the page offers more silks than cotton,” she says.
The startup also provides other services such as group shipping, bulk shipping, and extras such as saree fall and pico and blouse stitching that are not easily available abroad.
The challenges along the way
Ipsita and her sister pooled their personal savings - about Rs 6 lakh - to start 6yardsandmore. She says the startup turned profitable in six months of starting up and has consistently grown 15-20 percent annually.
However, challenges accompanied the profits. Ipsita says one of the major challenges was scrutinising and finding hidden weaves from across the country. She also wanted to bring out the story behind their hard work and effort, which required a lot of research and discussions. This was especially challenging due to language barriers; often, she and the weavers didn’t speak the same language.
They also hit roadblocks when streamlining ecommerce execution strategies, finding reliable and cost-effective delivery partners, and more.
Amid challenges of online shopping like differences in quality and an impersonal experience for shoppers, Ipsita knew that her startup had to go the extra mile. She instituted strict quality checks and personally answered all customer questions to provide a quality experience.
“This has led to repeat consumers, which is why we have no push marketing strategies. Our growth has been organic and through word of mouth,” she says.
The startup also offers handcrafted bags and jewellery.
Giving back to society
Ipsita started Aastha, a trust for children with special needs and old people abandoned by their families, in 2008.
6yardsandmore has also collaborated with NGO Hunar Foundation, which is founded by Ruchi Rastogi and transforms the lives of women by empowering them with skills and helping them earn a sustainable living by creating eco-friendly and natural products. It promotes the NGO’s products and gets them new orders, on a non-profit sharing basis.
Running the business amid COVID-19
The coronavirus pandemic has created one of the toughest times for businesses across the globe, including 6yardsandmore.
“During the initial period of the pandemic, we faced many challenges. The supply of raw materials was hit, which affected availability of our products. The transportation of products and courier services were slow; they were often closed in many sectors. There was a major dip in the buying pattern of customers, especially from March to May. People also had inhibitions in handling the parcels,” Ipsita recalls.
However, she says the trend is changing since May end.
In the future, with online shopping becoming the norm, Ipsita aims to expand the geographical range to Tier II and III cities in India.
“We aim to expand to more countries, reach more NRIs, and offer more custom-designed and fusion products to suit new trends. We hope to grow at 25-30 percent over the coming years,” Ipsita says.
(Edited by Teja Lele Desai)