"What is the meaning of 'Rangsutra'? The simple meaning is: Rang is Colour and Sutra is Thread. But there is also a deeper meaning where Sutra means your own principles and Rang is your passion to do something.

Our mission is to ensure regular work, with fair wages, good working conditions for our artisans. We stuck on that mission since the beginning, now I have the feeling that we are in the stage that we have understood the supply chain, the market, experience working with buyers who have appreciated our social mission so I think we can expand our work more.

Loads of the artisans have basic skills or they even do not have them, we identify some artisans with leadership skills, and we train them to become craft managers so they can help in their own communities and supervise their work. We have now about 50 craft managers, who are skilled and educated to understand quality.”

Sumita Ghose, Founder Rangsutra

“I have a design degree and I have started my career in Rangsutra when I was 21-year-old. I visited the villages by then and I felt that it was my raison d'être; I wanted to help these women and my aim is to get regular work for them.

I want to share one inspiring story I have from these women. I asked them: What has changed in these 10 years we are working together? And they said that now they don’t have to ask for money, they earn their own money. And they can invest in clothes, children’s education; sometimes they spend some money in themselves buying jewelry. They happily say: ‘We are now independent.’ Listening to these stories is what makes me happier and fulfills myself, as this is our aim with those women.”

Krithika Acharya, Key Account Manager for C&A Business

“I have been part of Rangsutra for the last 11 years. What inspires me most about the artisans we work with is their courage and resilience to go on and on. They have been a good life teacher that I learned from. Because we are taking so many things as granted every day in our lives and they make me appreciate and value all those little things.

There is one story I would like to share about one of the artisans who is working with us since the very beginning. I asked her what she did with her earnings, and she said that the first thing was to educate 5 kids, 2 are her own kids and the other 3 from her sister and brother-in-law. Afterwards she invested in doors! She told me ‘I have a house but none of the rooms have doors.’ We are taking for given our privacy and the privacy that everyone deserves, we do not even think about it. But for her, that was a need. And last time I met her she said: ‘Do you know Mandira? I have given always to everyone, now it is time for me’ and she bought a beautiful necklace.”

Mandira Luthra, Team Leader Exports

“Now it’s usual for women, young and old to step out on their own. They don’t need to ask for anyone’s permission, nor does anyone question them now. Women feel a sense of freedom. And talking about the women’s inclusion in decision making at home, we are now consulted before decisions are made.

I love to work in the centers because we have understood the importance of maintaining quality for getting regular work. And it’s the best way to track work and avoid mistakes. The women help each other in getting the color and design right for each product, they skill each other, they support each other, they share their joys, their sorrows, and experiences with each other.

Now, I earn more than ten times of what I first earned and there is also a regularity in the earnings. I save a little, buy clothes for myself and my family, contribute to my grandchildren’s education, spend on household items, and save some for emergencies.”

Samu Bai is the Craft Manager of Village Center C in village 2AD. She has taught many around her the skill of embroidery.

“My mother and grandmother introduced me to the embroidery. I started gaining interest after school when I practiced with the women in the center till I mastered the craft. During pandemic, I was one of the first artisans to start sampling with designers’ long distance through video and phone calls and I eased out the sampling process.”

Priyanka is the Crafts Manager of Center B in village 2AD. She manages 23 artisans, and she became a Craft Manager in 2020 during the COVID pandemic.