This is a story with two beginnings, both beautifully intertwined and then traverse together as they emerge as a simple, yet heartwarming tale that spans two generations.
Mr Chinnasami lived a quiet, happy life with his three sons and wife in a little village called Kanakagiri Malayadivaaram, about 30 kms from Salem, made up mostly of the weaving community. Until one day, his world changed irrevocably when two of his sons disappeared without a trace. All attempts to find them were futile, as was even the police investigation. Chinnasami gave up everything but his grief. Weaving was his only solace.
Meanwhile, in a village not too far away, lived his third son, Devaraj, Praveen, the older of his two sons and his wife, with the maternal brother’s family. Over holidays and festivals, Praveen didn’t miss a chance to visit his paternal grandfather, or Thatha. Praveen loved his time with him and would spend his time wandering around the village making reels. This college-going youngster, like everyone his age, had his own Instagram handle and would upload videos of this quaint little village and his grandfather working away at the loom. “My thatha was always so happy to see me when I visited him. I wanted to capture this, so I would make short reels and upload them on my Instagram. Many people would comment that they love his smile, that he looks so warm and friendly. I got so many new followers too!” he laughs.
Praveen had seen his grandfather weaving at the loom for as far back as he could recall. He was often troubled with questions. Why would his thatha have to deal with middlemen and earn so little for such hard work? Why couldn’t he sell directly to customers? The turning point came when social media content producers like BehindWoods and Galatta contacted him for permission to use his content about his grandfather. Praveen gladly agreed. While he knew he would get good exposure for his grandfather’s loom and his creations, he hoped it would help him get some business too.
Praveen speaks passionately about his grandfather, “Thatha should be able to make more than what the brokers offer him. He works 10-12 hours a day, and he is 80 years old! When I posted my reels of Thatha at his loom, people wanted to buy from him. They just loved his smile and felt it would be auspicious to get a saree woven by Thatha for a wedding or engagement, or seemantham. They would buy the saree and ask for Thatha’s blessings.” Praveen revealed the shocking truth: his Thatha earned just about Rs. 5 per meter, and he was able to weave to a maximum of 20 meters per day. Some weavers went up to 40 meters a day, but his grandfather, at his age, couldn’t do as much. “So the maximum he earns is about Rs. 250 a day. I then started making more reels about other weavers in the area, as their plight was no better. Many of the comments for the reels got him thinking. The sarees or material that the weavers produced would be first sold to a broker or a middleman, who would then sell them to the stores and retail outlets for three or four times the price.”
Praveen wanted to change the dynamics and began with his grandfather’s sarees. He sold some on his Instagram page directly, cutting out the middlemen. The response encouraged him to approach a few other weavers to see if they wanted their creations sold directly. Soon, weavers from other villages approached Praveen and asked him to help. The young man took it upon himself to go to each of the weavers, buy their product, photograph and upload it on his page. “I never bargain with them. I buy the sarees at whatever price they quote and then add a small margin when I sell them through my website,” he says emphatically. Slowly, he began to learn about the world of e-commerce and online sales processes. “I am learning to navigate GST, maintain my website, post on social media regularly, and ensure customer satisfaction, all towards one big goal—that my Thatha and other weavers get their due for all their hard work,” he smiles. Praveen rides out himself to collect sarees from the other weavers. If the location is too remote, he has them send him pictures of the finished sarees and posts them on his page to get orders. He sets the price and directs the payments straight to the weaver from the customer.
Praveen proudly named the company Thathaa’s Clothing. While the response has been extremely positive, Praveen acknowledges that there are many challenges too. Sometimes the weavers don’t deliver on time. Or the package doesn’t arrive on time, given the slow pace of the postal service in rural areas. Praveen cheers up when he talks of good-hearted strangers who have come forward to help him. “After the first few videos, one person offered to help build my website. Another taught me about GST and how to price the products. I was also so happy when another person offered to market the sarees abroad, where they live. So many wonderful people out there, and they see the value of these weavers and their work. That makes me very happy,” he grins contentedly. Praveen routinely gets feedback and appreciation from celebrities, too. “It was also so motivating when the number of my followers went from 1,000 to 20,000 in one day! That was a reel with my grandfather and the new logo we had designed. There were shots of Thatha packing the sarees he wove,” he laughs happily.
Praveen feels his business is off to a good start. Domestic sales are good, and orders from abroad are also picking up. He’s very excited for what lies ahead. His plans include opening a small showroom where he can display weaves from his Thatha’s loom and also from the other weavers. He is determined to do as much for the weaving community in and around Salem as he does for his grandfather. And he is confident and willing to work hard for it. Asked about his own plans, he smiles. “I just graduated with a Bachelor’s in Chemistry with a Diploma in Agriculture. My father is a sales officer in an agri-products company. I wanted to get a steady job so I could help support my family and keep them comfortable. But even before I finished my degree, this path opened up for me. I now want to make Thathaa’s Clothing famous so that many more people can buy his sarees. Right now we’re still in the beginning stage. I finish my classes, then make my rounds to collect sarees from the weavers and stay up late into the night to finish packing them so I can mail them out the next day. Even Thatha helps some days! At least now I finished college, and can focus solely on this business.”
This fresh graduate loves the land he grew up on and dreams of owning a farm with chickens and ducks and dogs and goats. He has another Instagram handle and a YouTube channel where he teaches children how to care for their pets. He has millions of views for his shorts too, to the point where he is now able to monetise his channel.
As of now, it is a one-man show, and the products are available only online. Praveen has had offers to invest in his budding business. But he is reluctant. “I am saving up for a physical store, but there’s time for it. My grandfather had to always defer to middlemen, and now I want to keep my independence. Even if it is slow, it will still be ours,” he says thoughtfully. Praveen is learning, one step at a time, with every weave and weft, the intricacies of running a business. As of now, this is his tapestry, and he is weaving in a better life for Thatha, his family, and a whole lot of weavers.
When this story reaches 1000 views we will cover an exclusive of this business.
