Bhu:sattva in talks with Louis Vuitton, M&S to go global

After tasting success with its 'green' designer clothes range at last year's Lakme Fashion Week, Bhu:sattva, the organic textile division of Ahmedabad-based Rising Tradelink (RTL) has now set its eyes on the global market. The company plans to

start exporting its clothesline from September this year and has initiated talks with overseas players like Marks & Spencer and Louis Vuitton. Currently, it has non-resident Indian clientele who purchase Bhu:sattva clothes directly from RTL and market them at their multi-brand retail outlets in Germany, UK, US, Canada, Italy and other European countries. "We are not into direct exports, but are in talks with luxury goods makers like Louis Vuitton and Marks & Spencer to tap the global market," says Jainam Kumarpal, Director, RTL.

Bhu:sattva now works with four to five non-governmental organizations that procure organic cotton from 50 to 100 villages in southern India. The raw cotton to yarn to fabric processing is done organically without using strong chemicals at south India's power-looms. RTL colors the fabric using herbals dyes and stitches them in-house in Kutch and Bhuj region of Gujarat.

Interestingly, rural Gujarat is gradually witnessing the emergence of local brands, thanks to entrepreneurs like RTL. By forming self-help groups, rural artisans and textile entrepreneurs, mostly women, are being assisted by the non-government organizations, educational institutions and textile firms alike in developing their own local garment brands. Kumarpal talks about the venture as a win-win situation for both."While these clothes would be marketed under the Bhu:sattva banner, we will definitely position these garments as manufactured by rural women. It will have its own connotations,” he avers.

Part of this project is India’s premiere design institute, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Gandhinagar. Using its expertise in fashion and textiles, the NIFT is helping rural artisans in product development, design development, branding and marketing of their textile products. "These artisans are forming their own federations and self-help groups through which they market their brands. On our part, we assist them in developing their local crafts by giving product development, branding and design inputs in textiles. For instance, they have been able to market crafts like ikkat and tangail within and outside Gujarat," said Rupali Pandit, Associate Professor, textile department, NIFT. Playing the crucial role of facilitator, Bhu:sattva is supplying the organic cotton fabric to these women together with imparting training by designers from the National Institute of Design (NID) and NIFT.

In the meantime, Bhu:sattva is firmly focused on India. "Our strategy is to first exhaust the niche market in India that comprises multi-brand designer outlets, then move on to direct exports and eventually come up with stand-alone Bhu:sattva brand stores, Kumarpal says. Currently, Bhu:sattva clothes are available across 50 stores in India spanning the major cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Pune, Hyderabad and Chennai among others. RTL plans to tie up with 30 more outlets this year. Around 120 designer multi-brand outlets in the country are Bhu:sattva’s target. The privately held company plans to go for a listing in around three to five year's time to raise funds for its expansion.