Innovation

• Many a time we fail to notice the immense entrepreneurial capability that lies hidden at the bottom of the pyramid. Nrinam is an enterprise of a tiny, forgotten segment of society, girls from an economically marginalized community, producing beautifully handcrafted products, fit to be flaunted by the elites.
• They have found a way to differentiate their products in the market with beautiful designs and the intricate patterns which adorn their handicrafts. They have used innovative techniques to cut down the costs and utilize waste in creative ways.
• For block printing, the paint used is the same as the ones used for wall painting. This has two advantages. Firstly, it is way cheaper than the block printing dye and secondly because it never comes off. This way, their product doesn’t need to be dry cleaned as it is washable.
• Another innovation they incorporated in their products is the use of waste cloths for appliques, where a cloth is stitched on a cloth. There were many designers and boutiques that gave away a lot of waste cloth which Nrinam used in their appliques. This way, they were recycling as well.
• Some of their products, like foot rugs, are completely designed out of procured waste cloths. They have also used waste cloth and plastic cups to build up their own Juggi, like for the curtains and the decorations. This cuts their costs and helps them increase their commercial potential.

Inspiration

• It was in mid-2016, when Aishwarya Tandon, a student of Delhi University, noticed these girls from a Juggi colony, an informal settlement, around her place in Gurugram, begging for alms. Instead of obliging with a penny or two, she started a pursuit to find a long-lasting solution to their problem.
• As she interacted with them, trying to understand their interests, she realized that they wanted to learn skills like sewing, cooking, embroidering but didn’t have sufficient knowledge about them. This led to the conception of the idea of Nrinam which started off with 17 girls.
• As the skills were taught and the products developed, they went commercial and sold it in Flea markets, Exhibitions and on social media and received a warm welcome by the market owing to their unique designs.
• The company’s goal is not only to just develop skills of girls from the economically marginalized section of society but to also guarantee employment. On principle, Nrinam discourages any type of donation or free aid in any form as Self-Esteem and Endurance are what they want to inculcate in the girls. The revenue from the products which the girls make is making the company thrive.

Overall impact

• Impact is something which can be seen but difficult to measure in the world of social entrepreneurship. We can measure the impact here in two ways, tangible and intangible.
• The tangible impact which Nrinam has achieved is that a woman has gone from earning Rs.50-55 per day in unethical and sad circumstances of begging on the road to working from home and earning a respectable income of Rs. 4500-5000 per month. Nrinam also gives them proper payslips.
• The intangible impact is that normally in the area where these girls come from, they get married at the age of 13-14 and every girl who works for Nrinam is above 15 of age and none of their parents have thought of getting them married. Earning for their family gives them authority and demands respect from their family members, who otherwise would have treated them as a burden.

Business benefit

• Nrinam, according to Aishwarya, was not formed with an idea to make money but to make enough profits to sustain themselves. The idea was to develop skills that can be commercialized later and ensure a decent income to all its stakeholders.
• Whatever profit has been earned by the entity from the last sales, 75% of it goes into giving wages to girls and the remaining 25% is utilized for infrastructure development of the enterprise and other expenses. This fund is used for sourcing raw materials, any construction activity in the school or an emergency.
• The intricacies of design and packaging for the products are so finely taken care of, that with every product the buyer gets a little profile of the girl who made it and her wish. The emotional connect they have established with their buyers helps them build brand loyalty.
• Most of their promotions and marketing happen through their social media handles, with their Facebook and Instagram accounts sizzling with impactful and relevant posts. This saves them from expensive marketing charges.
• With the increasing number of orders around Delhi and NCR region, Nrinam is planning to initiate an expansion of its operations to South and Central India, as they feel they are more receptive to art and wishes to establish one new unit in each quarter of the year.

Social and environmental benefit

• The girls at Nrinam come from all walks of life. While most of them were beggars, others had menial jobs. By involving them in productive ways of spending time, the school run by Nrinam, provides an escape from the psychological hardships of their daily life.
• The school keeps toggling between a play area and a workspace for these girls- ‘a place to play and chill’. It has around 50 students, with 30 boys and 20 girls. From 10 AM to 1 PM in the morning, they are taught educational subjects and then skills training in the second half.
• The Nrinam girls share this space with other children from the ghetto who are frequented by volunteers who teach them various subjects like English and Maths, music, dance and share stories.
• Apart from generating employment for these skilled women, Nrinam is providing them as well as the other children of the ghettos a hope for a future away from the slums.

Interview

Aishwarya Tandon, Founder, Nrinam