Srinagar, Mar 25: In a remarkable tale of passion and perseverance, four young entrepreneurs from Downtown Srinagar have embarked on a mission to revive the fading glory of Kashmiri handicrafts.
Arif Irshad, a documentary filmmaker, along with his techie friends Adil, Morifat, and Sameer, all in their early thirties, have defied the odds to resurrect the intricate artistry of Kashmir.
In 2019, armed with a mere Rs 2 lakhs in hand, these four friends launched Kashmirorigin.com, an e-commerce platform dedicated to showcasing the rich tapestry of Kashmiri craftsmanship. Within less than six years, their venture has woven a remarkable success story, generating lakhs in revenue every month.
They curated a collection ranging from the luxurious threads of pashmina to the delicate intricacies of crewel, the exquisite allure of paper mache including traditional food items.
“We invested from our pocket money into this venture. With a team of professionals including software developers, filmmakers, and photographers, we brought our creative designs to life online,” said Irshad.
After getting good responses from online mediums, the talented youngsters started receiving orders from different places across India and even developed international clientele.
“We have received orders from different states. We managed a good network of clients in few months of starting our business,” said young entrepreneurs.
The youngsters said that they directly get products from talented artisans and have a strong chain of artisans. ” Our plans are dependent on funding. We want to revive every art form of Kashmir as much as possible. We want to promote the artworks which have faded in Kashmir. We want to open our showrooms in future,” said Entrepreneurs.
Irshad said that he aspires to breathe life into every art form of Kashmir, to preserve and promote the legacy of our ancestors.
“Beyond the profits and accolades. We remained steadfast in our mission to empower Kashmiri artisans. With a direct line to these talented craftsmen, we ensure fair compensation and sustainable partnerships, fostering a community-driven approach to economic revival,” he said.