Director (HR) wins hearts in Chanderi

Later in the morning, over 800 people thronged the venue for the formal inauguration of Apna Kosh-a bank for self-help groups, formed by BVS that would offer loans to the needy. “Improve your technique, upgrade the quality, market your product well, and above all, have confidence in yourself,” Dr. AK Balyan, Director (HR) touched hearts and endeared himself to the villagers when he spoke passionately in simple Hindi. “Your success story is a lesson for the management institutes”, said Dr. Balyan who was visibly moved by the enthusiasm and affection of villagers.

Shri Gopal Singh Chauhan, the local MLA, Shri Subhash Chand Jindal, Vice-President, BASIX, Shri Asheer Ahmed, Block President, Congress party, Shri Prakash Tripathi, Managing Director, Desert Artisans Handicraft Pvt Ltd and senior citizens of Chanderi were unanimous in their praise for ONGC.

Chanderi has a population of around 30,000. With about 3,500 looms actively working, almost 60% of this population is directly or indirectly dependent on the handloom business. Others make beedis and earn dismally low wages.

Chanderi textiles were patronized initially by the Mughals. The elegance of the soft Chanderi colours lie in their constant reference to nature. The magic is in warp and weft - taana and baana. The silk yarn is largely imported Chinese or Korean; the cottons procured from Coimbatore and  Jaipur. Weaving is performed by one or two skilled workers of the same family. The looms are traditional pit looms with throw shuttle.

Invasion of the business by exploitative traders created a huge economic gap between the weavers and traders. The weavers lacked the resources to buy and store raw material, create and circulate samples of products besides lacking know-how about designing and market opportunities. Few contemporary designers worked on the fabric and Chanderi lost out as a fabric for the fashion conscious buyer. The weaving community also began to suffer as the traders and moneylenders cornered all profits and paid very little wages. At their mercy, the weavers were resigned to bondage.

In this vulnerable time, 30 odd weavers came together to form Bunkar Vikas Sanstha under the aegis of United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. Weavers now had their own organisation to address their problems on long term basis in self sustainable manner. BVS was established in 2004 as an apex body of 13 Self Help Groups of 119 weavers of Chanderi handloom with an objective of economic and social empowerment of the weaver community.

UNIDO realised that in spite of good progress, it would be premature to exit  and invited BASIX to carry forward the task. BASIX is a new generation livelihood promotion institute. The mission of BASIX is to promote a large number of sustainable livelihoods, including for the rural poor and women, through the provision of financial services and technical assistance in an integrated manner. 

ONGC joined this fledgling  movement with a grant of Rs. 5 lakhs. The weavers used this much needed money to buy raw material. The weavers were exposed to exhibitions and traditional fairs. They were the new entrepreneurs. Armed with expertise, they created modern elegant designs and marketed the heritage art innovatively. Pranpur, another village in neighbourhood, with about 250 functional looms approached BVS to recreate the success story of Chanderi.

Unfortunately, banks are neither innovative nor inclined to tap rural people as clients. The language of collaterals, forms and signatures are incomprehensible to these mostly illiterate people. ONGC realized that they were capable of using money wisely to increase their earnings and improve their quality of life and gave Rs. 5 lakhs  more to BVS as seed money for the micro-finance activities. Today 60 Self Help Groups are engaged in microfinance activities by practicing regular savings and inter-lending to members.

ONGC has endeavoured to strengthen  BVS as an institution. In the recently held Conference on Emerging Offshore Technologies (CEOT-2007), the senior delegates were given the exquisitely woven mementoes which were greatly appreciated. Director (HR) has opined that Chanderi products should be used as gifts and mementoes during various events so that ONGC can help BVS in its marketing efforts.

ONGC is dedicated to support BVS by establishing systems for better functioning and leading to sustainability in future, supporting the educational and health programmes for overall development of the weavers and involving newer SHGs and strengthening all the existing SHGs in BVS. The underlying principle is to develop a sustainable solution for providing effective livelihood support to handloom weavers.

At Chanderi, Bimla Bai, Asharfi Bano, Musarraf Jahan and many more have common qualities- a strong urge to do something meaningful, to empower themselves. Today BVS stands tall because of its dedicated weavers. They have all shown great skill, determination and enterprise. With ONGC as their guide, BVS has begun its journey towards total empowerment.

ONGC Intervention

In the year 2004, ONGC paid an amount of Rs.5,00,000 towards the corpus fund of Bunkar Vikas Sanstha. Rs. 4,52,525.00 was utilized for the working capital and the rest was used for branding of BVS. Due credit was given to ONGC by way of letter pads, price tags, visiting cards, packing material leaflets, banners, sign boards, hoardings, etc.

Certain encouraging facts about BVS are:

• Sales turnover is growing from Rs.0.7million in 2003-4, Rs. 3.3 million in 04-05, Rs. 7.0 million plus in 05-06 and 9.0 million plus in 2007-08.
• Core team is being groomed well for all aspects of enterprise.
• Empowered executive body which takes all decision for management of BVS by decentralized decision-making process through SHGs.
• 60 SHGs doing microfinance activities by practicing regular saving and internal-lending to members.
• 40 SHGs with good overall track record of microfinance were shortlisted for proposed CBMFI.
• Doing Health awareness through social animator and working on education through 4 adult education classes and Community Media Center supported through UNESCO and One World South Asia.
• Developed networking and linkages with support agencies such as ONGC, HSBN, NFMDC, UNESCO, EDI, OWSA, UNIDO and BASIX.

Community Based Microfinance Institute: Apna Kosh

BVS is already working with 60 SHGs which are doing microfinance activities at their SHG level. Now BASIX, which has expertise in institutional development work, has federated all these SHGs under one apex body so as to access capital requirement from mainstream financial institutes to fulfill working capital as well as consumption need of weaver.

Apna Kosh was formally inaugurated by Dr. AK Balyan, Director (HR) in the presence of Shri Gopal Singh Chauhan, the local MLA, Shri Subhash Chand Jindal, Vice-President, BASIX, Shri Asheer Ahmed, Block President, Congress party, Shri Prakash Tripathi, Managing Director, Desert Artisans Handicraft Pvt Ltd and senior citizens of Chanderi.

Presently BVS has raised an equity capital of Rs. 45,000- from short listed 45 SHGs as per their track record in microfinance operation at SHG level with  a deposit of Rs. 100/- from each member. ONGC has provided Rs.5,00,000/- as seed money to Apna Kosh.

Installation of DELFIX software has been done by  BASIX. The bank account of Apna Kosh  has been opened in the State Bank of Indore and the signing authorities are Mr. Champalal and Mr. Mohd. Shafeeq. Apna Kosh has 7staff members which includes one accountant, two LSAs and four social animators.