A Mompreneur And A Proud Promoter of Odisha's Timeless Craft! - Samapti Bal

“I am a mother, entrepreneur, and a proud promoter of Handloom and Humanity. My parents always admired Odisha’s Handloom, and I also used to visit several exhibitions, where I came in contact with some weavers. I got to know about how they were being underpaid for their wonderful work. Like most other families, I was also forced to do a job, but I always wanted to be an entrepreneur. I did work in some big and reputed organizations, but I never found self-satisfaction. I came to think of my salary as a drug that was slowly killing my dreams.

Later I got married, and I told my husband what I wanted to do. He supported and encouraged me to work towards my dreams. If I left my job, I had no stable income source. However, no such challenge could stop me from pursuing what I loved. The initial phase was very difficult, because I had to travel to a lot of remote and inaccessible places like the tribal belt of Kalahandi and Koraput in order to learn about the process, technique and background of weaving, and this helped me to establish my own brand, ‘Odisha Hast Tant’.

I quit my job and gave my full time to the startup. Though it has only been 4 years since I started the brand, I have numerous people who have felt the love of handmade products and become like friends after their first purchase. I have received a lot of appreciation and several awards for my brand and my work towards reviving the dying art.

My first aim was to uplift the status of Handloom weavers, who have upheld this authentic craft of Odisha for so many generations. I have never been in search of fame and money, and that encourages me to sell my products at a very feasible price to all who love this art. Currently, I have 42 weavers in my team, whom I treat as my family, and try to make their lives better.

A lot of my weavers are very educated, and few have done fashion designing courses, and even MBA. They can turn traditional designs into exquisite modern ones, such that the designs tell a story of their own.

As a woman entrepreneur, I want not just to change my life, but also those of others and inspire them to start a venture of their own. Settling for something less will never satisfy your inner self. I believe that being a mother if I can travel distant places and work overnight, anyone can do it.” – Samapti Bal