Techie quits job to help Artisans
By Suneetha

It was the call of the inner soul for Preethi Prabhu; she gave up a lucrative salary and the comforts of her IT Manager’s cabin for philanthropy, of the art kind. Her penchant for preservation of culture and heritage helped, and she founded the IndyaKaleidoscope which helps many rural artisans earn more income by cutting out the role of the middleman. Preethi spoke to Techgoss.

Techgoss (TG): Tell us about yourself.
Preethi Prabhu (PP): Born in Udupi, I am from a South Indian middle class family where both parents worked. My dad was a business man and mum was a bank employee. Engineering or medical were the only two attractive careers back then, and since medical was not my thing (I get very disturbed by seeing people in pain or death) Engineering seemed the only option. I have a Bachelors degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from VTU. I worked in the IT industry for about 8 Years, mainly into implementation and support of ERP solutions and when I quit I was a Customer Support Manager for an Educational ERP.

I also got a Diploma in Interior Decoration while I was working. (I discovered that I was passionate about decorating during my engineering days and wanted to learn more)

TG: How did IndyaKaleidoscope happen? Give us the details? When, how, where.
PP: Work was getting very hectic and every day I was faced with a new challenge and my travel schedule did not permit me to relax. IndyaKaleidoscope started as a Decor blog in August 2009, as a space where I shared Interior decorating ideas from my home and travelogues of crafts and people. It was more of a stress buster for me where I would relax after a hard days work no matter where I was.

I started the blog for myself, but slowly I started getting regular visitors who would email me if I dint blog for a few days. After my official trips or vacations, I would always come home with a wide variety of crafts and decor objects photograph them and share it online.

I managed to decorate my tiny apartment with all the lovely things and that too at a very small budget. This became the theme for IndyaKaleidoscope.

In May 2011 the IK online store was live and in Dec 2011 we have a small retail outlet.

TG: Where does IK stand now and how does it serve the population?
PP: Two years after the inception of the blog, IK has managed to build credibility and a small group of loyal customers. Since we buy directly from the makers of the crafts, we are able to price it at a very right for the customer and also ensure that the craftsmen get their worth. (We don’t negotiate; we buy at a price quoted by the craftsmen)

TG: Does it have a target audience
PP: The target audience is definitely the urban mass. People who have gifting needs and decorating needs, no matter what the budget, we have an Indian Handicraft for them. Currently our products range from Rs. 35/- to a few thousands.

TG: Have you used your techie background in some way with IK? In marketing, management, in any way?
PP: The fast pace of the IT life puts you on a track which is difficult to slow down.  I see myself setting priorities, multitasking and using every resource effectively.

TG: Do you employ people to manage the work administration? How do you manage the admin part?
PP: Currently I am managing the admin part along with the help of a part time professional. But definitely on the lookout for an enthusiastic person to handle it in the near future.

TG: How did you family cope with your leaving your job? Did you have any resistance?
PP: Well, It wasn’t easy. My mom just couldn’t understand why I would want to quit a well paying job and take the risk of doing something on my own. She is very supportive but worries at times. My sisters have been very supportive from the very beginning.

TG: How have you managed your post job years financially? How do you manage the finances for the beneficiaries?
PP: The finances came from my savings and a small loan from family. I am against the idea of accepting investments as people would like to see higher returns and push profit maximization. Since operational costs are not too high, the only way to cut cost would be while buying from craftsmen and this defeats the purpose of giving them a fair price.

TG: What future do you see for IK in another five years? Any plans in the offing?
PP: Currently IK is supporting about four rural craft groups and one family. We sure hope to increase this base to a sizeable number. And at the same time increase our buyers and get more visibility.

TG: Anything else you would like us to tell our readers?
PP: Every person deserves a beautiful space no matter what your economic background is and Indian Handicrafts give you that edge.

Preethi Prabhu’s venture holds beauty of a different kind. Visit her website for more details.