Mela Artisans is a luxury lifestyle brand that celebrates India’s artisanal skills and fosters entrepreneurship and social revival in poor communities in India.
Since 2013, Mela has built strong orders across a range of retail channels including Bed Bath and Beyond, TJ Maxx, Pier 1 Imports, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, Barneys, as well as e-commerce sites. It has also streamlined its operations with a strong sourcing pipeline linking artisans, around craft clusters, in two to ten states, to a warehouse in Delhi responsible for quality control and shipping.
In 2018, Mela’s sales have stagnated at some $1,4 million (roughly the same level as the previous year) due to delays in raising funds for a series B of $5 million for growth capital to invest in brand strategy, product category expansion and a proprietary supply chain. Meanwhile, it has recently raised a convertible note for $500,000 from some exiting and new investors, and is reviewing its strategy to attract sizeable capital to fuel its growth in revenue.
In 2018, Mela continued to increase artisan revenue by some $200,000 working steadily with some 1,000 artisans, impacting some 6,000 family members.
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INSAAN PORTFOLIO: INDIA
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