The Village Store is a social enteprise set up to provide market access to rural micro business units of India who follow certain manufacturing ethics

2. About Us-Objective
1. To provide market access to rural micro-business units
producing environment friendly products and using
labour intensive production process.
2. To sensitize the consumers to use eco-friendly
products thereby contributing towards Sustainable
Development and Poverty Reduction.

3. About Us-The Team
Mr. Vinaykumar G.
Exp:14 years. Pratham, Societe Generale, IDBI Bank Ltd., ABN Amro Bank, BNP
Paribas and ICICI Bank Ltd.
Ed: Masters in Finance, Bachelor of Commerce, Mumbai University.
The right experience gives an edge to your professionalism and Vinay has acquired
the right acumen having served in different roles with various foreign & private sector
banks for nearly 12 years.
He has been working in the development sector full time for the past two years with
core competencies in conceptualizing and setting up new initiatives for youth in
income generation opportunities.
Ms. Bhavana Parab
Exp : 2 years. Pratham, Niramaya Health Foundation (NHF).
Ed: Bachelors in Social Work from College of Social Work, Nirmala Niketan
She is currently pursuing Masters in Social Entrepreneurship from Narsee Monjee
Institute of Management Studies.
She has a strong foundation of grassroot work built on her experience with Pratham
and NHF supported by her education.

4. Background-The Need
58% of India’s population are engaged in agriculture and its allied activities, but
its share in country’s GDP has declined from 48.7% in 1950 to 24.4 % in 1996-
97 and further 18.7% in 2007. (Source Economic Survey 2006-07)
From the figures of employment and ‘contribution to GDP’ indicate presence of
disguised unemployment.
According to Economic Survey 06-07, 60% of the rural households also take
up alternative income opportunities, but most of them do not achieve
sustainability due to
Lack of awareness about market needs and hence end up making varieties of a
single product;
Product cost and quality mismatch;
Govt. sponsored training programs do not provide training to units in marketing
techniques, product pricing, market mix, packaging, etc.;
Poor entrepreneurial skills;
Do not practice cost control techniques;
Do not focus much on producing products that are required by the market on a
regular basis but produce craft items which do not have a regular market.

5. Who are our customers
Customer 1- Micro business units.
The characteristic of these units are
small level of capitalization;
initiated and managed by a household or few individuals;
self employment (owner is manager and worker);
simple technology and equipment;
utilization of local resources/raw materials;
transactions are often informal (no written agreement, based on personal
contacts); and
producing environmental friendly products.
Customer 2- Consumers who appreciates
quality and eco-friendly products- would like to move from conventional to
environmental friendly products;
knowledge and skills of rural artisans; and
contribute towards village development

6. Methodology
Step 1
Identification of the micro business units who
Wish to develop regular market for their products and is receptive to change;
Produces handcrafted environmental friendly products;
Pays fair wages to its craftsmen;
Provides clean working conditions;
Adopts strict No Child Labor Policy;
Provides continuous training to the artisans and
Undertakes village/community development activities.
Step 2
Conduct market investigation of the products and share market feedback with
the unit;
Assisting the unit to understand their core competencies and areas of
improvement;
Accordingly network the unit with resources for their capacity building.

7. Methodology
Step 3
Market identification for the product;
Meeting consumers and sensitizing them to use eco friendly products;
Showcasing the art and skills of the artisans;
Customizing the product as per consumer needs to develop a regular
market for the product;
Soft Selling with 10% margin to meet overhead cost
Step 4
Assist the unit to be able to respond as per market needs;
Assist the unit to reach out to more number of artisans;
Develop linkages between the units and consumers for market
sustainability;
Continue Selling and also explore new products/new units

8. Services that we offer
For the Micro Business Unit
Opportunity scanning;
Market investigation for their products and provide market information;
Networking for product design improvement;
Marketing and selling their products and help them develop linkages so
that they can achieve sustainability;
Continuously assessing the entrepreneur’s needs and networking for
capacity building.
For the Consumers
Innovative ideas to contribute towards sustainable development -
development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of the future generations to meet their own needs;
Opportunity to contribute towards village development and poverty
reduction.

9. Products
• Handmade Paper Products: Products like desktops, greeting
cards, envelops and corporate gifts
• These papers are wood free, are made out of cotton waste
and banana fiber and uses no harmful chemicals.
• The entire process is handmade and uses solar energy for
drying the paper sheets.
• The products are further value added with Warli Paintings,
a traditional art which needs to be conserved.
• Bamboo Products: Products like jewelry, lamp shades,
desktops, corporate gifts, home products, etc.
• Bamboo is a highly renewable material and one of the
earth’s fastest growing plants, with some species growing
up to 3 feet per day.
• It needs no replanting, no fertilizer, and can be harvested
in controlled stands in 3-5 years.
• Hardwood forest on the other hand requires 15-20 years to
mature.
• Bamboo also releases 35% more oxygen than equivalent
timber stands.

10. Products
• Natural Fiber Products: Products like corporate gifts, Bags -
Executive, Shopping, Travel, etc., soft furnishing products, etc.
• Products are made using the natural indigenous plants
occurring in places like riverbeds which would not otherwise
be used.
• Many other products are also made from agricultural
waste bi-products like banana rope being made from
banana tree trunk which is normally discarded after the
banana is harvested.
• Forest Honey: Bee specie Apis Dorsata
• Truly Organic since collected from the forest and forest
does not use any pesticides or insecticides
• High on medicinal properties since rockbees naturally
forage on rare species of plants and tree flowers in the forest
• High in fruit sugar as compared to honey produced by
domesticated bees
• Helps in forest conservation since facilitates pollination

11. Products
Producer Groups:
Uravu Indigenous Science & Technology Study Center, Wayand
In to Bamboo crafts and bamboo food products for the past 10 years
Currently reaching out to 500 households through various community activities.
Providing employment to 150 households through craft center and their annualised income rose
by 95%
ROPE, Chennai
Incubated by TeNet, IIT Chennai with a mission of linking rural artisan and craftsmen with ICT
applications.
Providing employment to 200 households with 80% being women and their annualized income
rose by 166%
Currently have around 9 units in Tamil Nadu producing products made out of Natural Fiber
Srinivasan Service Trust, Tiruneveli.
Incubated by TVS Groups as part of their social responsibility
Currently providing education, health and livelihood support to 280 villages in Tamil Nadu.
The unit is also making Handmade paper from Banana fiber and currently employs 20 women
Center for Bee Development, Wardha
Incubated by Department of Science & Technology, GOI and has been working on scientific
collection of honey from forest for the past 25 years.
Currently supports 80 tribal honey collectors and has helped them to increase their earnings by
110% over a period of one year.
The initiative also supports Shanti Hastkala, Valsad which employs 20 women producing
Handmade paper products with Warli paintings

12. Price and Service Structure
SHG Units SHG Units SHG Units SHG Units
Pays fair wages
Village Producer Unit Quality Checks
Ensures regular income
Maintains production schedule
Ensures quality working condition
20% margin over direct cost to Maintains common facility center
Conducts village development activities
meet indirect expenses Overhead expenses
Market identification Provides a platform to the market to
Market investigation and feedback
The Village Store make movement from conventional
Developing regular market products to Eco friendly products.
Networking for capacity building 10% margin for selling cost
Contribute towards Sustainable
Development and poverty reduction
Consumers

13. You can…
initiate small initiatives to move from conventional products to Eco Friendly Products;
share the value add of using eco friendly products with your staff and customers by
sensitizing them.
make purchases and contribute towards village development;
help in generating more income earning opportunities in rural India and eventually
reduce city migration;
help in the conservation of traditional arts and crafts;
help in making the best use of locally available raw materials which otherwise would
have been neglected;
Your support shall also help us to reach to larger number of rural units and
thus pass on the benefits to many.

14. Thank You!
The Village Store
102 R.R.Realty, L.B.S. Marg, Tank Road,
Bhandup West, Mumbai 400 078.
Cell – 9820601179 / 9769997199.
Email: vinaykumarg07@gmail.com, bhavana.ved@gmail.com