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<br /> Alarmed by people’s ignorance about ingredients of day-to-day skin regime, <keyword id="648245" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mohit-Bhatia">Mohit Bhatia</keyword> decided to enter the natural skincare market in India and hence ‘<keyword id="441792" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="fuschia">Fuschia</keyword>’ was born. Taking a leaf out of its parent company <keyword id="4090514" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vkare-bio-sciences">Vkare Bio Sciences</keyword> in 2013, Fuschia has been consistently evolving and has established itself as a brand dedicated to natural , handmade skincare products.<br />
<br /> “We started with natural, handmade soaps (initially 10 variants , now expanded to 50+ variants) and today we have range of skincare including Day Cream, Anti-ageing Night Cream,and Cleopatra’s Secret Body Bath,” said <keyword id="4943" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhatia">Bhatia</keyword>.<br />
<br />
<strong>How it started?</strong><br />
“Having studied the never ending market of skincare products in India and abroad we realised that most of the labels were fraught with harsh chemicals. We started off as a team of doctors with an inclination towards skincare in a natural way. To our surprise, the majority of customers were more or less unaware of the ingredients they were feeding their skin. However, of late many global brands have come up with the idea of natural skincare. Though the idea of chemical free skincare has been widely accepted by our Indian customer base but ‘natural skincare’ still remains a blanket term for many,” said Bhatia.<br />
<br />
The ever growing demand for and existing confusion about ‘natural skincare’ have been strategically exploited by lot of labels. Just adding the label of Natural, Herbal, Ayurvedic don’t make it so. It’s the situation that made Fuschia to promote ‘natural skincare’ as products essentially free of SLS, Parabens, Pthalates, Mineral oils, Synthetic colours and fragrances.<br />
<br />
<strong>Handmade</strong><br />
The manufacturing process is ‘handmade’. The production batches are small and this also ensures that the products reach customers in their freshest form. The constant endeavour to provide the customers the best for their skin and at the same time contributing towards saving the ecosystem from harsh chemicals makes the brand appreciable.<br />
<br />
<strong>Funding</strong><br />
Currently a self funded organization, Fuschia works along with a network of 100+ ecommerce portals. Among the distribution channels, Fuschia has collaborated with subscription boxes and retail stores.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Challenges</strong><br />
“Being a team of medicos, manufacturing skincare products was not our forte. It was a challenge researching on production of such a range. With great efforts and lot of technical support from people associated with the field we started off with this humongous task of making ‘Fuschia’. Since our launch we have had limited financial resources and with no investors we stuck to being bootstrapped. It was not an easy job to sell a new skincare brand in this very competitive market, and to the customers with ample knowledge and affinity to the existing big names in the industry. When it came to marketing and promotion of the brand, paucity of funds once again stood in the way,” said Bhatia.<br />
<br />
<strong>Market size &amp; opportunity</strong><br />
According to International market research agencies, personal care industry demand in this segment was over $7.6 billion (approx Rs 50,000 crore) in 2012 and is expected to reach $13.2 billion (approx Rs 80,000 crore) by 2018, growing at a CAGR of 9.6 per cent from 2012 to 2018.<br />
<br />
Indian consumers are now more aware and conscious of their health &amp; beaity choices, and there is a growing demand for chemical free skincare products and our brand caters to the needs of this health conscious segment.

A team of
doctors has formed a start up to take lead in India’s skincare front

<ul><li>The <keyword id="1400873" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Khadi-Village-Industries-Commission">Khadi Village Industries Commission</keyword> (KVIC) saw a 25% jump in sales to ₹75,000 crore.<br /></li><li>KVIC’s sales are twice that of the largest consumer goods company in India, Hindustan Unilever (HUL).<br /></li><li>The growth in KVIC sales volume can be attributed to the increase in demand for khadi products.<br /></li></ul>The Indian government’s retail division that boasts exclusively of ‘Made in India’ consumer products — Khadi Village Industries Commission (KVIC) — saw a 25% jump in sales in the year ending on 31 March, 2019.<br /><br />In comparison to India’s largest fast moving consumer goods company, Hindustan Unilever (HUL), KVIC’s sales stood at ₹75,000 crore — twice that of HUL’s at ₹38,000 crore.<br /><br />A large part of this explosive growth has come from khadi or handmade products, which grew at their fastest rate ever in the last four years. <br /><br /><strong>Khadi in vogue</strong><br /><br />KVIC’s growth in sales is largely due to a rise in demand for khadi products — like papad, honey and cosmetics. Together they accounted for 4.3% of all sales.<br /><br />And, then there’s khadi itself. KVIC is not only selling it in stores but also <a href="https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/spinning-on-khadi-weaves-a-success-story-rs-3200-crore-sales-in-fy19/1527425/">supplying</a> to bigwig fabric companies like Raymond, Arvind Mills and Aditya Birla Fashion.<br /><br />They’re also tying up with state-owned companies — like ONGC, Oil India and even the Indian Post Office — to give out gift coupons to employees, and use khadi for uniforms. <br /><br />Not to mention that khadi is reportedly ‘chic’ fashion in the current era in part due to its comfort. Indian millennials <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/mail-today/story/khadi-the-fabric-for-india-s-fashionable-and-young-1451881-2019-02-09">look</a> at khadi as an icon of sustainable fashion. Actress Kangana Ranaut is one of the many Indian celebrities who promotes homespun fashion at global film festivals. <br /><br /><strong>Make in India and Buy Indian</strong><br /><br />Khadi, a hand spun and hand woven cloth, was one of the weapons of Mahatma Gandhi’s fight for freedom from the British. As a part of the <em>Swadeshi </em>movement, he inspired his countrymen to buy products made by Indians to support the local economy, than allowing Britain to market its own.<br /><br />Today, KVIC is the statutory body responsible for the planning, promotion and organisation of the programmes that aid the use of khadi across. Their growth is also fueled by the current government’s push for local manufacturers with the ‘Make in India’ programme.<br /><br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/local-phone-manufacturing-saves-india-3-trillion-through-make-in-india/articleshow/65517201.cms">Local phone manufacturing saves India ₹3 trillion through Make in India</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-invites-manufacturers-for-6-5-billion-p-75-submarines-contract/articleshow/69883990.cms">Indian government kick-starts ₹450 billion project to make six submarines under Make in India</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/made-in-india-apple-iphones-wont-be-cheap-enough-for-indian-users/articleshow/67285223.cms">‘Made-in-India’ Apple iPhones may get cheaper but they probably won’t be cheap enough for Indian users</a></strong><br />

Indians are buying more Khadi than Hindustan Unilever products

Greater Noida, Feb 6 ( ) Rajasthan-based Devot Motors on Thursday unveiled the prototype of its hand-made electric bike at the Auto Expo here.<p> Davot Motors is working towards the commercial production of the vehicle, which should start from the last quarter of the year, the company's Chief Executive Officer Varun Deo Panwar said.</p><p> He said the company is scouting for investors for commercial production of the bikes, adding depending upon the investment we would decide whether we should set up an assembling facility or go contract manufacturing.</p><p> "This is the first-ever hand-made electric motorcycle which is designed and made in India and inspired by India and British design technologies," he claimed.</p><p> The motorcycle will be fully charged in less than three hours, using the onboard charger and will be fully charged in 30 minutes to one hour time with fast charging, he said.</p><p> "Our production motorcycle version will come with onboard charger as standard and we will be offering fast charging unit to install at home and offices for fast charging with the range of up to 200 km and speed of up to 100km/ hour," he added.</p><p> Panwar also said he was targeting customers who aspire for a bike, which is less than a sports bike in a Rs 1.20-1.50 lakh range.Devot's motorcycles will have no maintenance and very low wear and tear, he said adding we will look to sell 2,000 bikes in six months once it hits the market.</p><p> It comes with modular batteries that can be replaced, removed and recharge besides light weight and provide certified lithium batteries, waterproof and heating and temperature protection with smart BMS.</p> "We are also planning Devot's charging infrastructure around the cities where one will be able to charge or replace modules," Panwar said.  IAS  MRMR

Davot Motors unveils hand-made electric bike

Youngsters in the west might be going off <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> for good, but the social media platform still is the favoured choice to reach people in India. Facebook has changed over the last couple of years. It is no longer just a social media platform, where family and friends come together, post photos and enjoy the occasional poke. Many businesses are banking on this platform for their business growth.<br />
<br />
One such business is Pigtails and Ponys. This is a Bangalore based company, which provides its customers with unique handmade hair accessories. They embarked on a journey via Facebook to build brand awareness, but what they got was much more. What’s interesting here is that 70% of the customer base they have is acquired through Facebook. They get over 100 prospective customers through Facebook daily.<br />
<br />
<strong>Pigtails and Ponys Facebook Story:</strong> When it was founded in 2011, Pigtails and Ponys sold handmade headbands in local flea markets. Founders Nikita Dawar and Nivedha Charles, inspired by positive responses to their designs on Facebook, built a virtual business through Facebook that now sells hair clips, combs, hair ties and extensions for all ages across India, with distribution to a growing number of boutiques.<br />
 <br /> With little money for <keyword id="35666" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="advertising">advertising</keyword>, Pigtails and Pony’s owners chose Facebook, building a business Page that was as colourful and cheerful as the brand image they intended to project. They maintained their Page consistently and interacted with Page friends daily, with posts to educate readers about local and international hair accessory trends and fashions, and using lively photographs to grab attention and keep people coming back to their page.<br />
 <br />
They also ensured that their product lines changed often, with fresh offerings to promote. They targeted their Facebook Ads using likes and interests targeting to reach the people who would most likely become fans of their hair accessories, and were clear about where and how customers could buy products, leading them to the company’s website.<br />
 <br />
There are dozens of such start-ups that have used Facebook as the preferred platform for promotions. All one needs is a bit of advertising knowledge and a lot of conviction.<br />
 <br />

Facebook Helped This Indian Brand Grow Its Business
Tremendously

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div>An Etsy veteran just shut down her store after nearly a decade. </p><p>And she says she isn't alone. </p><p>Grace Dobush started selling handmade cards and journals on the site in 2006, shortly after Etsy opened, she writes <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/02/etsy-not-good-for-crafters/">in an essay on Wired</a>.</p><p>But now, she say that Etsy has "alienated" the crafting community by allowing people to sell cheap wholesale goods purchased from countries like India and China. </p><p>As a result, crafters are increasingly moving to other platforms like Shopify. </p><p>While Etsy started as a way for artisans to reach a broader market, it's become too big to scale, she writes. </p><p>"In practical terms, scaling the handmade economy is an impossibility," Dobush writes. "So while Etsy maintains a hipster façade, they lost their indie cred years ago."</p><p>Dobush also calls out the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/richest-seller-on-etsy-alicia-shaffer-2015-2">story of Alicia Shaffer</a>, the woman who is Etsy's biggest seller and makes a rumored $1 million a year. </p><p>Many of Shaffer's hats and scarves are made wholesale imported from other countries. </p><p>"Sellers have been dissatisfied with Etsy's policing of mass-manufactured items posing as handmade for a long time, but the site hasn't seemed receptive to their concerns," Dobush writes. "H<span>aving sellers who are able to move nearly a million dollars of product a year is great for Etsy's bottom line<span>."</span></span></p><p><span>It's estimated that Etsy makes $47 million a year in fees from sellers.</span></p><p><span>It's the fifth most-visited marketplace in the world, after Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="o2OGM3czpWcydnvhjbkDBd6feXPuExiD" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Why a longtime Etsy seller decided to shut down her store

<p><span style="line-height: 1.5em;"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Etsy has a counterfeit problem. </span></p><p>The brand's shares are crashing after the company reported a net loss in the most recent quarter. </p><p>Analysts <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/etsy-q1-earnings-2015-5">say that counterfeit goods</a> are bringing down the business and causing quality sellers to flee the store. </p><p>This problem threatens Etsy's business as real artisans find other websites.</p><p>One seller, Grace Dobush, started selling handmade cards and journals on the site in 2006, shortly after Etsy opened, she writes <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/02/etsy-not-good-for-crafters/">in an essay on Wired</a>.</p><p>But now, she say that Etsy has "alienated" the crafting community by allowing people to sell cheap wholesale goods purchased from countries like India and China. </p><p>As a result, crafters are increasingly moving to other platforms like Shopify. </p><p>While Etsy started as a way for artisans to reach a broader market, it's become too big to scale, she writes. </p><p>"In practical terms, scaling the handmade economy is an impossibility," Dobush writes. "So while Etsy maintains a hipster façade, they lost their indie cred years ago."</p><p>Dobush also calls out the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/richest-seller-on-etsy-alicia-shaffer-2015-2">story of Alicia Shaffer</a>, the woman who is Etsy's biggest seller and makes a rumored $1 million a year. </p><p>Many of Shaffer's hats and scarves are made wholesale imported from other countries. </p><p>"Sellers have been dissatisfied with Etsy's policing of mass-manufactured items posing as handmade for a long time, but the site hasn't seemed receptive to their concerns," Dobush writes. "H<span>aving sellers who are able to move nearly a million dollars of product a year is great for Etsy's bottom line<span>."</span></span></p><p><span>It's estimated that Etsy makes $47 million a year in fees from sellers.</span></p><p><span>It's the fifth most-visited marketplace in the world, after Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart.</span></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/victorias-secret-mistake-losing-customers-plus-sizes-2015-5">Victoria's Secret is making one mistake that is driving away a lot of women</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="llMGh2dDrrj4WAYxUAwPN6kOTorsTptK" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

Etsy has a huge problem that could lead to its downfall

<ul><li><keyword id="357923" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Yogesh-Chaudhary">Yogesh Chaudhary</keyword>, Director, <keyword id="913970" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaipur-Rugs">Jaipur Rugs</keyword> shares his plans on spending the earmarked Rs 4.5 crore on marketing.</li><li>He further shares with us how the organisation has supported underprivileged women and helped them become self-reliant since 1978.</li></ul>India is currently a leader in the production of <keyword id="455352" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="handmade-carpets">handmade carpets</keyword> and 90% of the carpets are exported from our country.<br /><br />However, a systemic practice of oppression through caste discrimination has been followed in our country for a very long time. Rugs and woven carpets are made by local artisans in rural India, who often do not get their due credit or even the right remuneration for their art and work. <br /><br />Jaipur Rug, a handwoven carpet brand, was founded by Nand Kishore Chaudhary at a time when the practices of the Indian caste system were extremely rigid and upper-class men working with Dalit women was frowned upon (openly). He was on a mission to help rural and tribal women become independent and get recognised for their talent. <br /><br />He started his business with two looms and nine artisans. It is now a social business that connects rural craftsmanship with global markets. He has impacted the lives of 40,000 rural artisans spread across villages in North and West India. Over 80% of the artisans are women and about 7,000 tribals. He successfully built a profitable business by exporting handmade carpets by these artisans and its biggest market today is the US.<br /><br />  <div type="image" title="JAIPUR_RUGS_Artisants_AW8I3784" msid="82178763" hostid="261"></div><br />Sharing how it all started, Yogesh Chaudhary, Director of Jaipur Rugs said, “ Back then, the practices of the Indian caste system were rigid, and the weaving community was considered ‘untouchable.’ Nand Kishore Chaudhar had to work against the system to realise his dream. His family frowned, while he enjoyed working with the weavers and sharing daily meals with them. Through his effortless connection with the rural communities, he quickly gained trust and began bringing livelihood opportunities to more and more underprivileged households. In a few years, he moved to Gujarat and spent nine years training more than 2500 people from the tribal community. Today, the modern and eclectic collection of rugs are retailed across three stores in India and exported to more than 65 countries.” <br /><br /> Jaipur Rugs clocked an export revenue of about ₹5 crore in the first year of its operations. The company today works with a number of ethnically diverse communities spread across 600 villages in five states that lie in some of the most impoverished regions of India. <br /><br /><table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 451.276pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#6d9eeb;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Revenue/profit (In INR crore)<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#6d9eeb;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY15<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">137<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY16<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">153<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY17<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">133<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY18<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">125<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY19<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">155<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">FY20 (till Dec)<br /><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">125<br /><br /></td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"><br /></td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Due to COVID, people have been stuck at home and the carpet market is picking up again. <br /><br />Jaipur Rugs has earmarked Rs 4.5 crore for marketing this year. It would spend most of its marketing monnies on digital media. <br /><br />“We are bullish because Covid has led to an increase in homeownership and renovations. People are spending a lot more time at home and they want it to reflect their personality and positivity. We plan to spend a lot of it on social media and several digital and physical exhibitions and events. We have a number of unique collaborations in the coming year,” said Chaudhary. <br /><br />According to IBEF, India is responsible for around 40% of worldwide export of handmade carpets. Export of carpets from India stood at US$ 1.37 billion in FY20, while that of handicrafts excluding handmade carpets reached US$ 1.79 billion during the same period.<br /><br />The total carpet export was $ 893.99 million between April and November 2020 and for handicrafts excluding handmade carpets, it was US$ 989.92 million.<br /><br />The Indian carpets and rugs market is highly competitive and fragmented in nature. There are over 2000 manufacturers present in the market. <br /><br />On what helps Jaipur Rugs stand out in this huge market, Chaudhary said, “We have a powerful story as a brand. In addition to that, we also offer the largest variety in terms of designs and price points to our clientele making it convenient for them to shop at one place.” <br /><br />This year, it would focus on digital marketing and opening a physical store in Bengaluru and an experience centre in Jaipur. Based on this strong marketing and expansion plan, the company is aiming to grow by 15%. <br /><br />“We are looking at a growth of about 15% for FY22. We retail out of four stores in Jaipur, Delhi and Mumbai and have a significant digital audience. We are looking to expand both physically and digitally to take our existing audience base up by 10X. Apart from that, our focus this year is to do a lot of internal improvements in the business. We are taking a hard look at the underlying philosophy of your business and not just its mechanics. There is a clear purpose that our business has. A gap in the market that we fill. We are focusing on that to make informed changes for the next phase of growth,” said Chaudhary.<br />

Meet Jaipur Rugs, an organisation that is empowering marginalised women in Rajasthan and exporting its local rugs to 65 countries

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div><p></p></div></div>Etsy is facing challenges like never before.</p><p>The artisan marketplace's shares have declined 43% since the company went public in April.</p><p>Despite being the fifth most-visited marketplace in the world, after Amazon, eBay, Best Buy, and Wal-Mart, many analysts fear Etsy is slipping.</p><p>Here are the biggest issues plaguing the brand.</p><h3>1. Etsy is bleeding cash.</h3><p>"When Etsy disclosed its first earnings report last week, it showed a quarterly loss of $36.5 million - which it attributed to corporate restructuring and adverse currency exchange rates - compared to a loss of $463,000 in 2014," <a href="http://qz.com/412469/etsy-is-bleeding-money-as-amazon-prepares-to-attack/">writes Jenni Avins</a> at Quartz. </p><p>While Etsy argues that it is pouring cash into investments, many shareholders fear the brand doesn't have enough cash on hand for emergencies. </p><h3>2. Amazon is building a huge competitor.</h3><p>Online retailing behemoth Amazon is targeting Etsy, The Wall Street Journal reports.</p><p>Amazon is contacting top Etsy sellers via Facebook and email and inviting them to try its "Handmade" site, which seems to offer similar categories to Etsy.</p><p>"The invite points to a questionnaire on Amazon's site that asks sellers which primary product category they fall under, listing 11 general subjects such as apparel, baby, and pet supplies," WSJ reports. "The poll lists subcategories for jewelry and home and kitchen in particular."</p><h3>3. Counterfeit goods are running rampant.</h3><p>Analysts <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/etsy-q1-earnings-2015-5">say that counterfeit goods</a> are bringing down the business and causing quality sellers to flee the store. </p><p>One seller, Grace Dobush, started selling handmade cards and journals on the site in 2006, shortly after Etsy opened, she writes <a href="http://www.wired.com/2015/02/etsy-not-good-for-crafters/">in an essay on Wired</a>.</p><p>But now, she says that Etsy has "alienated" the crafting community by allowing people to sell cheap wholesale goods purchased from countries like India and China. </p><p>As a result, crafters are increasingly moving to other platforms, like Shopify. </p><p>While Etsy started as a way for artisans to reach a broader market, it's become too big to scale, she writes. </p><p>"In practical terms, scaling the handmade economy is an impossibility," Dobush writes. "So while Etsy maintains a hipster façade, they lost their indie cred years ago." </p><p>Etsy CEO Chad Dickerson defended the company's practices on a conference call with analysts. </p><p>"We strive for a balanced approach that takes into account the interest of our sellers and IP owners, and we believe it is working," he said. "We at <span class="il">Etsy</span> partner with major brands to address the problem of infringing articles.  In fact, we are often accused of being too aggressive in taking down material posted by sellers."</p><p class="tagline">Disclosure: Jeff Bezos is an investor in Business Insider through his personal investment company Bezos Expeditions.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/michael-kors-isnt-cool-anymore-2015-4">It's official: Michael Kors isn't cool anymore</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="pueTJqdDrhpwZXwc3-tTyfqeZRjByVhG" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

3 reasons Etsy is in big trouble

<br />
 <br /> There are very few movie stars as disciplined as <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword>. Popularly called ‘Khiladi’ in <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword>, <keyword id="6381441" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="akshay">Akshay</keyword> has been giving countless hits since a few years. But when it comes to sensible film or method acting like <keyword id="6355923" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aamir-Khan">Aamir Khan</keyword> in Dangal, Akhsay has not many in his credits.<br />
<br /> But thanks to his wife <keyword id="5357" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twinkle-Khanna">Twinkle Khanna</keyword>, an actress turned writer, it’s time for Akshay to prove his mettle. <keyword id="31838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twinkle">Twinkle</keyword> is ready with her production venture and the first film is a biopic on an Indian man who handmade the first low-cost sanitary napkins in the country.<br />
<br /> Well, that’s a different “Make in India” story altogether. Winner of <keyword id="25105" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Padma-Shri">Padma Shri</keyword> award, <keyword id="904175" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arunachalam-Muruganantham">Arunachalam Muruganantham</keyword> is a social entrepreneur from Coimbatore. He is the inventor of a low-cost sanitary pad making machine and has innovated grass-roots mechanisms for generating awareness about traditional unhygienic practices around menstruation in rural India. His mini-machines, which can manufacture sanitary pads for less than a third of the cost of commercial pads, have been installed in 23 of the 29 states of India. He is currently planning to expand the production of these machines to 106 nations.<br />
<br /> Taking an inspiration from this, Twinkle <keyword id="1983" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Khanna">Khanna</keyword> wanted to cast Akshay Kumar for this biopic ‘Pad Man’. And guess who’s directing the film? It’s none other than maestro <keyword id="72976" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="R-Balki">R Balki</keyword>, who has made wonderful films like Paa and English Vinglish.<br />
<br /> Twinkle Khanna has recently said that convincing <keyword id="260416" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Muruganantham">Muruganantham</keyword> wasn’t easy. But thanks to Mrs Funny <keyword id="62532" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="bones">Bones</keyword> of Twitter, Akshay Kumar and R Balki, the world will know about the struggle to success of India’s Pad Man.

Akshay Kumar to play Pad Man: A movie on how an Indian man
made sanitary napkins for village women

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<br /> <keyword id="3999473" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="little-pleasures">Little Pleasures</keyword> is a Kolkata-based bakery that was started in 2007 by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/ExclusiveMeeting-a-Chef-from-Asias-Best-Restaurant-Gaggan-Bangkok/articleshow/51288339.cms">Le Cordon Bleu</a> graduate <keyword id="3999474" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="shripriya-gupta">Shripriya Gupta</keyword> and apart from whipping up delicious bespoke, hand-made, high-quality products that are preservatives free, this little bakery also revolutionised the way the city sees cakes, by introducing glow-in the dark cakes that look insane.<br />
<br /> Available in various flavours like chocolate hazelnut, red velvet and belgian chocolate, these cakes are made using 'fluoro' colours that Gupta sources from Miami. She introduced <keyword id="6354925" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kolkata">Kolkata</keyword> to these kind of cakes last year, after seeing their popularity in Australia.<br />
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Even though the bakery is based in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kolkata&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kolkata</a>, they deliver their magnificent cakes all over India apart from taking orders in the City of Joy. While, Gupta would need a notice of 2-3 days for Kolkata orders, her team can deliver their cakes across India, after being given an order 25 days prior to the event.<br />
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The best part however is, that Gupta is ready to customise the theme of cake as per the needs of the customer or the occasion. From bachelorette parties, engagements to birthday parties and weddings, her glow-in-the-dark cake will take care of it all.<br />
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Check them out on<a href="https://www.facebook.com/Little-Pleasures-133664516775279/"> Facebook </a>here.<br />
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This Kolkata bakery makes glow-in-the-dark themed cakes and they're the coolest

<ul><li>
ITC's new chocolate, the Fabelle's Trinity - Truffles Extraordinaire, costs ₹1 lakh.</li><li>According to the Guinness World Records, it is now the <keyword id="8247247" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="most-expensive-chocolate-in-the-world">most expensive chocolate in the world</keyword>.</li><li>The company co-created the chocolate with Michelin Star chef, <keyword id="8247251" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="philippe-conticini">Philippe Conticini</keyword>.</li></ul>Indian Tobacco Company’s chocolate brand Fabelle Exquisite Chocolates, made it to the Guinness World Records for making the world’s most <keyword id="8247249" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="expensive-chocolate">expensive chocolate</keyword>.<br /><br />Unveiled in Mumbai today, Fabelle’s Trinity — Truffles Extraordinaire, costs a whopping ₹1 lakh.<br /><br /><br />
  
  <div type="image" title="choco2" msid="71703871" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The three types of chocolate that come in the box&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>





<br />The limited edition chocolate comes in a hand-made box, each of which contains 15 truffles and each truffle weighs around 15 grams. The box is only made-to-order to customers have to place their orders in advance.<br /><br />
  
  <div type="image" title="choco3" msid="71703846" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Hand-made box for Fabelle&amp;#8217;s Trinity &amp;#8212; Truffles Extraordinaire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>




<br />ITC's chocolate business is only two years old, but has been trying to create a niche for itself as a luxury chocolate brand. <br /><br />Fabelle roped in Michelin Star chef Philippe Conticini, to help co-create chocolates for the Indian market.<br /><br />“After several months of R&amp;D, we have delivered a product, in which india can take pride in and stayed committed in our constant endeavor of being at the forefront of introducing Indian consumers to distinct chocolate experiences,” stated Anuj Rastogi, CEO of ITC Limited’s new categories <keyword id="6181" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Food">food</keyword> division.<br /><br /><br /><br />

ITC unveils the world’s most expensive chocolate at ₹1 lakh —  and earns a Guinness record

<ul class="summary-list"><li>People celebrate the <keyword id="6368818" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hindu">Hindu</keyword> holiday of Holi with colorful <keyword id="65546" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="powder">powder</keyword> known as gulal.</li><li>One company in Hathras, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, makes over 6,000 tons of gulal every year.</li><li>We went inside the factory churning out powder year-round in the gulal capital of the world.</li></ul><p>Yellow is one of the most popular colors thrown during Holi. Called <em>gulal, </em>the fine powder is made from a mixture of starch and dyes.</p><p>One factory in India, Radha Kishan <keyword id="22510" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="color">Color</keyword> World, produces 2,000 tons of gulal annually. It's based in the northern city of <a href="https://www.assocham.org/newsdetail.php?id=5585">Hathras</a>, where most of the world's gulal comes from. </p><p>We went inside one of the largest manufacturers to see how it's preparing for its first Holi during the pandemic. Ratan Bihari Agrawal and his family are behind <a href="http://www.thecolorpowder.com/contact.htm">Radha Kishan Color World</a>, also known as the <a href="https://rbcolour.com/about.html">Cock Brand</a>.</p><p>"Our business is 80 years old," he told Insider. He and his family have run the company for four generations. One of the main products they produce is gulal, churning out more than 600 pounds of the powder a day. </p><div type="image" title="Employees prepare Holi toys before celebrations begin" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764091" hostid="261"></div><p>In Hathras, Holi powder production brings in more than <a href="https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/hathras/hathras-sanjeevani-could-not-meet-the-budget-for-traditional-industries-of-the-district-hathras-news-ali255185086">30 crore rupees</a>, or over $4 million, each year. There are over a <a href="https://www.patrika.com/hathras-news/color-gulal-of-hathras-will-be-scattered-in-nationwide-festival-holi-6699780/">dozen</a> gulal-making facilities in the city alone. The Cock Brand itself employs almost 100 people to focus on five main processes: packaging, handmade processing, controlling the command center, storage, and gulal drying in nearby fields. The company makes both handmade and machine-processed gulal to keep up with demand.</p><div type="image" title="Woman helping to process pink gulal powder." height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764093" hostid="261"></div><p>The Cock Brand works with hundreds of colors. Each popular Holi color has at least a dozen hues.</p><p>"Imagine life without colors. Imagine life in black and white. It is boring. Colors give you pop," said Manu Garg, Ratan's brother. "Every color tells a story. Red stands for love. Blue is for royalty. Pink [is] for caring and yellow is for happiness," he said. </p><div type="image" title="Starch is mixed with water during handmade processing" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764094" hostid="261"></div><p>The first part of the process always starts with a starch mixture. Corn starch is the base for the color powder. It's used instead of common bases like talcum because it's less toxic and much lighter.  Then, the mixture goes through a grinder before it's baked in the sunlight.</p><p>While baking is an important step, the city in Uttar Pradesh is prone to rain and even monsoons, which affect when the gulal is dried. In addition, the powder production coincides with the region's farming season. And both factors play a role in how much gulal can be produced before Holi. Ratan recalls times when orders were affected by rain, sometimes losing 60% to 70% of orders.</p><div type="image" title="This process can take a few hours" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764096" hostid="261"></div><p>To prevent loss, Ratan and Manu invested in a mechanized gulal making process. "Within seconds, it converts pure starch directly into gulal. The machine now works 24 hours a day. We only halt the machine on Sunday for greasing," he said.</p><p>On top of gulal, the company makes over 260 types of gulal-dispensing toys. The Cock Brand sells most of its products straight to businesses, but many gadgets can be found at the Hathras Color Market. Open year-round, it's one of the largest Holi markets in the world.</p><p>Hathras became the gulal hub due to it's proximity with the Braj region, where Holi celebrations last as long as two weeks. In the city, it's used often. "For any happy occasion, gulal is used. When a candidate wins an election, they celebrate it with gulal." Gulal is also a popular prop in Bollywood movies. "Our gulal is used to show celebration, in serials, movies and stories," Ratan said. </p><div type="image" title="There are hundreds of different gulal powders" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764098" hostid="261"></div><p>The tradition of Holi can be traced back to several Hindu legends about Lord Krishna.</p><p>"When Lord Krishna and Radha Rani play Holi with each other, it shows the emotion of love and compassion," Manu said. </p><p>Depending on the region, Holi can be a multiday festival or an afternoon celebration. The first evening is known as <a href="https://www.india.com/festivals-events/holi-2021-date-when-is-holi-history-and-significance-of-festival-of-colours-4428040/">Chhoti Holi</a>, or small Holi, and usually involves a symbolic bonfire. The second day is when people of all ages wear white and throw colorful powder at one another.</p><p>Last year, Holi fell right before the coronavirus was officially declared a global pandemic. But this year, massive crowds of people are celebrating even as India grapples with another spike.</p><p>Aligarh resident Manpreet Singh said said it was important for the people to come outside this year to celebrate Holi.</p><p>"People were suffocated in their houses," Singh said. "Finally, a festival has arrived, and people have exited their homes and are celebrating it."</p><p>Still, cases are rising. India reported over <a href="https://www.mohfw.gov.in/">68,000</a> new coronavirus infections on March 28 - the highest single day rise so far this year - taking the nationwide tally well over <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">11 million</a>. So far, about <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-holi-2021-states-and-uts-that-have-banned-celebrations-full-list-here-2883141">a dozen</a> Indian states and territories have banned Holi celebrations. <div type="image" title="Bright red gulal is blended" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764100" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"COVID has impacted all the industries all over the world. Moreover, our business is a seasonal business," Manu said.</p><p>Sales here declined by almost 10% last year. But the company has hopes for high returns in 2021.</p><p>"We hope that this pandemic ends soon and people can enjoy Holi as it is meant to be," Ratan said. </p>

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