Nestled in Hauz Khas village amongst the bustling fruit and vegetable sellers, the dairy, chemist shop, on a bustling road is an unlikely kind of shop for New Delhi; Tatsat caught my attention for its innovative approach to selling clothing and lifestyle accessories.
The Narang Family run a shop with ethics; Tatsat is promoted as a socially conscious shop sourcing sustainable, eco-friendly and recycled products. Prashant Narang, a law student with an interest in human rights and constitutional law and son of Tatsat owners Om Prakash and Radha says the concept is new to Delhites, "intelligentsia understand the concept better, as people's awareness grows our customer base grows".
Fair trade, and the concept of socially conscious consumerism seems to go hand-in-hand. In the west, sales of fair trade and socially conscious products is booming. In India there's a perception Prashant says, that leaves this kind of consumerism only open to the elite.
Fair trade began as a grassroots movement about 40 years ago. The aim was to provide fair access to developed markets and to build direct relationships with struggling producers. Fair trade is a trading partnership which seeks sustainable development, better trading conditions and equality in international trade for producers and workers from developing countries such as Peru, Vietnam, India, Mexico and kenya to name a few.
India as a country is experiencing rapid economic growth, and consumerism is on the rise. In some ways people are almost tripping over themselves in an attempt to get ahead financially and concepts of sustainability, conscious consumption and fair trade are inaccessible or go un-noticed. Tatsat proves that this is changing. It is part of a wave of outlets avoiding propping up an economy that is based on poor labour conditions. India has a strong textile industry so does well at avoiding the sweat-shop products that swamp markets such at New Zealand, Australia and the US. However even though it's textile industry can claim to be Indian-made it doesn't mean labour standards are not poor.
Tatsat is supporting the community and local artisans, NGOs and fair trade organizations through the products it sources and sells. It stocks shibori fabrics, which are naturally-dyed using ancient Japanese tie-dye methods. It sells handmade jewelery; all ethically produced. Much of the jewelery you find sold on the streets of India is made by children under horrific conditions. Tatsat also sells a beautiful array of natural fabrics, cotton, linen, bed furnishings, lead- cadmium-free ceramic pottery and recycled artworks.
Tatsat started at the end of 2006 after the Narang family opted to move out of a family department store business to do something innovative. When they started trying to source products to sell in their new shop they accidentally came across some fair trade products. Prashant says this sort of shop was always going to be a risk, "the repercussions of a shop like this is that people see it as over-priced; they don't always want to pay more, or the concept is misunderstood." The Narang's came in contact with the Community Friendly Movement and gradually began making connections with fair trade producers across India including TARA, Trade Alternative Reform Action, some of which sell fair trade products internationally to organizations such as Trade Aid in New Zealand and Oxfam internationally. Tatsat is now part of the Fair Trade Forum India and it tries to make time to visit all of its new producers.
Tatsat is expanding and changing its range of gifts items regularly. It is a store that is urging its customers to be aware of the impact their purchases have on their health and happiness and the environment. It urges customers to switch to sweat-shop free products so that purchases do not contribute to child labour and labour exploitation, it suggests unplugging from media marketing and advertisements and to think rationally while spending.
Tatsat E-50, shop #3, Hauz Khas, New Delhi
Phone: 011-41655792
By Kate Shuttleworth
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