Palash Agrawal, Founder of Vedas Exports, an innovative brand in the décor industry

Vedas Exports started by Palash Agrawal in 2014. Palash is one of the renowned exporters of handicrafts. Vedas Exports is a leading handicrafts exporter in India. Vedas is present in 500+ stores abroad and more than 700 stores across India.

The company manufactures the most exquisite quality handcrafted goods from traditional to modern abstracts, and exports them to international markets including Europe, the US, and UAE.

Vedas Exports manufacturers home décor products and have paintings, Handmade bags, Wall Décor, Wall Shelves, t-lights, woodcraft, Vases, office décor, and artifacts.

This is the interview of Palash Agrawal, Founder of Vedas Exports, an innovative brand in the décor industry. We hope you find the inspiring and motivating interview beneficial and encouraging as you begin on your business adventure, and that it will inspire you to keep going.

At Sugermint, our aim is to bring to our entrepreneurs community some of the inspiring and motivational stories from the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

As part of this endeavour, we invited yet another passionate entrepreneur Palash Agrawal, Founder of Vedas Exports, an innovative brand in the décor industry for an exclusive interview with us.

Tell us a little about yourself

Palash Agrawal: I completed my post-graduation in London and did B. Eng from Cardiff university. After this, I worked with a couple of firms in London before heading home.

Starting out on my own came naturally to me since I hail from a business background. I was clear I didn’t want to start with my father but rather create something of my own.

How did you get your idea for this Home décor business?

Palash Agrawal: Home décor is a growing business and there is a need for lot of creativity here. I saw a huge opportunity in the segment and thought of exploring the same.

I began my research work and travelled across India to understand about customer needs and the various designs that can be created.

The idea was to make designs which were exclusive wherein each piece would have a story to tell – something which a customer would be very proud to adorn their house with.

My vision is that the décor should be the talking point and an heirloom piece which can be passed down through generations.

Once the idea was set, the design process began, and we approached designers from NIFT and other fashion institutes.

It worked out very well for us. We brainstormed and narrowed down on themes like the Tree of Fortune, Buddha under the tree, different leaf patterns etc.

Once the designs were set, we wanted them to be easy to make and help provide employment to those to make them, at a reasonable cost.

Putting out all the elements together took me almost a year and then we were set to roll. The journey wasn’t easy though.

The first month went by with Zero sales which was very disappointing, but we tried to push this out through retail stores in the online and offline format and finally the products started moving.

What product(s) do you offer at Vedas Exports?

Palash Agrawal: We offer home décor and accessories products right from bookshelves, flower pots, wall hangings, table tops, figurines etc.

What is unique about Vedas Exports?

Palash Agrawal: Vedas Exports is an innovative brand in the décor industry, offering handmade products that are crafted to perfection. We vouch for elegant designs, trends, and superior quality in the market.

Catering successfully to the increasing global demand for exquisite décor items, Vedas has gained a strong foothold in India and markets abroad.

What made you choose this handicrafts business?

Palash Agrawal: When I started researching the market, I realised this is a pretty unexplored marked and has huge potential to explore.

I started networking, researching building contacts and after a year finally launched the business of home décor.

What was your mission at the outset?

Palash Agrawal: At Vedas, our vision is “To reach every single place where décor can be incorporated be it homes, offices, restaurants or any other kind of place, there should be at least one piece of Vedas as part of the décor.”

How many employees in Vedas Exports?

Palash Agrawal: Vedas Exports has a team strength of around 200 people, and we have around 150 karigars working with us.

We are strongly working towards empowering our workforce by skilling them and making them proficient in handcraft and designing.

Their factory is based in Jodhpur and men and women both participate equally in the work. During the first wave of Covid-19 when many people were laid off from work, we tried and recruited people from Jodhpur and skilled them, making them proficient in handicraft designing. The team never considered downsizing even during trying times.

What’s your company’s goals?

Palash Agrawal: We at Vedas want to be a top brand in Indian and International market with at least 400 sister stores across India.

At Vedas our ultimate goal is that every establishment be it corporate, restaurant or home they should have at least one home décor product by Vedas. That is our goal and that is the journey we are working towards.

How do you build a successful customer base?

Palash Agrawal: We ensure that our customers are happy and taken their feedback and grievances strongly. We also do a follow-up on the post response of products and try and implement client feedbacks into the product.

What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?

Palash Agrawal: Initially when we started, we didn’t pay attention to some customer complaints and product issues. But we learnt our lessons soon, now we don’t take any feedback lightly.

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Palash Agrawal: I take inspiration from both my father and my brother. I have learnt a lot from their success and failures. They are also my mentors and inspire me each day with their business vision and ideologies they have. Apart from that my competitors inspire me too, I learn from them each day.

What are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve made?

Palash Agrawal: I think the gap in identification of the right products was the biggest mistake we made. However, we learnt from them and tried to acquire new ideas as well.

If you had one piece of advice to someone just starting out, what would it be?

Palash Agrawal: My advice to anyone who is starting out would be to remain focused towards work, identify products smartly by studying the market well. This is very important in order to be successful.

Does Vedas Exports help the community or society?

Palash Agrawal: We help karigars get employment. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we helped provide our karigars with treatment as well as vaccination.

Apart from this, we also helped provide oxygen to people through many societies – however, we are not affiliated with any one society or do not own any.

Website: vedasexports.com

So, we hope he will continue to shine in life even more and inspire the young generation.