For Rohit Kedia, the inspiration for starting Craft Trade came from his family. “I decided to start this business when I watched my cousin act as a small vendor to handicraft emporiums and supply antique lovers in and around Jaipur with art. I decided to start my own business in handicrafts and that’s how Craft Trade was born in July 2016.”

Craft Trade, which deals with handicrafts and handloom products made out of papier-mâché, wood, shell, stone, gemstones, pottery, paintings, sculptures and ceramics, works as a multimodal business which includes e-commerce, B2B and B2C channels. They also have a physical store in Jaipur. The six-member team sells online in India and the U.S., and are planning to expand the business to Europe and Canada.

“Our mission is to give a perfect platform to local artisans and craftsmen to showcase their talent through their products on our e-commerce portal at competitive prices,” says Rohit. “Moreover, these artisans from rural backgrounds and poor households can also benefit from the B2C model wherein we can showcase their products at our emporium.”

Craft Trade uses the WhatsApp Business app primarily to help customers get updated on products and new launches.

"We are connected 24/7 with our customers both in India and abroad”

“It gives a professional touch to all our communication and has resulted in a 25 percent increase in sales,” says Rohit. “Features such as instant messaging and group broadcasting of messages have helped us save time as we can send pictures to multiple contacts at once. We are connected 24/7 with our customers both in India and abroad.”

All thanks to an idea he got from his family.