Brands
Jaipur Rugs rolls iconic Shyam Ahuja brand within its fold
MUMBAI: It’s laying it on pretty thick. Handmade luxury carpets maker Jaipur Rugs has bought over the iconic Shyam Ahuja brand in a move to revive its legacy as a global luxury name. This acquisition includes Shyam Ahuja’s personal collection and design archive, marking a strategic step for Jaipur Rugs to expand its influence in the premium rug market. Details of the transaction are not available, but estimates are that the value is in double digit crore.
Founded in 1963, Shyam Ahuja revolutionised Indian dhurries, introducing the flatwoven rugs to international markets and earning acclaim among A-list designers and global icons like Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis and Gianni Versace. Known for its timeless designs, superior craftsmanship, and sophisticated use of colour, the brand became synonymous with understated elegance and quiet luxury. The brand was a big spender in print, especially publications, which reached out to the diaspora or international travellers. Many of the inflight magazines were their preferred partners.
Jaipur Rugs intends to honour the original vision of Shyam Ahuja while elevating its status on the global stage, according to its director Yogesh Chaudhary. Both Jaipur Rugs and Shyam Ahuja share a commitment to empowering artisans.
Founded in 1978 by Nand Kishore Chaudhary, who has even been labelled as the Gandhi of the carpet industry, Jaipur Rugs is India’s largest handmade carpet manufacturer, with over 40,000 artisans across 650 villages, 85 per cent of whom are women. The company operates in 85 countries and has expanded to international showrooms in Milan, London, Singapore, and Dubai.
Jaipur Rugs artistic director Greg Foster called the acquisition “a sleeping beauty we intend to revive with great respect,” citing the immense design archive and the brand’s cult status among collectors.
The company plans to operate Shyam Ahuja as an independent entity with a distinct supply chain while continuing its retail presence through showrooms in India and globally. Further plans for the brand’s revival will be unveiled soon, promising to re-establish Shyam Ahuja’s position as a pioneer in luxury rugs.
(Picture source: Jaipur Rugs website)
Brands
Faber-Castell India appoints Sunaina Haldar as director – marketing
With stints at Tata, SleepyCat and ADF Foods under her belt, Haldar is primed to redraw Faber-Castell’s brand story
MUMBAI: Faber-Castell India has poached Sunaina Haldar from ADF Foods, appointing her director – marketing as the German stationery brand looks to muscle up in a category that is rapidly reinventing itself around creativity and self-expression.
Haldar hit the ground running. “My first couple of weeks have been incredibly energising, understanding consumers, visiting markets, engaging with retailers and immersing myself into the world of Faber-Castell Group,” she said.
She arrives with considerable firepower. At ADF Foods, Haldar ran marketing across India and international markets for a portfolio spanning Ashoka, Aeroplane, Camel and ADF Soul. Before that, she was vice-president – marketing at direct-to-consumer mattress brand SleepyCat, where she helmed brand, content and performance marketing. Her résumé also includes a stint leading marketing, new product development and CRM for Tata SmartFoodz at Tata Consumer Products, no small proving ground.
Between corporate roles, Haldar also operated as a fractional CMO for early-stage startups, building marketing strategy and operational structures from scratch, a signal that she knows how to move fast with limited resources.
With 18 years straddling FMCG, D2C and the startup world, Haldar now takes the reins at a brand that has long owned the classroom but is clearly hungry for the living room. In a stationery market where the pencil has become a lifestyle statement, Faber-Castell has picked someone who knows exactly how to sell that story.
