Brands
Snapdeal partners Jharkhand govt to promote bamboo products
MUMBAI: Snapdeal, India’s leading value-focused marketplace, has launched hand-made bamboo products from Jharkhand on its platform. The products were launched in partnership with Mukhya Mantri Laghu Kutir Udyog Vikas Board (MMLKUB), an initiative of the Department of Industries, Government of Jharkhand.
The selection will include a curated range of home and kitchen accessories and furniture made by the Kalindi and Sabars tribes from Jharkhand. Daily use items like baskets, racks, and stands are expected to be fast-moving items.
In line with the emphasis on reducing the use of plastic, there is also bamboo cutlery and kitchen range that includes straws, spoons, forks, bowls, mugs, tray, bottle cover, boxes, coasters and glasses.
Home decor items like lamps, sofa sets, tables, chairs, beds, showpieces, mats and vases made in warm tones of traditional hardwood are also part of the selection.
The artisans have also made unique fashion accessories like bangles, hair clips, earrings, necklaces, bags that depict the distinctive culture of the region. Kanshi grass, palm leaves, and beads made in eco-friendly material are also used in making the products.
Snapdeal has conducted a “train-the-trainers” program that will help officials of MMLKUB train artisans to sign up and list their products on the Snapdeal platform, using a simple 4-step sign-up process, which needs only bank details, phone & email and a GST number.
With the partnership, Snapdeal aims to make the indigenous bamboo industry mainstream outside Jharkhand.
“Jharkhand has high-quality bamboo in abundance. The tribes of this region are also skilled to make aesthetically appealing and functional items for Indian households. We are delighted to bring these fun yet eco-friendly bamboo items on our platform,” says Snapdeal spokesperson.
“Snapdeal's close connect with buyers from all over the country, including in the smaller cities, is a valuable opportunity to take the indigenous bamboo craft of Jharkhand deeper in India. Also, the training provided by Snapdeal to officials of the Department of Industries, govt of Jharkhand will help drive greater impact for this joint initiative," Government of Jharkhand secretary, industry K. Ravi Kumar.
Snapdeal enables small businesses to sell online. Its product assortment includes value merchandise which is available in the bazaars of India. Currently, Snapdeal has over 200 million SKUs from 5 lakh sellers on the platform. The platform has 70 million monthly users.
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.
