By M Shayan Usman
Our Story
In the middle of the Thar Desert, a group of women gather around a tube well and begin their struggle to fill their water containers. This is commonplace in the Thar Desert, located in interior Sindh, where every day is filled with uncertainty. Every day, the locals wake up to arid weather and shuffle towards their arduous daily tasks. Unemployment, much like thirst and malnutrition, is a widespread plight affecting thousands of Thar residents and mainly caused by the lack of skills and tangible work opportunities
Realizing the need for establishing a proper business for the local community, the team at Thar Carpets and Handicrafts seeks to improve the local conditions. Thar Carpets and Handicrafts is a revolutionary business that aims to encourage the locals to think differently and learn skills that will not only allow them to find better work but will also positively impact their lifestyle. Primarily based in Karachi, most of the work is done in the manufacturing plant located in Interior Sindh and we specialize in the following
Artistic rugs
Comfortable carpets for the bedroom and lounge areas
Commercial and contract-based carpeting for large offices and corporate buildings
Handmade gift items
Embroidery for elegant ladies’ products
Founder
Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi, the founder and CEO of Thar Carpets and Handicrafts, had the vision of helping the residents of interior Sindh to improve their existing conditions and standard of living. Having graduated in Economics and Finance from Karachi University, a diploma in entrepreneur skills from IBA, and experience of being a visiting faculty at Preston University, he plans to utilize his knowledge and expertise of 10+ years in the rich and diverse carpet and handicrafts industry for the greater good of the local community. A certified professional in digital marketing and business analytics he has been working tirelessly on realizing his vision and establishing Thar carpets and handicrafts
Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi gains inspiration from his father, a social entrepreneur in the Tharparkar district, who avidly contributed to society through several philanthropic works. One such contribution to society was of opening the first primary and secondary schools in his village, which instilled the emphatic values that Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi centers his work around today. Witnessing the mass migration that takes place when the absence of rain, dying cattle, and crops forces residence to move to cities in search of a better life. Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi realized the dire need of creating alternate sources of income for the dependent locals, apart from farming. By analyzing the global market of carpets and handicrafts, he decided to start his business. It has been 10 years and the business is booming and reaching out to thousands of otherwise unemployed and previously impoverished people
Awards and Recognition
Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi has worked hard for the business to gain an international and national reputation. He has been an integral part of the executive community of PCMEA (Pakistan Carpet Manufacturer and Exporters Association) and has been on the board of directors of Pakistan and US business transfer programs. This year, Thar carpets and handicrafts was nominated for the WSIS 2021 award and was successfully placed in category 8 – cultural diversity and identity, linguistic diversity, and local content
That carpets and handicrafts also recently graduated with flying colors from cohort 4 of the incubation program at the National Incubation Center Karachi
Mission
We employ exquisite techniques that have been preserved for generations for all the production processes here at the Thar carpets and Handicrafts. All our products are handmade from start to finish by the adapt craft persons employed. We believe in women empowerment hence we have also trained women in tasks ranging from embroidery, sewing, designing, and the lot. In light of the poverty that plagues the region, our company takes pride in its work and gives priority to its workers. This is why the company takes a minimal part of the profits, with the rest going to the workers and community in Interior Sindh as a whole
“If a woman works and earns Rs1000 and then goes to buy a suit for herself, instead of burdening her family, with the help of Thar Carpets and Handicrafts… I think that’s quite the step towards a better future.” –Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi
Vision
Our vision is to empower the working class of the Thar region and Interior Sindh and to allow them to break out of the never-ending cycle of despair laid out in the region
Along with that, the plan is to improve the existing production processes by the use of efficient techniques and to gain a large audience by using extensive marketing strategies and analyzing the current market. We are committed to delivering the best quality rugs and handicrafts products to our valued customers at competitive prices and plan to expand our business to provide further services
Future
According to the report by Mordor Intelligence on the Global market for carpets and rugs, the market for traditional carpet manufacturing and selling is on the rise, especially in Asia, with a SAGR (Compound annual growth rate) of 4.5% + by the end of 2025. According to another research by Market Research Future (MRF) for hand-woven and quality rugs, the market worth is expected to reach $93.6 billion and is a popular product in North America. Due to the superior aesthetic look achieved by using carpet flooring and their slip avoidance characteristic, it is not surprising to know that the largest producer of flooring carpets is the US, with a whopping 44% share existing in the US alone. With the introduction of cutting-edge technology, streamlining the carpet-making process blooming abroad, and the rising market value, Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi has plans to implement them in Pakistan too with an ambition to grow Thar Carpets and Handicrafts and better the lives of the people of Interior Sindh and Pakistan
This is why Mushtaq Ahmed Sangrasi is not stopping here. He plans on expanding his business to incorporate new industries, water purification facilities to provide pure drinking water for the locals is one of his top priorities for his model for prosperity in Interior Sindh. Buy our products and you will not just be helping the locals of interior Sindh but will also be contributing to advancing the carpets and handicrafts industry of Pakistan
