Thousands of young women in the Palghar district receive free training in sewing garments and non-garment products. This comprehensive six-month program equips local women with the skills needed for tailoring and producing a variety of garments, providing them with an opportunity to earn a livelihood. However, many lose interest because the income from stitching a few blouses or kurti’s is too low, leading them to discontinue this work.
Our organization recognized the availability of a skilled workforce in the rural villages of Palghar and decided to launch a venture to effectively utilize this readily accessible labor. In the initial stages, we began by using four simple domestic-grade sewing machines to stitch cloth bags. These bags were distributed free of charge to villagers who were using single-use plastic bags to carry home groceries, fruits, and vegetables, which posed a threat to the fragile environment of these beautiful tribal villages.
To raise awareness about environmental conservation, we printed messages in the local language on these cloth bags, making them popular among the communities of Ashte and Raipur in Dahanu Taluka of Palghar District.
The initiative was later relocated to Mokhada and formally established as TRIBAL THREADS INDIA. Investments were made in professional sewing machines, including JUKI, BROTHER, and ZOJE. Local women received additional training and were excited to learn how to operate these advanced machines. These sewing machines not only produced higher quality output but also provided greater comfort for the users while working.
TRIBAL THREADS INDIA has diversified into various products in both garment and non-garment categories. The company successfully completed orders for gift bags for the entire chain of Hilton Hotels in India and fulfilled a large production order for UNICEF Maharashtra, which involved creating over 150,000 masks during the COVID pandemic. Additionally, they have provided gift items for TATA Capital and secured several other contracts. This project has also resulted in the launch of two new brands: J.SZTOKMAN Shirts and ELANIA for women. The initial market response to these products has been very encouraging, and sales figures have been strong.
TRIBAL THREADS INDIA has now expanded to two locations within Mokhada and currently employs nearly 25 local women and men from tribal communities, providing them with stable livelihood close to their homes. Recently, the TRIBAL THREADS INDIA team secured a significant order for 9,500 school uniform sets for the entire Mokhada taluka. We are confident that our internal quality systems, which utilize Value Stream Mapping and Quality Management Systems, will continue to support the growth of this business. Additionally, we have successfully completed several orders for international clients in the USA and UK, with more upcoming orders from the USA in the pipeline.
