January 2020 Edition Apparel January 2020 issue | Página 77

ENTREPRENEUR SPEAK
Kashmir as drapable art. We have the finest
handcrafted shawls, which are an example of
the exemplary skills and artistry applied to one of
the world’s most delicate fibre called pashmina.
SOK’s Heirloom Collection is a challenge in itself
as the number of craftsmen doing the absolute
top-end embroidery are reducing. Not being able
to speak the local language is also a huge barrier
but I can get my point across to the people who
manage the production and further convey it to
the craftsmen—thanks to my husband and his
long lineage in the region. Political instability also
adds to many challenges in our production from
time to time.
WHAT ARE YOUR EXPECTATIONS FROM
THE ECONOMY AND CONCERNED
REGULATORS THIS YEAR?
Ours being a handloom brand, we were
exempted from any form of taxation such as
value-added tax (VAT). With the introduction of
the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in 2017, there
is a now a high slab of 12 per cent GST on our
products. We would request the Government to
reconsider the same, just as they have done for
handmade carpets. I urge it to consider placing
the GST rate on handwoven/hand-embroidered
shawls from Kashmir at five per cent from the
current 12 per cent. This would definitely help in
boosting sales of this exquisite product.
WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE
SPLENDOR OF KASHMIR THIS SEASON?
To meet the ever-increasing demand of our
customers, we showcased our products at
exhibitions in cities such as New Delhi, Gurugram,
Mumbai, Chennai, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, and
Hyderabad in 2019.
However, SOK is now looking forward to
reaching out to more people based in other cities
across India and overseas as well. It is heartening
to see people requesting us to come to their cities
for exhibitions through our social media pages.
We strongly believe that our growth will be directly
linked with the number of people we can reach
out to. Hence, we would like to add newer cities
to our list every year. The motto of our company
is to promote the best form of craftsmanship of
this luxury textile, and we would like to adhere
to that. It’s not the quantum that we emphasise
on; increasing our reach to the right people will
definitely enhance our growth.
APPAREL
I
January 2020
I
75