The trends of buying branded products exported by western companies have ruled the market since time immemorial. A majority of people often discourage local products that are made in the home nation due to that fact. As a result, local brands are likely to be overshadowed in the market and the people won’t even know about their existence. Though the foreign products have maintained their supremacy in the Nepali market, there’s always a proud moment on wearing products tagged “Made in Nepal”. To support the local business, various products have come to the market. My City asked these brands about their product and story behind their initiation. Here are the results:
In a world of factory where machines do all the work, some brands emphasize on handmade products. Kolpa is a Nepali brand which manufactures handmade bags, floor mats and wallet. The best part is that they are doing it with a Nepali touch. Kolpa has been in the Nepali market for over a year, supporting the local handmade products.
According to Rabi C Malla, the founder of Kolpa, unemployment and further brain drain are the main problems that have created hindrances in the development of market in Nepal. As he thought of changing that, he wanted to support the talent of the people who are expert in making handmade art and crafts. As a result, he hired some of the workers and started producing the local products. As asked what Kolpa produces, Malla replied, “We started with handmade bags. But now we have diversified our products. We make floor mats, camera straps, and wallets, to name a few. ”
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The company’s main agenda is adding innovation to products. However, Malla thinks sometimes it’s hard to explain the concept behind new accessories to the people. He adds, “Whenever we come up with new ideas, some of our employees disagree with the initial design since they will be working on it for the first time. However, in the long run, they accept. But initially, explaining them the concept and convincing them is really challenging.” Malla always has a tough time on bringing the goods from various places around the country because of the logistics problem.
Despite the challenges, Malla is hopeful about establishing good coordination between offices in every part of the country and also, having a fast internet connection. He also looks forward to launching a mobile app which can be easily used by everybody.
Do you love jewelries? Flaunting jewelries with a sari has been a tradition when it comes to special occasions such as marriage and other ceremonies. When it comes to jewelries, it’s not only limited to gold. Jewelries are the decorative items worn for personal beautification. To support the handmade jewelers, AAMO has been providing jewelries since their inception in 2016.
Aayusha Shrestha, founder of the brand, wished to highlight the ability of artisans in making jewelries. According to Shrestha, AAMO aims to help small scale artisans to sustain their livelihood by providing a platform. Also, fighting commercialization is one of the agendas of the brand.
Established in 2016, working has never been easy for Shrestha. She admits that working in a male dominant society was a grueling experience, during her initial days in the business. However, she still finds finance as one of the biggest hurdles in her business.
Though the business is an outcome of the challenges Shrestha faced during her early days, she is hopeful about her goals. Explaining her goals, she said, “My goal is not only focusing on jewelers but also investing in the paper industry. I want to take the brand global. I look forward to making the AAMO an international world class brand.”
These brands along with several other local labels will be part of RadioNagarik 96.5 "Brand Nepal - Go Local" event on December 22 at Tangal Wood, Naxal. Join in and support our homegrown Nepali brands. Enjoy a weekend of local product choices, music, food and fun activities. For further details check
facebook.com/radionagarik96.5.
