Circular Business Model

Ubika is a mission-first business where we focus on providing employment and training opportunities to rural women and artisans across India who are exploited by middlemen and squeezed for margins. We focus on producing high quality contemporary designs for women globally who care about the raw materials used and the supply chain of the products. 

Our circular business model allows our seamstresses, artisans and craftsman to participate in creating a better world for themselves and their families and also help change the paradigm, take pride in their craft and fight against exploitation and poverty through opportunities and personal empowerment. 

At its core, Ubika is committed to empowering disadvantaged women living in rural India who did not have the opportunity to get their higher education. These women now find themselves disadvantaged as they do not meet the requirements of the formal sector, which is where most of the jobs are. They have however grown up around ancient art forms that have been passed down to them from previous generations. The struggle they face today is to use their skills in a way that provides sustainable employment opportunities for income and personal empowerment. We make sure our seamstresses receive the right training and coaching to hone their skills and produce products that they are satisfied with. With that, they are not only able to earn a livelihood for their families but also in a safe and flexible environment. 

The other facet that we focus on is sourcing raw materials that are sustainable, environmentally friendly and support artisans. Capitalism and industrialization has driven our artisans and craftsmen out of their livelihood as they face competition from automated factories. Despite that, as consumers are eschewing mainstream mass produced products for hand-made, one of a kind products, there is still a perception problem for the artisan sector. The artisan sector is part of a larger global creative economy. Artisan products reflect the culture and social traditions of the communities they were developed in. It truly is one of the economic levers to economic development and job creation. At Ubika we bring to our customers a slice of such artisans from across North India. Choosing artisan means supporting a form of economic development that has deep meaning and is rooted in uniqueness.  

We hope that through our mission to craft premium products using natural fabrics designed to bring seamstresses and customers closer together will make you ask questions such as where does this come from, who produced it and what conditions they were made in.