Our intention is to bring fulfilment and positive change to everyone who comes in contact with The Shakti Mat, starting with the people who make them. All Shakti products are handmade in India in ways that are conducive to our craftspeople and their wellbeing. Your purchase empowers people and traditions, allowing families in India to thrive.
The home of The Shakti Mat and the heart of our production lies in the holy city of Varanasi. In the rural outskirts of the city, Shakti Mats are handmade by 72 women in an all-female purpose-built workshop. It is all-female due to the difficulty women find getting employment here. The word ‘Shakti’ in Sanskrit is a feminine principle and symbolises empowerment, abundance and change. It is with these principles that the workshop is run.
All women at the workshop are paid a living wage, sick leave and holiday leave. They are provided daily meals and puja, free medical care, and an emergency medical fund for them and their families. We have begun funding private schooling for 8 daughters of our employees and will continue to increase this number.
Through the Varanasi workshop, we aspire to provide space where welfare and community take priority over production and where employees are empowered and treated as equals, regardless of caste. The space is growing with renovations and soon we hope to have space for 200 women here. View the video at the bottom of this page to see inside the workshop.
Want to read the full Varanasi interviews?
Click here to download the pdf
When Shakti Mat production expanded to Delhi our vision was to create a working model that catered to the individual needs of the craftspeople. In the context of Delhi, this meant prioritizing family empowerment, financial independence, and flexible working hours.
We have a longstanding and personal relationship with the craftspeople here, as this is where we first sourced our Shakti spikes. Overtime, Delhi has grown to become the new engine room of Shakti Mat production. Unlike the Gratitude Factory in Varanasi, Delhi production is not one factory but a network of small family businesses all playing their part to put The Shakti Mat together.
Our team in Delhi are paid a living wage, overtime pay, end of year bonuses, and are supported with ESI medical insurance for them and their families. In March 2020 Team Shakti rapidly distributed €10,000 directly to our team in Delhi to assist in supporting themselves and their families through the COVID lockdown.
As our business has grown, we acknowledge the value of independent audits. We are currently working with SMETA certifiers to get official certification for socially responsible manufacture. We will continue to strive towards doing the best by everyone who comes in contact with The Shakti Mat.
Want to read the full Delhi interviews?
Click here to download the pdf
