“Corporate existence is about society. It is not only about profits, it is about making a difference to society,” said NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant at the international conference on Sustainability of Natural Dyes at Munnar, Kerala. The conference was held in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of Aranya Natural, a dyeing unit, manned by differently abled persons, that works with designers to create naturally dyed fabric. Aranya is an endeavour by the Srishti Charitable Trust, an independent body supported by Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL) and Tata Trusts and run by 'Tata Tea wives'.
Delivering the inaugural address to 250 attendees from across the globe, Kant said Tata had demonstrated what every Indian corporate should do. He added that Aranya had done outstanding work in creating unique products that are “innovative, eco-friendly and fashionable from waste” and has been making a remarkable difference in the lives of differently abled children for the last 25 plus years. The company was founded in 1994, but its silver jubilee celebrations were postponed because of the devastation caused by the floods in Kerala.
Aranya, meaning forest, uses discarded material, such as tea leaves and pomegranate shells, and other raw material freely available in nature to synthesise dyes. The employees are differently abled members from families of tea plantation workers. In fact, the company was born as a means of providing employment to them. It was in the early 1990s that the DARE school for the differently abled, run by Srishti in Munnar, produced its first round of graduates. As they had few employment opportunities in the area, Srishti cast about looking for ways to fill this gap.
That led to the world of natural dyeing. Most commercial dyers in India were then using potentially carcinogenic chemicals like azos, which also harmed the environment. Now, Aranya Naturals does a business of Rs1 crore per year, according to Ratna Krishnakumar, founder and managing trustee of Srishti, from its single facility in Munnar manned entirely by the differently abled, around 90 per cent of whom passed through the DARE school. Aranya and its sister concerns—Athulya, The Deli, Nisarga, Vartika and DARE—employ or train 117 differently abled persons and 56 students.
Athulya is a paper making unit, which now also caters to brands like Starbucks and Croma. The Deli bakery and confectionary—started with differently abled bakers trained at the Taj President, Mumbai— now has five outlets in Munnar and caters to orders from local establishments. Vartika (garden) is were the differently abled who cannot sit still work. Nisarga produces fruit preserves under the brand name High Range. It also does business of Rs1 crore per year, said Krishnakumar. She added that the enthusiasm of the workers had made the units run by Srishti what they are today.
Krishnakumar said the higher rates of differently abled children in the area could be attributed to inbreeding. “In the Tamil culture (plantation workers are predominantly Tamil), the uncle can marry the niece,” she said, adding that this was no longer a prevalent practice as the younger generation had greater awareness. She said the youngsters who could have become burdens on their families today stand proudly on their feet and are paid more than the normal plantation wages by TCPL. Amit Chincholkar, global chief human resources officer, TCPL, said the company was proud of its association with Srishti.
Gowri Kaliappan, 32, has been working at Athulya for the last 12 years. Daughter of two plantation workers, she completed her graduation in English literature from Madurai, the family's native town. After being unable to find work, she came to Srishti with a government-issued disability certificate and found her calling there. She now also doubles as the translator-cum-guide for tourists who visit the facility and the 'spokesperson' for visiting media delegates. Her husband works in another private company in Munnar and she has two kids—a girl, 14, and a boy, 12.
Kaliappan told THE WEEK that “life has been good” since she joined Athulya. “It was painful not to find a job even after graduation, but here I got one. Good salary; we got a house; the education expenses for my children, medical expenses, everything is borne by the company,” she said. “Also, the company even helped us out for three-four months when our house was damaged in the floods. They moved us to another place and helped to rebuild our home.” I owe my life to this company, and now my life is this company, she added, salvation sparkling in her eyes.