Sample this: Ladakh is home to the Ladakhi Changthangi goats that live in conditions where the temperature falls under -50°C. The cashmere sourced from their wool is superior to the cashmere produced anywhere else in the world and comes with a GI (geographical indication) tag to prove its authenticity. And yet, it accounts for only 0.5-1% of the total cashmere production annually.
“There were brands in the U.S. that sold cashmere but none of the products are from Kashmir or Ladakh* which was puzzling,” entrepreneur Aaqib Bhat told About Amazon India.
Bhat set out to change this in November 2021 with the launch of his startup Pashwrap. It all started with a chance conversation around e-commerce that Bhat had with his inquisitive 85-year-old grandfather. About Amazon India spoke to Bhat to understand how Pashwrap was born and the startup’s cross-border trade journey with Amazon Global Selling, a program that helps Indian businesses of all sizes export their products through Amazon's international marketplaces. Pashwrap is one of the 4 startups featured on Amazon Global Selling's '#IndiaSeDuniyaTak' campaign, which spotlights Indian Entrepreneurs reaching a global audience.
Edited excerpts.
(*in 2019, Ladakh became a separate Union Territory, prior to that it was a part of the Jammu and Kashmir state.)
Pashwrap: a luxury brand that is truly ‘homegrown’
My family has been in the rugs and carpet manufacturing business since the 1960s, becoming a major player in handmade Kashmir silk rugs. We also tried our hand at cashmere pashminas but rugs remained our flagship product. We sold to local showrooms that catered to pan-India wholesalers or international tourists visiting Kashmir. I grew up watching my family work really hard to sustain the business and was really proud of it.
I was working in Dubai at a consulting firm pre-COVID, making good money and was happy at my job. But once the pandemic hit, I returned home to work remotely. That is when I saw how the family business continued to flourish despite all the challenges it faced. I was inspired and wanted to do something of my own. So, I decided to stay back in Kashmir after the pandemic ended and take the entrepreneurial plunge. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do when I happened to have a conversation with my 85-year-old grandfather. He would notice a lot of online deliveries happening in the neighbourhood from the window and was really curious. I explained to him how e-commerce works and that conversation is the first building block for Pashwrap.
I started the brand when the pandemic ended in 2021 and within 6 months we had a fully functioning Amazon Global Selling seller account for exports. Pashwrap is a high-end luxury brand that celebrates the rich history and timeless beauty of pashmina.
The first order Pashwrap received
I will never forget the feeling of receiving our first order. I remember it as clear as day, I was asleep because of the time difference in the US. It was September 2021 and Amazon had an ongoing sale for which we started off with some coupons as offers. When I woke up in the morning, I saw that we made around $300-400 of sale. It was a great moment—I was so happy that I couldn't eat for two hours. It wasn’t about the money, it was more about seeing an idea that we believed in so much finally come to life.
Navigating the shift from traditional to online selling
When we first started, no one believed we could do it. There were some genuine reservations about how we would be able to differentiate our product. For instance, there are different materials sold across the globe on various platforms described as ‘cashmere’. So, even a product which is worth ₹300 was being sold as cashmere for ₹800. Whereas our cashmere product is worth more than ₹10-12,000 But I had faith and so did my father and grandfather. I wanted something from our part of the world to be ‘in fashion’. We have been producing beautiful pashmina since ages, some of the world’s finest at that. Sure, there are brands in the US who sell it, but the value and quality that Kashmiri handmade products deliver is unmatched.
Premium packaging for premium pashminas
In line with building a luxury brand identity, our packaging is well thought out. We have a black and gold theme to imbibe luxury—our boxes are black with golden printing. We also have a booklet that goes with each product that tries to tell the customers about that product’s journey. We also talk about what goes into making the product—the embellishments, needlework, the designing, and so on. Our aim is to educate our audience and that helps sales in the longer run as the brand becomes more recognised.
Amazon: a trustworthy marketplace for online shoppers and sellers alike
We are a brand born on Amazon, it was through Amazon Global Selling that we had the access to tools and solutions that helped us initiate cross-border trade. Apart from help with all the paperwork and other nitty-gritties of setting up an export business online, Amazon gave us a platform to reach our target audience—the customers who were looking for what we had to offer. There are a few websites globally that sell pashmina but don’t have a return policy and this makes customer trust difficult. Amazon brings that trust factor to the table with its easy return policy. We have now delivered to almost 3,000 customers via Amazon Global Selling. Our average sales per day is $500-600 but during sale events like Black Friday and Cyber Monday we have seen our numbers jump 5-10x. Through Amazon, we now export to the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia. Next year, we want to also try entering the European market.
Today, Pashwrap is the only major brand of Kashmiri pashminas trusted by thousands of customers around the world, especially in the U.S. With multiple factories in the Kashmir region, Pashwrap offers exclusive online access to luxurious products including embroidered cashmere scarves, pashmina shawls, cashmere wraps and more.
Empowering the karigar community in Kashmir
We have a big number of karigars working with us. These are people who first convert the fibres into thread, who weave the thread into the handlooms for different kinds of products needed and then others who work on embellishments. There are 80-90 karigars specialising in embroidery who work with us regularly.
We are happy to offer a sense of belonging to these karigars—they feel immensely happy when they see the recognition their product is getting. With unbranded products it’s difficult to understand a product’s reach. With our products, karigars can go on to Amazon and see what people have written about it—it makes them happy.
We ensure the karigars receive their fair wages promptly by making the final payment the day we receive their product. We also have flexible payment models depending on how they prefer getting paid—some prefer weekly or monthly payments as the work progresses. We wouldn’t exist or sustain today without these artisans as everything we sell is handmade.
The handmade industry is on the verge of death in the larger Kashmir region because of disparity in wages. If we can go directly to the customer, we make more profits and will then be able to pay the artisans more. We won’t let this art die and want to continue working with our current artisans.
What’s next for Pashwrap?
I look forward to add more cashmere products to our portfolio apart from scarves and shawls. I would like to expand into other product ranges like cardigans, sweaters, hoodies, track pants made from cashmere. It's easier said than done because this is a very delicate fibre but I have faith that we will get there.
We are looking to launch cardigans this year and we will make our next move based on the customer response. Fingers crossed!
We're thrilled to be featured in Amazon's #IndiaseDuniyaTak video campaign. This platform will spotlight the passion and precision behind our heirloom creations, introducing discerning global consumers to the true essence of our artistry.
