India : Luxury brand Mela Artisans gets fund from Indian VC firm

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Luxury brand Mela Artisans gets fund from Indian VC firm

06
Mar '14

Mela Artisans, a socially conscious luxury lifestyle brand with offices in New York City and Boca Raton, announced that it received $3 million in equity financing from Aavishkaar, the Mumbai, India-based Venture Capital and Private Equity firm, a pioneer in investments targeted at rural and underserved India.

“To have its vote of confidence and financial support means the world to us and to the many artisans who will be impacted. We both share a similar philosophy and mission of empowerment and support of artisans in India”

This investment will help further Mela Artisans’ mission of supporting the artisans of India by providing a sustainable global market and promoting their entrepreneurship through high-end home accessories and jewelry collections. Mela intends to use the funds to expand its collections, grow its distribution channels domestically and internationally and to reach out to a wider range of artisan societies in various states in India.

Mela Artisans’ distinctive collections combine the centuries-old handcrafting traditions and techniques of India’s artisan communities with modern and contemporary design, and are currently sold on the Mela Artisans e-commerce website and in leading stores such as Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Holt Renfrew and Bloomingdales.

Regarding the investment, Noshir Colah, Partner at Aavishkaar, said “Mela was a compelling investment with its rare combination of established industry relationships with international retailers, significant backward linkages with artisan groups and excellent design capabilities culminating in an extremely competitive product.

Moreover, Mela’s eagerness to work directly with artisans and help them produce products of significantly superior quality has enabled artisan groups to upgrade their skills and earn more stable livelihoods, thus making the craft sustainable for them. This makes the investment incrementally attractive for Aavishkaar.”

"We are honored to be recognized by Aavishkaar, a pioneer and leader in impact investing,” says Mela Artisans Founder and CEO Navroze S. Mehta. “To have its vote of confidence and financial support means the world to us and to the many artisans who will be impacted. We both share a similar philosophy and mission of empowerment and support of artisans in India”

Mela Artisans

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