Chhoti Si Asha
Chhoti Si Asha is a Chandigarh-based not-for-profit social enterprise that trains and employs women artisans to produce handcrafted Indian bags, home décor, stationery, and accessories, selling through Shopify e-commerce, exhibitions, and corporate gifting while also running community kitchen services.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersChandigarh, Punjab, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Chhoti Si Asha does
Chhoti Si Asha is a not-for-profit, women-led social enterprise founded in 2009 and headquartered in Chandigarh, India, that empowers women artisans from the Janta Colony and Khudda Lahora communities through training, employment, and market access for handcrafted Indian products. The organization runs a portfolio of community programs including Project Sakhi (artisan mentorship, triggered by a 6,000-unit laptop sleeve order), Project Disha (craft cluster organization and digital marketing training for 100+ women), Project Badlaav (after-school education for artisans' children), Hamara Bank (self-help-group microcredit), and a Menstrual Hygiene Project. With 14 staff and 60+ actively producing artisans, the entity functions as both a livelihood platform and a craft brand.
The company sells handmade products through its Shopify-powered e-commerce site (chhotisiasha.org), at exhibitions and local markets, and via partnerships with boutiques and B2B customers such as WONDRBOX and Dwij. The catalog spans seven categories — bags, stationery, kids' corner, home décor, gifting bundles, festive products (Christmas, Rakhis), and accessories — produced with traditional techniques including crochet, embroidery, phulkari, kantha, patchwork, basket weaving, and dari weaving. Unit prices range from Rs. 100 (pencil tops) to Rs. 5,500 (wall face crochet), with no subscription model. A subsidiary, Chhoti Si Rasoi, extends the mission into a community kitchen offering catering and tiffin delivery at Rs. 125 per meal in the Chandigarh–Mohali–Panchkula Tricity.
The business model is a hybrid of direct-to-consumer e-commerce, event-driven sales, and a small recurring food-service line, with revenue from one-time product purchases supplemented by corporate gifting and bulk orders. No external institutional funding, venture capital, or formal ownership structure is disclosed; the organization states that 100% of merchandise profits are reinvested into community programs. Geographic reach is primarily Punjab/Chandigarh for the tiffin service, while e-commerce ships more broadly.
Chhoti Si Asha firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Chhoti Si Asha
- Legal name
- Chhoti Si Asha
- Website
- https://chhotisiasha.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Chhoti Si Asha is a Chandigarh-based not-for-profit social enterprise that trains and employs women artisans to produce handcrafted Indian bags, home décor, stationery, and accessories, selling through Shopify e-commerce, exhibitions, and corporate gifting while also running community kitchen services.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Chhoti Si Asha industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Handcrafted Indian Artisan Products
- NAICS
- Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (45912)
- SIC
- Costume Jewelry & Novelties (3960), Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Dolls & Stuffed Toys (3942)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops (CRALADAE)
Keywords
Where Chhoti Si Asha is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chandigarh, Punjab
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Chhoti Si Asha business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Handmade Product Sales: Direct e-commerce sales of handmade Indian handicraft products including bags, stationery, home decor, accessories, and gifts. One-time purchase transactions through their online store.
- Gift Bundles and Sets: Pre-curated gift bundles combining multiple handcrafted products sold as complete gift solutions for occasions.
- Catering and Tiffin Services (Chhoti Si Rasoi): Community kitchen extension providing catering and tiffin delivery services in Chandigarh, Mohali and Panchkula. Meal service at Rs. 125 per meal with delivery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Individual handcrafted products with varying prices based on complexity and materials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tiffin meal service for daily meals |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
Chhoti Si Asha product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Chhoti Si Asha designs, produces, and sells handcrafted Indian lifestyle products — including bags, stationery, home décor, accessories, kids' items, festive goods, and curated gift sets — manufactured by women artisans using traditional crafts such as crochet, embroidery, phulkari, kantha, and dari weaving. Sales are conducted primarily through its own Shopify e-commerce site with global shipping, supplemented by exhibitions, local boutiques, corporate gifting orders, and an in-house tiffin/catering service (Chhoti Si Rasoi) in the Chandigarh Tricity region.
Product overview
Chhoti Si Asha is a women-led social enterprise that offers a diverse portfolio of handcrafted Indian products created by women artisans using traditional techniques. The product line spans seven main categories: Bags (tote bags, sling bags, backpacks, laptop sleeves, wallets, pouches, duffel bags, bag straps, and fanny bags), Stationery (diaries, journals, bookmarks, document holders, pencil accessories), Kids Corner (stuffed toys, traditional games), Home Décor (baskets, torans, cushion covers, table linen, wall art, kitchen accessories, bed linen, crochet flowers), Gifting (curated gift sets), Festive Products (Christmas decorations, festive charms, Rakhis), and Accessories (travel accessories, eyewear cases, magnets, keyrings, jewelry, phone stands). All products feature traditional Indian crafts including crochet, embroidery, Phulkari, Kantha, patchwork, basket weaving, and Dari weaving.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Bags Handcrafted bag collection including tote bags, sling bags, backpacks, laptop bags and sleeves, pouches, wallets, gift and utility bags, duffel bags, bag straps, and fanny bags, made using traditional Indian crafts such as crochet, embroidery, phulkari, kantha, and patchwork. Targeted at consumers and corporate gift buyers seeking unique, ethically-made accessories.
- Stationery Handcrafted stationery products including diaries/journals, bookmarks, document holders/file folders, pencil tops, pen stands, pencil/brush rolls, and pencil pouches, featuring traditional embroidery and crochet work. Targeted at students, professionals, and gift buyers.
- Kids Corner Handcrafted children's products including crochet stuffed toys and traditional Indian games such as Ludo, Snakes and Ladders, and Chess. Targeted at parents, family gift buyers, and the educational-toy market.
- Home Décor Handcrafted home décor items including handwoven baskets and trunks, torans (door hangings), cushion covers, table runners, placemats and coasters, wall art and hangings, kitchen accessories, bed linen, and crochet flowers and stems. Targeted at homeowners, interior decorators, and gifting buyers.
- Gifting Gift Sets Pre-curated gift bundles combining multiple handcrafted products across home décor, stationery, accessories, and festive categories into ready-to-give sets for occasions such as festivals, weddings, corporate events, and personal presents. Targeted at individual gift buyers and corporate gifting customers.
- Festive Products Handcrafted festive items including Christmas ornaments and decorations, embroidered festive charms, torans, and handcrafted Rakhis for Indian festivals. Targeted at festival-season individual buyers and corporate festive gifting programs.
- Accessories Handcrafted personal accessories including passport holders and travel pouches, eyewear cases, magnets and pins, keyrings, jewelry (earrings, neckpieces, bracelets, anklets), and phone stands featuring traditional Indian crafts. Targeted at individual lifestyle and travel-accessory buyers.
- Chhoti Si Rasoi Tiffin and Catering Service Community kitchen extension of Chhoti Si Asha providing daily tiffin meal delivery and catering services across Chandigarh, Mohali, and Panchkula at Rs. 125 per meal (including two dishes, rice, rotis, salad, and chutney with delivery within 4 km of Khuda Lahora). Targeted at local residents and offices in the Tricity area.
Quantifiable outcome
- 60+ women artisans actively employed and empowered through craft work
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Chhoti Si Asha
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Chhoti Si Asha technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Chhoti Si Asha partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Amy SinghcoreAmy Singh collaborated with Chhoti Si Asha to initiate a COVID-19 Relief Fund campaign for daily wage workers in the Tricity area (Chandigarh, Mohali, Panchkula) during the 2020-2021 pandemic lockdown. Together they raised funds online through the 'Our Democracy' website to support vulnerable daily-wage community members with food and emergency assistance.
- Our DemocracyminorOnline crowdfunding platform used by Chhoti Si Asha and Amy Singh to raise funds for the COVID-19 Relief Fund campaign targeting daily wage workers affected by the 2020 lockdown.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Chhoti Si Asha competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Crafters' Gallery: India-based online retailer specializing in handcrafted home décor, gifts, and lifestyle products from Indian artisans. Direct overlap in handcraft categories (cushion covers, baskets, stationery), Indian artisan base, and DTC e-commerce model.
- Maiwa: A Canadian fair-trade retailer specializing in handcrafted textiles, natural-dye products, and artisan-made goods. Comparable in traditional craft emphasis, fair-trade artisan sourcing, and curated handcrafted home/textile assortment, though primarily a brick-and-mortar plus online retailer in North America.
- Anokhi: A heritage Indian brand retailing handcrafted textiles, apparel, and home products featuring traditional techniques such as block printing and embroidery. Comparable in craft heritage focus, traditional Indian technique emphasis (akin to phulkari and kantha), and curated retail positioning.
- GoCoop: An Indian online marketplace and cooperative platform connecting handloom and handicraft artisans to buyers. Direct overlap in artisan-empowerment mission, traditional Indian crafts focus, and marketplace-enabled sales model, though structured as a multi-seller platform.
- Jaypore: An Indian e-commerce brand retailing handcrafted apparel, jewelry, and home décor sourced from Indian artisans. Closely comparable in product mix (bags, home textiles, accessories), India-based artisan supply chain, and DTC positioning, though at larger scale and broader geographic sourcing.
- Nicobar: An Indian lifestyle brand offering handcrafted home goods, accessories, and travel products with a tropical/Indian aesthetic. Comparable in curated handmade home and accessory assortment and India-based retail footprint, but operates more as a design-led lifestyle brand than artisan-empowerment enterprise.
- SOKO: A direct-to-consumer ethical fashion and accessories brand working with Kenyan artisans via mobile technology. Direct match in artisan-empowerment mission, handmade accessories (jewelry, bags), and ethical-supply-chain positioning, though focused on East African rather than Indian artisans.
- Noonday Collection: A US-based ethical jewelry and accessories company sourcing handmade products from artisan communities globally. Comparable in artisan-empowerment mission, handmade jewelry/accessories assortment, and storytelling-driven marketing, though structured around a consultant/MLM sales channel.
Broad incumbents
- Etsy: A global online marketplace for handmade, vintage, and craft goods. Operates as a broad incumbent platform where many of Chhoti Si Asha's products (handmade bags, home decor, stationery) compete; while Etsy hosts thousands of Indian artisans, it does not specialize in social-enterprise positioning.
- Amazon Karigar / Amazon Handmade: Amazon's curated handmade and Indian artisan storefront. Functions as a broad incumbent channel for Indian handcrafted products (bags, home décor, jewelry) and represents the platform-level competitive threat to a standalone DTC handcraft social enterprise.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Chhoti Si Asha social profiles
Digital presenceChhoti Si Asha financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Chhoti Si Asha leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Chhoti Si Asha subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Chhoti Si Asha funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Chhoti Si Asha M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Chhoti Si Asha
What does Chhoti Si Asha do?
Chhoti Si Asha designs, produces, and sells handcrafted Indian lifestyle products — including bags, stationery, home décor, accessories, kids' items, festive goods, and curated gift sets — manufactured by women artisans using traditional crafts such as crochet, embroidery, phulkari, kantha, and dari weaving. Sales are conducted primarily through its own Shopify e-commerce site with global shipping, supplemented by exhibitions, local boutiques, corporate gifting orders, and an in-house tiffin/catering service (Chhoti Si Rasoi) in the Chandigarh Tricity region.
Is Chhoti Si Asha a public or private company?
Chhoti Si Asha is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Chhoti Si Asha founded?
Chhoti Si Asha was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Chhoti Si Asha based?
Chhoti Si Asha is headquartered in Chandigarh, Punjab, India, in the Asia region.
How does Chhoti Si Asha make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Handmade Product Sales are the primary driver. The others are gift Bundles and Sets and catering and Tiffin Services (Chhoti Si Rasoi).
Who are Chhoti Si Asha's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Crafters' Gallery, Maiwa, Anokhi, GoCoop, Jaypore, Nicobar, SOKO and Noonday Collection. Broad incumbents are Etsy and Amazon Karigar / Amazon Handmade.
Does Chhoti Si Asha have an API?
No public API is recorded for Chhoti Si Asha.
What industry is Chhoti Si Asha in?
Chhoti Si Asha's product category is Handcrafted Indian Artisan Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRALADAE, Needlepoint & Embroidery Shops. Its NAICS code is 45912 and its SIC code is 3960.