Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I)

What Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I) does

Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I) is a New Delhi-based non-profit organization that commenced operations in 1989 and serves as India's country network for the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). FTF-I enables more than 100,000 grassroots fair trade producers — primarily artisans, handloom weavers and farmers from rural areas — through a membership-based governance model with 70+ member organizations and a small core staff of approximately 8 supported by a 7-member board (President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Joint Secretary and members). Its core offerings include the Fair Trade India Brand (a certification and common-identity mark launched in 2010 for shops and outlets selling fairly produced products), the European Union-backed STREE Program for women's economic empowerment (targeting 10,000 women artisans), capacity-building services (design thinking, digital and financial literacy, photography and marketing training), market access through branded retail shops, fairs and exhibitions, business development support, and policy and advocacy for India's craft sector.

FTF-I generates revenue through three streams: recurring membership fees from member organizations, donations and grants (Indian donations being 80G tax-exempt; the EU anchor-grant funds STREE), and certification services around the Fair Trade India Brand. Its go-to-market is community-led, event-driven, and channel-partner-driven: it mobilizes producers through member CSOs, drives visibility through national and international exhibitions (IHGF, India International Trade Fair, Kunming Fair, Dortmund Fair), and routes commercial sales through 20+ Fair Trade India Branded Shops, partner retail stores, the Myroots.desi e-commerce marketplace (since 2016), and inclusions in retailer programs such as Walmart's Women's Enterprise Support Program.

The organization's underlying technology is minimal — no proprietary platform, API, or app is disclosed — making FTF-I fundamentally a coordination, certification and advocacy layer rather than a software business. Its primary commercial differentiator is its WFTO affiliation and the Fair Trade India Brand mark, which member producers use to access both domestic and international markets. FTF-I does not publish financial figures; no subsidiaries, M&A activity, or external investor ownership are disclosed, consistent with a membership-governed non-profit.

Name

Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I)

Legal name

Fair Trade Forum India

Website

https://fairtradeforum.org.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I) is a New Delhi-based non-profit that serves as India's WFTO country network, enabling 100,000+ grassroots artisans, weavers and farmers across 70+ member organizations through certification, capacity building, market access and policy advocacy for fair trade.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fair Trade Certification and Producer Support Services

NAICS

Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192)

akta.pro primary industry

Fair Trade & Ethical Supply Chains (Certification, Traceability, Producer Support) (BPAGALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fair Trade & Ethical Sourcing Certification Services (AFALAMAD), International Standards Development & Standardization Bodies (BPADANAA), Conformity Assessment, Testing, Inspection & Certification Cooperation (BPADANAD)

Keywords

• Fair trade certification
• Artisan market access
• Capacity building services
• Craft sector advocacy
• Producer network membership

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Organization operates membership-based model with various member organizations paying fees to be part of the fair trade network.
2. Donations and Grants: FTF-I receives donations from Indian and foreign citizens, with contributions eligible for tax exemption under section 80G of India's Income Tax Act. Also receives support from European Union for STREE Program.
3. Certification Services: FTF-I provides Fair Trade India certification to producers and organizations, enabling them to sell fair trade products with the certification and logo in national and international markets.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I) is a non-profit organization that promotes fair trade practices in India by serving as the national network for the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). It issues Fair Trade India Brand certification to producers and member organizations, enables market access through branded shops, fairs and e-commerce partnerships, and delivers capacity building, policy advocacy and business development services to grassroots artisans, women producers, and member CSOs across India.

Product overview

Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I) operates as a non-profit organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offerings center on the Fair Trade India Brand certification, which provides a common identity and certification for fair trade products across India. The organization enables over 100,000 grassroots-level fair trade producers (artisans and farmers) to improve their businesses through the Fair Trade network. FTF-I's services include the STREE Program (a European Union-supported initiative empowering women artisans), Capacity Building services (training in design thinking, digital literacy, and marketing), Policy & Advocacy (policy research and dissemination for the craft sector), Market Access Services (organizing fairs, exhibitions, and establishing brand shops), and Business Development Services (facilitating partnerships and market linkages). The organization also maintains a network of Fair Trade India Branded Shops across India and connects member organizations with international markets.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fair Trade India Brand: A common identity brand launched in 2010 for shops and outlets selling fairly produced products across India. FTF-I provides certificates to producers and organizations enabling them to sell fair trade products directly to consumers, retail chains, corporate firms, and various institutions.

Products and services

• Fair Trade India Brand Certification A certification and branding initiative that provides certificates and logo usage rights to producers and member organizations, enabling them to sell fair trade products to consumers, retail chains, corporate firms and institutions in national and international markets.
• STREE Program A program delivering sustainable livelihood and economic empowerment for women artisans across India through training, capacity building and market linkages, preserving traditional handicrafts.
• Capacity Building Services Training and workshop services for grassroots artisans and member organizations covering design thinking, digital literacy, financial literacy, communication, photography and marketing.
• Policy & Advocacy Services Policy research and advocacy services for India's craft sector, including support for scholarly policy research, state and national dissemination workshops, and advocacy for supportive economic and trade policies.
• Market Access Services Services that develop the fair trade market by establishing brand shops, organizing fairs and exhibitions nationally and internationally, and facilitating collaborations with retailers, corporates and institutions.
• Business Development Services Services supporting member organizations in capacity building and business growth, including facilitating participation in programs like Walmart's Women's Enterprise Support Program and partnerships with e-marketplaces such as Myroots.desi.
• Fair Trade India Branded Shops Network A retail network of 20+ branded physical outlets across India selling fair trade certified products under the Fair Trade India Brand identity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000 women artisans to be empowered through STREE Program
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major, core, significant and minor.

• VisionSpring FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2022Partnership for Clear Vision India 2022 project providing eye screening for up to 50,000 artisans and weavers across India and distributing eyeglasses to those requiring them.
• Myroots.desicoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 20 July 2016E-marketplace collaboration started in 2016 providing online sales outlet for fair trade products. Platform curates Indian ethnic fashion wear and increases visibility for grassroot artisans, weavers and organizations.
• WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFTF-I represents WFTO in India as the country network, providing international credibility and connecting Indian producers with the global fair trade network. FTF-I enables grassroots producers to improve businesses through greater engagement with the Fair Trade network.
• Walmart (Women's Enterprise Support Program)significantStrategic or Co-development PartnerFTF-I facilitated participation of members in WESP capacity building program. Two members were selected for training on making businesses more robust and becoming potential Walmart suppliers.
• Office of Development Commissioner of HandicraftsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment partnership for organizing Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair (IHGF) annually and facilitating member participation in various exhibitions, haats, and fairs.
• Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGovernment council partnership for organizing fairs and exhibitions, providing market access for fair trade products.
• Federation of Indian Exporters Organization (FIEO)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for organizing fairs and exhibitions connecting fair trade producers with potential buyers.
• Department of Environment, NCT of DelhiminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration for participation in exhibitions and events like India International Trade Fair, Craft Bazaar, and Adivasi Mela.
• NIFT, O.P. Jindal, Shiv Nadar, Christ University, SrishtisignificantStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic institution partnerships providing internship opportunities for students in product design, digital marketing, and management in the craft sector.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fair Trade USA: North America's largest fair trade certification and producer support organization, providing third-party certification and supply chain services comparable to FTF-I's Fair Trade India brand but serving U.S. market buyers and producers.
• World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO): Global umbrella fair trade network of which FTF-I is the India country representative. WFTO sets international fair trade standards and operates the Guaranteed Fair Trade certification that FTF-I promotes locally — directly comparable as the parent/peer network model.
• Fairtrade International / Fairtrade Foundation: Global fair trade standards body and label owner for Fairtrade-certified products, operating certification, producer support, and market access programs analogous to FTF-I's services, but on a global rather than India-only scale.

Direct peers

• Traidcraft Exchange: UK-based fair trade organization operating producer development, advocacy, and trading programs in South Asia including India. Operates as a non-profit fair trade network analogous to FTF-I but with UK-headquartered governance.
• Fair for Life / Ecocert Fair Trade: International fair trade certification program operated by Ecocert, certifying producers and traders on fair trade criteria. Directly comparable as a competing certification standard that Indian handicraft producers may choose instead of the Fair Trade India brand.
• Ten Thousand Villages: Non-profit fair trade retail organization sourcing from artisan groups in developing countries including India. Operates comparable network-to-retail model with Fair Trade India shops, though primarily consumer-facing in North America.
• SERRV International: U.S.-based non-profit fair trade organization working with artisan and farmer cooperatives globally. Comparable business model as a non-profit fair trade network supporting producer organizations through market access and capacity building.
• All India Artisans and Craftworkers Association (AIACA): Indian sector association supporting craft producers and operating the Craftmark certification program. Directly comparable to FTF-I as a national Indian organization providing certification, capacity building, and market access to artisans and craftworkers.

Regional players

• Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH): Indian government-established council that organizes IHGF and supports handicraft exporters. Comparable to FTF-I's market-access mission for craft producers but government-led rather than member-based, and export-focused rather than fair-trade-specific.

Others

• Myroots.desi: Indian e-marketplace partner of FTF-I curating Indian ethnic fashion wear from artisans. Comparable as a complementary digital channel through which FTF-I member products reach consumers, though primarily an e-commerce operator rather than a fair trade network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fair-trade-forum-india-ftf-i

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fair Trade Forum India (FTF-I)