Sewa Exports Limited

What Sewa Exports Limited does

Sewa Exports Limited, operating as SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre (STFC), is a Section 25 non-profit company established in May 2003 as the commercial arm of SEWA (Self-Employed Women's Association). It is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and is collectively owned by approximately 15,000 women artisans across 220 villages in Kutch, Patan and Banskantha, who serve simultaneously as producers, shareholders and managers. STFC's core business is coordinating the design, production and marketing of traditional Indian hand-embroidered products including apparels, lifestyle products, accessories and home furnishings, using techniques such as Aari, Rabari, Appliqué, Patchwork, Bandhni, Soi, Sadu Bharat, Pakko, Jat and Mutva.

STFC generates revenue through three primary streams: wholesale supply to domestic designer brands and retailers (Fabindia, Span, Parampara); direct export to international clients in the US, Europe and Japan (Maiet IC, DOSA INC, Atelier Manis, Tigerella); and retail sales through the Hansiba brand at company-owned outlets in Ahmedabad and Delhi. Operations are supported by the Vastralaya integrated production facility in Ahmedabad (sampling, sourcing, printing, cutting, stitching, finishing, packaging, warehousing, distribution) and the Kamla Sadan district-level craft resource and training centre in Radhanpur. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, and 65% of sales under the Hansiba brand are paid directly to artisans.

The company pursues a fair-trade mission anchored in poverty alleviation for marginalized women, supported institutionally by SEWA's 1.2 million-member trade union base and externally by the SAARC Development Fund, which is replicating the STFC model across South Asia via the SABAH Network in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives.

Name

Sewa Exports Limited

Legal name

SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre

Website

https://sewatfc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sewa Exports Limited (SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre) is a non-profit fair-trade handicraft organization in Ahmedabad, India, collectively owned by 15,000 women artisans across 220 villages, producing and exporting traditional embroidered apparel and home furnishings via wholesale, export, and Hansiba retail channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handicrafts and Embroidered Textiles

NAICS

Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (3152), Textile Product Mills (314)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYIMAOAEAM

Contract / Private Label Cut & Sew Manufacturing (OEM/ODM)

Industrials, Manufacturing & Construction/Textiles, Apparel & Leather Manufacturing/Apparel Manufacturing (Cut & Sew)

SECONDARYCRAAAAAL

Textiles, Fabrics, Trims & Components Suppliers

Consumer Products & Retail/Apparel, Footwear & Accessories/Apparel Brands & Manufacturing

Keywords

• Fair trade handicrafts
• Hand embroidered apparel
• Traditional ethnic embroidery
• Artisan textiles wholesale
• Ethical fashion retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Ahmedabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Handicraft Product Sales: STFC generates revenue through the sale of hand-embroidered and hand-crafted products including apparels, lifestyle products, accessories, and home furnishings. 65% of all sales go directly to the artisans.
2. Wholesale B2B Sales: Integrated production facility services wholesale needs of domestic and international designer brands and retailers. Stringent quality norms with state-of-the-art testing machinery ensures quality products.
3. Export Sales: Direct export of handicraft products to international markets including US, Europe, Japan and India through established client relationships.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

STFC (SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre) is a fair trade non-profit handicraft organization that produces and sells hand-embroidered traditional Indian products including apparel, lifestyle products, accessories, and home furnishings. The organization operates the Hansiba national fashion brand through its own retail outlets in Ahmedabad and Delhi, and serves wholesale clients including domestic designer brands such as Fabindia, Span, and Parampara, as well as international export clients in the US, Europe, and Japan. Production is coordinated across an integrated production facility (Vastralaya) in Ahmedabad and district-level hubs, with approximately 15,000 women artisans across 220 villages in Gujarat supplying the hand embroidery and craftwork.

Product overview

STFC (Sewa Trade Facilitation Centre) operates as a fair trade organization that connects approximately 15,000 women artisans with national and global markets. The organization offers a portfolio of products and services built around traditional Indian embroidery and handicrafts. The Hansiba fashion brand represents artisans' hand-embroidered creations, with 65% of sales going directly to artisans. Production facilities include Vastralaya in Ahmedabad (state-of-the-art manufacturing with quality control, packaging, warehousing, and distribution) and Kamla Sadan in Radhanpur (district-level craft resource centre and training facility). Product categories include Apparels, Lifestyle Products, Accessories, and Home Furnishing. Services encompass wholesale distribution (serving brands like Fabindia, Span, and international clients), product development with in-house and empanelled designers, and district-level production hubs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hansiba: Hansiba is the fashion brand of STFC which represents thousands of women with precious skill of hand embroidery and craft. Named after Hansiba, SEWA's first and senior-most artisan, it showcases India's timeless embroidery skills. 65% of all sales go directly to the artisans, and artisans are shareholders and suppliers of the company.

Products and services

• Hansiba Fashion Brand Hansiba is STFC's national fashion brand showcasing hand-embroidered traditional Indian apparel, lifestyle products, accessories, and home furnishings produced by thousands of women artisans. The brand is sold through company-owned retail outlets in Ahmedabad and Delhi, with 65% of all sales going directly to artisans who are shareholders and suppliers of the company.
• Wholesale Handicraft Supply B2B wholesale supply of hand-embroidered handicraft products to domestic and international designer brands and retailers. Domestic clients include Fabindia, Span, and Parampara. Export clients include Maiet IC, DOSA INC, Atelier Manis, and Tigerella in the US, Europe, Japan, and India. Quality is controlled through state-of-the-art testing machinery at the integrated production facility.
• Product Development Services End-to-end product development service for buyers requiring intricate embellishment and finishing of handcrafted products. Offered through state-of-the-art Product Development Unit linked to Integrated Production Units, supported by in-house and empanelled designers.
• Hand-Embroidered Apparels Hand-embroidered garments and ethnic apparel crafted by STFC artisans using traditional Indian embroidery techniques. Available through wholesale channels to designer brands and through Hansiba retail outlets.
• Lifestyle Products Lifestyle products featuring traditional Indian embroidery and crafts, produced by STFC artisans and sold through wholesale and Hansiba retail channels.
• Handcrafted Accessories Handcrafted accessories featuring ethnic embroidery and craftwork, produced by STFC artisans and sold through wholesale and Hansiba retail channels.
• Home Furnishing Home furnishing items featuring traditional Indian embroidery and artisanal craftsmanship, produced by STFC artisans and sold through wholesale and Hansiba retail channels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15000 women artisans achieved economic self-reliance and empowerment through employment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• SAARC Development FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAARC Development Fund supports the 'Strengthening of Livelihood Initiative for Home-Based Workers in the SAARC Region' project. STFC model is being replicated to establish Trade Facilitation Centres in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and Maldives with the mission of women's empowerment in the region.
• SABAH NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSABAH (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries) chapters successfully registered in Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka. Process will shortly fructify in Bhutan and Maldives. Based on SEWA Trade Facilitation Centre model which evolved as a business organization owned and managed by home-based artisans.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Fabindia: India's largest fair-trade ethnic apparel and home furnishings brand, sourcing from artisan networks across India. Directly comparable to STFC's mission and product mix; also a STFC wholesale customer.
• Global Goods Partners: US-based fair-trade nonprofit partnering with women artisan cooperatives globally. Directly comparable as a fair-trade social enterprise channeling handmade artisan products to Western wholesale and retail markets.
• Ten Thousand Villages: North America's largest fair-trade retailer, sourcing handmade products from artisan groups in 30+ countries. Comparable fair-trade model and end-to-end supply chain from artisan to consumer.
• Khadi and Village Industries Commission: Government-backed Indian institution promoting handspun, handwoven khadi textiles through artisan cooperatives. Comparable mission of rural artisan empowerment and traditional textile production.
• Jaipur Rugs: India's largest artisan-owned rug manufacturer, connecting 40,000+ weavers across 600 villages to global markets. Comparable as a producer-owned fair-trade cooperative selling handcrafted home goods internationally.
• Anokhi: Rajasthan-based artisanal apparel and home textiles brand using traditional hand-block printing and embroidery with artisan supply chains. Closely mirrors STFC's artisan-aggregator fair-trade model.

Broad incumbents

• Arvind Limited: One of India's largest integrated textile and apparel manufacturers with global brand licensing. Operates in the same industry vertical but at industrial scale rather than artisanal fair trade.

Emerging players

• No Nasties: India-based organic and fair-trade clothing brand sourcing from artisan and small-scale producer cooperatives. Comparable in fair-trade positioning and Indian-origin ethical apparel, though apparel-only.
• W for Woman: Indian ethnic and indo-western women's apparel brand selling through extensive retail and online channels. Comparable in product category (Indian women's apparel) though not artisan-owned.

Others

• Sabyasachi (couture): Luxury Indian couture house extensively using traditional Indian embroidery crafts in its garments. Comparable as a designer brand that sources traditional Indian embroidery techniques from artisan networks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sewa-exports-limited

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sewa Exports Limited