Neha Gandhi Email & Phone Number

Mumbai Area, India

I am a Fine Arts Graduate, from Sir. J.J School of Fine Arts ,Mumbai . An experience of 20 plus years working in the grassroots in Rural India, with NGOs ,fair trade organizations in the Indian Handicraft industry led me to start matsya. An online and offline company with works with Indian craftsmen ,women entrepreneurs, NGOs ,providing strong market linkages, sustainable markets ,design& product development. I have marketed Indian handicrafts to potential stores In and out India engaged with crafts of Kutch primarily. Successfully worked with Interns for projects at matsya.Through my entrepreneurship programmes i have mentored individuals to start unique business.I have been successfully running craft tours in the region of Kutch, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu.I have the ability to make things work in beleive in creating suistainaible solutions with people whom i work at all levels. At matsya we also provide capacity building, consultancy on marketing,design product development to ngos ,women entrepreneurs or any start ups not only in handicrafts but any business streamsI am always open for ideas and collaborations do email me on queries@matsyacrafts.com

Mumbai Area, India

matsya is a journey to traditional Indian crafts.Presently at matsya we are engaged in the following projects RetailCraft tours to kutch ,Gujarat,India Craft Documentation & Research Craft Trainings to NGosBusiness Development Services and any interesting projects pertaining to crafts& design .

Mumbai Area, India

Baaya Design the brand retails a range of home décor products. Baaya’s goal is to showcase the natural beauty and workmanship in Tribal art by presenting them in contemporary style and form. Their present range includes, wall art, trays coasters, lamps and installations. Their painting includes works of original artisans from warli, madhubani, saura and mednipur.Ms Shibani Jain an alumni of NID Ahmadabad is the CEO and Founder of the company based in Mumbai..Worked as a Business Development Consultant .My main area of contribution were as followsSourcing of capacities, products in order to build a product range in line with baaya’s proposition for Fab India.Meeting Fab India and presenting the complete range in Delhi.Sourcing of capacities, vendors to build in house range baaya range. Understanding baaya's in-house range, vendors, & present market avenues for further business expansion.Bringing craft vendors on board who are engaged in IGP programmes, entrepreneurs, manufactures on board for building baayas in house range and sourcing products directly.Manage promotions for events like mailers, tele-marketing, etc. Building the Baaya range which will include home items like Wall Art, Lights, Mirrors, Clocks, Bathroom cabinets, Magazine holders, Table mats, Trays & Coasters, Textile products, other home products .Managed and fulfilled corporate orders.Organizing corporate meetings for baaya design.Provided content and other support required to create the Baaya website.Providing customer feed back for product development to baaya and vendors. Networking with tribal artisans for baaya’s exclusive range for store

Sewa Kalakruti is the marketing outlet of the artisan’s cooperatives supported by Sewa Working as a consultant for their Artisan Project. My main areas of contribution are as follows1. Made a strategy presentation for the artisan cooperatives.2. Managed and developed HR procedures .Made tors for the entire team of Sewa kalakruti.3. Inputs on streamlining the business, production of Sewa Kalakruti4. Inputs on Design and Product Development.5. Inputs on Developing a brand identity6. Inputs and training to store staff as per retail approach7. Inputs on Visual Merchandising 8. Inputs on customer feed back , documentation, reporting systems 9. Developing MIS systems 10. Building a team spirit.

Mumbai Area, India

Asha Handicrafts is one of India’s leading Fair Trade organizations, reaching out to artisans across the country, supporting them with professional inputs and linking them up with local and international fair trade markets. I have been associated with both Karigar, the domestic market division of Asha, and also the export section. 1. A realistic technical appreciation of the existing capacities and skills of the artisans associated with Karigar or have the potential of associating in the future.2. Constant scanning of the market, particularly fair trade exhibitions, handicraft exhibitions and retail stores to take inspiration from the various favourite, contemporary themes that go into product design.3. Monitoring and guiding the designers in product development based on the information and the insights derived from the above two functions.

Ahmedabad, Bapu Nagar

In AWAG – EKTA my role had two main dimensions: 1. I oversaw all production processes to ensure that the product specifications of the clients were adhered to. This involved understanding and communicating the client brief into precise production operations and strict quality control.2. I also organized programmes for the capacity building of the cooperative members so as to enhance their capability to cater to the demands of the market. I developed and submitted a plan to develop a basket of diverse skills in advanced stitching operations within the cooper ative.

Worked as Project Manager (Embroidery Project) with Behavioural Science Centre (BSC), a reputed NGO based in Ahmedabad working on human rights and development programmes in various districts of Gujarat with the marginalized communities, especially the Scheduled Castes, the Scheduled Tribes and the minorities The mandate in this project was particularly challenging and complex considering the fact that embroidery had to be developed as a livelihood option among groups of women who are dependant on agricultural labour and seasonal saltpan work as their primary source of income. Furthermore, these women had never been exposed to commercial production and its logistical compulsions. The project had to be sensitive to the extremely high workload of women and hence had to ensure that it did not enhance the burden of work on them. The activity had to be therefore designed for sustainability even with a part-time / leisure time production cycle.

Joined the Institute as Design Associate (Ceramics) under the Faculty Development Programme in 1999. This involved: Assisted the faculty in courses for the students in the ceramic department. Organized a workshop in the year 2000, along with visiting faculty Prof. Mona Shiber on throwing techniques and colored clay bodies Regular experimentation with clay bodies and glazes to enhance aesthetic quality and diversity. Participated in a student project on Hotel ware design.

Worked under the Faculty Development programme.

B.F.A, Ceramics

Ceramics

Bachelor Of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Ceramics