Our Journey
Hello! I am Gautami, the Co-Founder of Buraansh. I started this social enterprise with my long-term friend (now Husband) Siddharth in February 2020, right before Covid hit!
In 2019, we both were working in Delhi in development sector. Though we were satisfied with our jobs, there was a constant feeling that kept nagging us. The food, culture and craft of our home-state Himachal Pradesh, in which we took great pride, was not represented anywhere in the big metro cities. Our farmers and artisans were limited to the local fairs and exhibitions. We felt that there is a huge potential in our rural producers and we must apply our education and experience for their empowerment.
We decided to take a leap of faith, quit our jobs and moved back to Shimla in 2019. We travelled extensively across the state and it took us almost a year to connect with women collectives, self help groups and small farmers who are making quality products. As soon as we launched our business, the biggest and least anticipated challenge hit us – Covid. It was indeed a tough time for our budding business and partner farmer groups, but we channelised our energies to develop our website and take our business online.
We have come a long way since! Our partner groups have increased manifolds, so has our office team. We take great pride in our all-women office team. We are constantly working towards sourcing the most authentic, pure and traditional products from the mountains.
What does Buraansh mean?
Buraansh (Rhododendron) is a gorgeous red Himalayan flower that blooms in its glory after long harsh winters. It represents hope and resilience of Pahadi people. It is also the state flower of Himachal Pradesh, Nagaland and is the State tree of Uttarakhand.
Founders' Profile
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Gautami
She is a development communication professional with bachelors in mass media from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication and a masters in Development Studies from University of Sussex, UK. She was a journalist with Hindustan Times, Noida, and later worked with NITI Aayog, an apex policy research organisation of Govt. of India. At NITI, she closely worked with Member Dr. V.K. Paul towards developing communication strategy for POSHAN Abhiyan.
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Siddharth Lakhanpal
He has done bachelors in economics from Ramjas College, Delhi University and a masters in development studied from Ambedkar University Delhi. He has previously worked with the Institute of Human Development as a research assistant on issues related to participatory development. He has a long experience of closely working with rural Himalayan communities to catalyze empowerment. Siddharth is the primary contact for all the farmer organisations we partner with.
Impact
It is our constant endeavour to make a positive impact in the lives of the Self Help Group and Women's Collective members with whom we partner. Click below to know more.
Empower
We understand that as a small social enterprise we cannot partner and procure products from a large number of farmers but what we can do is equip them with the right knowledge to make their business sustainable as well as profitable. Click below to know more.
