9ls ~abala Ready for a Digital

Transformation

Abstract
. , . ... , ~t iy presents Sabala's journey in promoting sustainable
l h1s ~-\~e s uc d
. i·1 ·
l
ll\'l' \ HH.X s
·
• t·01- a typically ultra-poor com1nunity and the knowledge create
. d 1 d
in th is process. It also presents the key features of the intervention mo e an
,malyses the key factors along with challenges faced. The case ~so com~ents
on the issue of size, sustainability and replication of promoting sustainable
livelihoods for the ultra-poor.

Introduction
Lunb ,mis, a nomadic tribe, comprises a significant population of the
extremely poor in Vijayapura and Bellary valley of Karnataka. Being
nomadic, they are landless and dependent upon other rural households.
\,\Tith the gradual decline of agriculture, the living condition of Lambanis
was further deteriorating due to loss of traditional livelihoods. Lambanis,
especially women, are also known for their handcrafted dress materials
and jewellery (popularly known as Banjara art) which was part of their
traditional attire. With the changing times, Lambanis of Vijayapura were
losing their traditional artisanal skills and their attires were also changing.
This was leading to loss of a rich traditional craft.
Sabala, a voluntary organisation set up in 1986, is working with Lamban is
in Vijayapura and has succeeded in developing a sustainable livelihoods
model for around 350 ultra poor households by utilizing their traditional
skills while developing products for modern markets. Sabala worked with
a value chain approach wherein it looked at each component of the supply
chain and developed a standardized production process to ensure tiineliness
and high quality. Sab~~ set up a 'linked enterprise' - Crafts Development
Center (CDC) to facilitate the communities to interact with the k t
st· d mar e,
both do~e ic an, ex~ort, and is now selling its products under the brand
naine ot Nomads. This has resulted in sign·fi t· h
. 1 ican 1n1pact at t e com1nunity
level wherem each woman earns up to R 2000 h . ..
s. per mont . The 1n1tiative
, T h is case was developed by Dr. Akash Matha ati (H
College of Engineering & Tech ViJ'a . )\ oD .- MBA Department Dr. PG . Halakatti
' yapura or academic use only.
68 Digdal Ma r~rd1.n~r ('. as~
, .,,.. - fto P' India
~
. t·t· _ -i··ift in mo de rn soc
iet y, red u cti on of
has led to t \1e rt' Vl\· ,.•1\ ()t •·1 tra t 1. Hm •11 L l

. • t· the no ma dic tri be in a res pe cta ble and

nugratton as, we ll ': -1s settlement o
' l ·l " Craft ba sed Livelihood Initia
Jiot, nifi.ed manner. Cu rrent y, t 1e tive is a full-
·
l · l h 'lS sus tai ne d in the ma k c
fled ed business enterprise w 11C 1
.
r et 1or mo re t han
g •,
, ,u1·t\1o ut any conven tio nal fun din
twenty yea rs ·v g sup po rt. Lamban1. tn. b e, wh o
bel ong to the sch ed.u led cas . t are tod ay recog nized as an •
e, art isa n gro up . Th e
·ft d the , . . .
com mu nit y s soc ial 1d ent1ty wh . .
progra mme l1as tlms sl11 e ile pre ser vm g
its cultur al identity.

Larnbanis - The Nornadic Cornrnun

ity
India is a land of cultural divers
ity wh ere a lot ha s be en co ntr
the national heritage by scheduled ibu ted to
castes an d trib es thr ou gh the ir
and unique styles of per for mi ng cu ltu re
cer tai n jobs. On e suc h un de rpr
community is The 'Lambani com ivi leg ed
munitY: Th e co mm un ity is his
nomadic and hence called 'Banjaras tor ica lly
' wh ich is der ive d fro m the Sa nsk
"Vana Chara:' meaning wanderers rit wo rd
of the jungle. Th ey are kn ow n dif
in different parts of the countr fer ent ly
y, as Vanjari, La mb ad a, La mb
Labban. an i an d

Much of their history is still a my

stery, bu t the Ba nja ra or Lam ba
is believed to have descended from ni trib e
the Ro ma gypsies of Eu rop e wh
across the rugged mountains of Af o tra vel led
ghanistan int o the de ser ts of Ra
north India, thousands of yea jas th an in
rs ago
before migrating down into the cou
ntry's
so_uthern states. They are pri
ma rily
Hmdu-Animists with the ir ow
n gods
and ~oddesses, festivals and wo
rship
pract~ces. Music, dance and storyt
elling
rem am central to their culture,
as do
their fine textiles ma de from
nat ura l
materials and dyes. Theirs is a distin
ctive
style of dressing characterised by
vib ran t
colou rs, ornate embroidery and a
ran e
of embellishments .
g
Today, howeve r th
are experiencing m e Lambanis
. any cha ng es
and
. . . the ir traditional l
mstitutions are un dergo · cu tur.e and
transfor matio n. They mg h
con s1d erabl
ave 1ost theire Pho to 1 · Lal l 1*b . .
• ai in her Tra diti ona l
Ban jara Ou tfit
 Is ~abala Ready for a Digital Transformation 69

. f k eping cattle trading salt and transportin g goods for

d't'
tra 1 10 nal calling O e t ally settled
' down to agriculture , a1t h oug h 1t· h ad
. l'l od and have even u
11ve 1 10 . f n Most of them are agricultura l labourers sett1e d
11ever been
. .
thelf occupa 10 •
d ttl ments called Tandas in states like .
Andhra Pra es ,
d h
in their isolate se e .
. htra Madhya Pradesh, and RaJasthan w h ere t h ey h ave
Karnataka, M aI1a1 as , .
. d h dules castes and have been exposed to vanous welfare
been hste as sc e .
hile Karnataka state, which lists the Lambams as a scheduled
programmes . W . . .
• July 1977 has rectified the anomalies, their outreach and benefits
caste smce ,
have been extremely limited. This has compelled the Lambanis to search for
new opportunities for their socio-econo mic betterment .
Though the community is a treasure of rich informatio n, culture,
tradition, Indian ethos but they have their own inherited beleaguere d
problems in the society. They live mostly in the inaccessible or remotely
situated undulating terrain and have been far removed from the mainstream
of economic development. This socio economical ly and educationa lly
lagging community, is lacking in basic infrastructu re needs even today.
Such is the case in Karnataka, especially in districts like Gulburga, Shimoga,
Vijayapura, Chitradurga and Bellary, where the Lambani population is very
high.
Sabala recognized and studied the issues of the Lambanis of Vijayapura
district and initiated a sustainable crafts-based livelihood programm e around
28 years ago. Today Sabala is working with 400 families in 8 habitations
spread over 8 villages in Vijayapura district in Karnataka and is responsible
for providing livelihood opportuniti es to 221 Lambani women.
I~ this ~ackdro~ ~e critically analyze the work of Sabala as a developme nt
paradigm m prov1dmg sustainable livelihood options to the La mbani
community, also one of the ultra-poor communiti es of the country.

~abala - The Facilitating Organisation

Sabala,
. meaning
d 'mighty: aims to combat th . .
e1r poverty issues thro ugh proper
po1icy a vocacy and enhancing the comm .ty, r l'h . .
headed by Mallamma s y 1 . d . um s ive 1 ood options. Sabala is
'" · a war an 1s suppo t d b f . .
professionals and village level workers Th r e _Y c~re sta f comprising of
women from Lambani community ~ ·t e o~gamsatto n works mainly with
11
communities in 60 villages of t ' k a fs, ~. ephe rd s an
3 au1 as o V1Jayapura d.15 ' t
d other backward
. t S b l
its inception, has foc used on is
sues 1t.ke gender d . . nc .
• a a a, since
.
system, illiteracy, housing une iscnmmatio n, devadasi
. , mp1oyment social e il t·k 1 d
marriage which directly impact '. v s e owry and child
women . The O . .
rgan1sation has organized
7( ) Digil.:11 Mc11kofi11g: CAses r,orn lr1dia
d progr·immeson gender sensitization,
women into SHGs a1ui execu te ' d t . bl
.. c ·l ·s watershed management an sus a1na e
. ·•s ies housing tO t 1ome1es ,
l,ca\tl1 •~- l • . d f d· the o rgan isatio n has
·\ Triculture With some extern al support an un mg, . .
•g · . . d t blished a women's cooperative ban k which
also conducted trammg an es a
dir~ctly caters to around 1000 fa m ilies.

Crafts-Based Livelihoods Programme: The Genesis

In the late 1990s, with the migration of Lambani families to other states in
search of employm ent, there was a drop in the number of w01nen access~ng
the services of Sabala and an increase in school dropout rate. Sabala studied
th is pattern and found that lack of livelihood opportunities at the local le~el
was the prime reason for this exodus. This paved the way for a conducive
and economically sustainable initiative by Sabala.
The traditional Lambani embroidery motifs are designed for a nomadic
lifestyle, featuring geometric, floral and animal patterns. The combinations
of stitches and mirror work are worked out extraordinarily with vibrant
colours, making the design strikingly different. Sabala initiated a social
enterprise using this traditional skill of Lambanis in which the traditional
Lambani art was used to create modern products by the women from
their homes and sold to the mainstream market in an organized manner.
This programme created a platform for the Lambani women to engage
in productive activities that generated income on 'piece rate, basis. Sabala
trained more than 400 women and organized them into SHGs and formed
a network of SHGs called 'Banjara: The organization focused on livelihood
promotion, skill development and skill upgradation, the establishment of
training and production centres and design and m arketing support. Other
underprivileged women are also a part of the programme and have been
trained in Kasuthi art and jute making but Banjara art remain s exclusive
to the Lambani women. The organization creates a variety of products for
the national and international market like bags, cushion covers, clothing,
decorative and gift items using these art forms.
Reportedly the women are spending their incomes on th ei r children,
in repaying small loans and increasing their savings s1·nce · ·t · t · ·
. 101 ia ton , a n se
in. monthly income from Rs. 600/- to Rs 3000/- per m th ·
· on 1s reporte d . T h e
piece rate cost has also doubled in these years (fo
. r examp 1e, c1or ma ki ng
cushion covers the women were paid Rs 25/ _ per h · h
. · our m t e year 2000 and
are now paid Rs. 55/-).
 Is ~abala Ready for a Digital Transformatio n 71

The process of production from marketing to sales has provided im mense

recognition to the Lambani women. The earnings that the women contribute
to the household have empowered them and have given them acceptance as
an earning member of their family. The women have participated in various
national and international exhibitions and workshops which has increased
their self-esteem and confidence.

Crafts Based Livelihoods Prograrnrne: The Key Outputs

(Source: Brajesh Pande, Mahi/a Chaitanya - Souvenir, 2012 Brajesh Pande)
1. Financial Turnover: Increase in profit (ranging between 4 to 5 lacs)
in the past three years. Since the organisation's primary market is
international, the recession and lull market period affected the overall
sales causing a loss between 2006 and 2009. The organisatio n started
maintaining separate accounts for the crafts centre only after 2006.

Year wise profit - loss Lt')

70 - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - ·---~~ _
I.D~
60 -1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- - ~-

2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

■ Income ■ Expenses

2. Market Sales: A rise in exports over the . .

increase in both domestic (f 55 ~enod is observed. An
2012) and internationa l (f roml S. 0 Lacs m 2000 to 13.36 lacs in
market sales is noticed Th rom .76 m ~000 to 48.79 lacs 2012)
. . e rate at which int t· I
mcreasing is higher th d . erna 10na sales is
an omesttc sales The 1 d'
b etween 2006 and 2009 d t . .. sa es tpped down
ue o recession m the market.
 l xiwrl Uu t,i I IK Ul'OS

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1/l 111

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f'i 111 ,.-1
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200ll )Ulll :rnoi .lllO J l ll 04 .l ll0 1, .Wlll 1 )(JU/ 2UOU .WU~ ) ()Ill /(J I I / (JI )

3. Employment Creation: ·-1he number of Lambani wornen in th e SI JG

has increased over the years from 30 in 1999 to 22 1 in 201 2. Due
to reduction in sales between 2006- 2009, Sabala di d not provide
employment to all and some women dropped out of work. As sales
improve, the number of women working is also increasing.
Client/ Buyer over th e years
60
~
so ey

40

~
,-..
N N
"'c:iN

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
~II
■ Do mestic Sales ■ Internat io nal sales

Total artisans In the c1·aRs programme

300
6
1 2so r-------,~ =-----
e
0 200
~
j 150
a 100
j -No. o( Wocn m
'o
0
z 0
 Is ~abala Ready for a Digital Transformation 73

. Approach: Emergence of Linked Enterprise

The Value Ch a,n " Cl\'
'Crafts Development Centre ~D ,) . . .
. bl' 1 d CDC in 1996 and registered it under Limited
o isation esta is 1e a . I . bl
The oroan . A . 2012 Th .s CDC acts as a commercia l y via e
. bltv Partnership ct m · i .
Lia i i .. , . . th . ble of negotiating between artisans
di ry institution at is capa
interme_ a markets in a manner that improves the terms of trade and
and ma.mstream .
income of the Lambani artisan commumty.

I~

Mari.et
/ Crafts Ctntre 'r--
W-ag_ts_, R
-a,-,· -ma- lc~rials Conu1a1nily

llaw material suppl led, Storage of raw and Training MAS'll:R

IX1MES11C AND Sal~ order a ■ d returns materials
INTERN ATIO NS I - - - - - - - , / ARTI SANS AND
Q1tddng of quall!1'
t-1.\RKET LAt.lBANI
Centre for rroduct and
ARTISAN SH<.i.
dtslg ■ de\'Ctopmut
Smll-01lshtd product
to Onishtd product
Packaging of the
Finished Baajara finished products for
and othtr products mart.ti supply
'------ ---- ' product
~lanageme ■ t nd

This model connects the social value creation in the various areas of the
economy identified by linking the voluntary economy of giving, to social
enterprise, public services, socially responsible and mainstream business and
the rise of ethical markets. The crafts centre emerges as a 'linked enterprise
in this process of 'value chain'

1. Assembly Line Production: Sabala engages in the sequential

manner of creating a finished product. The CDC assigns specific
tasks to the staff and trains them on the same. Each member involved
in the process excels in one particular task and performs it to the
best of their ability. The uniqueness of the model lies in the fact
that a traditional craft-based process has been broken down into
standardised processes to ensure high quality and timeliness. In the
production-sales process, the staff involved includes:
74 Digital Mar keting: Cases frorn India

., Me mbers of Membe 11of g, E1 hi1 ;taff check.; the E 1hisst aff check<, the
;u pphes I aw mat erials Cuts the f ab11c cc
;
&
a
to t he cr afts
development centre i
l!;
according to t he
required
measurement and
"'
~
ii
livelihood cra fts
progra mme formed
SHG , 1dent1!1ed as
livelihood craft s
progra mme formed
SHG, make the semi
~
~
.;;
§quality of the
produc t prepar ed
and 1t1tches the
~
if
quality of t he
fi nished product and
packages them into
'~" ~
eAcelle nt embr ioders flrnshed produc t ~ produc t and changes
~
supplies ,t to the ~ cartons and make it
i c, alts development i prepa re sample . ba,ed on th e sampl e 1':" the ,em, fi nished ready lor dispatch .
E centre based on t he de,ign provided to them .§ into fnmhed

~ markings and raw and paid on piece .';; m at enal

materi al; provided. rate basis.

Designer: Provid es design Qualit y check staff: At each level

and produ ct inputs checlong the quality of the produc t .

Adm inist ratio n and

Man age men t

Photo 2: Tra ditio nal Lam ban i Emb roid

ery
2. Banjara Art: Sabala has selected an art
for m wh ich is ver y uni que
and specific to the Lam ban i com mu nity
. It has bee n rep ort ed tha t
this art is in high dem and in the Eur ope an
ma rke t and has a growin g
dem and in the dom est ic ma rke t as wel
l. The com pet itio n in the
inte rna tion al ma rke t is low com par ed
to th e dom est ic ma rke t as
Banjara art is getting supplied by differe
nt organi sati ons in Gujarat
and Rajasthan . There are four ma jor buy
ers wh o bri ng reg ula r sale s
and inc om e to Sabala. In Ind ia, Sabala
ma kes reg ula r supplies to
Federation of Sou th Ind ia Pro duc ers Ass
oci atio n (SI PA) and to reta il
outlets like Sur uth i in Mu mb ai, Da stak ar
in Ban galo re (fo r the past
5 years) and Fab Ind ia, SASHA, Cal
cut ta and AN TS , Bangalore (for
the pas t 3 yea rs) . These re tail out lets h
ave not bee n beneficial hl
Sabala as the y do not provide ade qua te com
pen sat ion an<l Jo not u,~
the 'Sabala, tag for pro mo tion .
 Is ~abala Ready for a Digital Transformation 75

Social Support: Since its inception, Sabala has been providing social
3
· support through women's counselling, support committees and
awareness can1paigns. The organisation has helped the women to
access social security sche1nes like ration card, artisan card, widow
pension, handicapped pension, subsidy for housing. Sabala is also
attached to various social organisations that provide assistance like
Association for Women's Rights in Developn1ent (AWID ), Federation
of Voluntary Organisation for Rural Development Karnataka
(FEVORD-K), Bangalore, !DOBRO, Mumbai. The crafts centre has
also employed two physically challenged staff members.
4. Access to Easy Finance: In 199 5 Sabala established a Cooperative
bank called 'Chaitanya Mahila Co-operative Bank' (under Reserve
Bank of India umbrella) to provide financial assistance to women.
The bank provides low-interest rates (From 11 %-17% in 1995 to
4%-11.25% today) and waivers security till up to Rs. 25000/- for
women. The association with the bank has helped the women repay
the money lenders, take a loan for seeds and other agriculture-
related activities, for children's education and marriage and also
to buy sewing machines for their personal use. Though this bank
is open to all, most Lambani SHG members have accounts in this
bank and have taken a loan from this bank. This is reported because
of the provisions of the bank for women and its association with
Sabala. The women in the livelihood crafts programme have shown
an upward trend in the loan taken from the 'Chaitanya Mahila Co-
operative Bank:

450 , - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

400 -t-- - - - - - - - - - ---

3,0 + - - - - -- - - - , , , . £ - _ _ _ : ~ -- . L -

300 +--------1--------
250 +------./------ - -- - - No. of'women taken
loan
- No. of'Women
ISO - - ~
100
so r---½,£___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __
0
76 Digital M arketing: Cases fr orn India

s. Capacity Building: ·n1 e Lamban i commu n ity, th rough the livelihood

en d eavou r Ot- s,ib ;.ila , J1"-1..s received various
· training s. Th o ugh the art
form is already known to the commu nity women , the use of design,
colou rs and othe r capacity -build ing activities has improve d the
commu nity knowled ge and develop ed their skills. Their traini ngs
were support ed by organis at ions like NABA RD, Develop ment
Comm issioner and District Industr ies Centre .
.'ic1[1,11°,1 .1&k:n:s h i IU I:.1ir lr.11..1.t'. SI .111d,11\k
► l ' n:.,tin~ 11ppd rlllllit k'sfo r
1.Yo11P 111 [.· ,\II y dis.hh·.mt .l~>t.:•d
Prolh.t- t·rs
► r r.rn~p.11'1..'ll( ~ .111d .\ ,~·uunt.,hilil y
► l '.1r,K it y Huil dill,:!
► l1r1111wt inb Fair l' r.1dt>
► c;..•mkrl ilJUil y
► h lc-.11 Wnrkin~ Co ndit ions
► l \ 1p nl.·nt ,1 f bir W.\b"t'-S
► P nilc\."I ion t1 ll :1wirlllllllcnt
► Prnk\·t inn of <:hildn>n's Ri~hts
► Tr.Ilk Rdat i1rns

Plioto 3: Sabala Banner witli 'Fait- Tra d t:' M entio,ied on It

6. Networks and Standards: CDC, through Sabala, as a business

organisa tion is very well connect ed. The raw materia ls are sourced
from differen t parts of the country. Associa tion of Sabala with
organisa tions like South India Produc er Associa tion (SIPA),
Chenna i, Export Promot ion Counci l for Handic rafts (EPCH ), New
Delhi ensures mainten ance of certain prescr ibed standar ds.
7. Most Important is its Associa tion with Fair Trade Forum: They
are associat ed with India (FT F- I) and World Fai r Trade Organis ation
(WFTO ), Asia. Sabala under the banner of Fair Trade forum
follows and maintai ns certain prescrib ed stand ards. As a part of th is
associat ion and to m eet the nationa l/ internat ional m arket standar ds,
product s are usually eco-frie n dly in nature. The fabrics either use
vegetab le dyes or are tested for ASO free chem icals and colour fasting
at the T UV India Pvt. Ltd. before p rod uction . The product s are also
package d using biodegr ad able stretch filn1 and biaxiall y oriented
polypro pylene (BOPP plastic) .
8. Produc t Develop ment and Design : The key feat ure of the product s
supplied by Sabala is its variety and design. Sabala devotes huge focus
on product develop ment and hires design consu ltants on an ongoing
basis. The consulta nts use Banjara craft effectively to design t1 pn,Jud
 Is ~ alialn Ready for a Digital Transforrnation 77

that best su its the modern consum er's needs. The organis ation is a
member of PENTO N and TRENDS, interna tional organis ations
providing universal colour coding and trend forecasting.
Marketing and Brand Promotion: The produc ts made by the Banjara
.
9
women are branded as 'Nomads' - as it is globally unders tandab le and
acceptable. This tag on the produc ts says 'Nomad s' along with which
there is a picture of Lam bani women and a quote. This method ology
of branding provides inform ation about the produc er to the buyer
and also attracts the sales. To promo te the name 'Nomads,' every
customer is given a free t-shirt on a purcha se of Rs. 2000/-
10. Toe Marketing Strategies: These include web-ba sed sales, brochu res
and exhibitions. The organisation sends a master artisan or any other
artisan who excels in their embroi dery work to these exhibit ions with
their sample products. The consum ers get an opport unity to meet
the artisan themselves and check the authen ticity of the produc t. The
retail shop in Vijayapura focuses on the presen tation of produc ts and
has an attendant with knowledge on Sabala, its activities and also the
Lambani community.
Under the umbrella of Fair Trade organis ation and as a membe r of
WFTO India, Sabala crafts centre has been able to reach out to the
mainstream market. Apart from these creative market ing strategies,
Sabala a~so ~as plans of setting cultura l centres promo ting Lamba ni
art and hoking those_to retail outlets; promo ting Sabala produc ts and
tourism in Vijayapura.

Photo 4: Bijapur, Retail Store-NOMA DS

78 I . . I Marketi ng·. Cases frorn India
D,grta

1 duces a range o f prod ucts. These prod ucts are

11. Pricing: Saba a pro
d 1 hour charges, ra w materials and other facto rs
priced base on a . . b t l S9'c and there is a variation in
fit rgm ts a ou o
of cost. The pro ma .
h retail wholesale, exhibition and
. b 5<¾O between t e , . .
the pn c~ of a out .
elow are the prod uct listings with theu
intern ational expo rt rates. B
price range.
Price range
Products (In Rupees)
-- 200 to 700
Cushion Covers
i Gifts Items like Mobile & Spec
tacle Case, Kit
40 to 250
I Purses, Purses, Folders, Key Chains, etc
Tops, Kurta s & Jackets 400 to 2,500
'

I Wall Hangings 500 to 3,000

Clutches 250 to 800
Sandals 400 to 800
I Bags 250 to 1500
I Ethnic jewellery 50 to 1000
12. Wage Negotiations: In the process of deciding the piece
-wage rate,
the organisation promotes decision making by the SHG women.
The
women have regular SHG meetings wherein the changes in dome
stic/
household costs and labour charges are discussed and a cons ensus
on wage rate is arrive d at. The SHG leaders from all the hamlets have
regular meeti ngs with the organ isation head to negotiate their wage
s.
The organisation provi des the decis ion-making power to the artisa
n
women on an adequate piece rate.

Emerging Model of ~ocial Entrepreneurship with Trust,

lnnovafion and Leadership as Key Themes
Though Sabal a does not follow a pre-assigned entrepreneu rship
model to
plan its funct ions, the analysis of the features of the value chain
appro ach
exposes themes and interpretations. T h e paper conducted
them ati c netw ork
analysis (Attride-Stirling, 2001 ; Clarke and Braun, 2006 )
which led to the
creation of theme piles name ly - a) produ ct development , b) comm
unity
deYelopm ent. and c) market development. When these them es
were related
and assoc iated throu gh a thematic map, a macro them e emerged
which h
the final tenet. This 'macro theme' that tmer gt\ out of thi\ analy
sis depicts
that Sabala ha~ evolved into a social entreprene ur\hip collec tive. The
macro
 Is ~ abala Re8d y for cl Digifal Tt;q r1sfo11n:c1li01, ;q

Sabala's oper ation s arl'

them e or the over arch ing facto rs that have impa cted
Trust, Inno vatio n and Lead ershi p.

MACRO THEME
Tm.,;t, lnnovn ti on &
Lenders hip

Produc t Market
Develo pment
Community Development
Development

Socia l Support • Banjara Art

Qualit y Check
Moneta rv, • Networks&
Assem bly Line Psychological & Standards
Produc tion Entrepreneurial
Benefit s • Design and Pricine
Pricing Establishment of
• Marketing
Financial Institution
&Branding

Photo 5: From Ba • K .
n1ara to asuth,, Sabula's Grow ing Cornmunity
80 Digdal Marketing : Cases frorn India

Photo 6: Somibai, Master Artisan Making the Sample

Challenges and Way Ahead: ~ustainability, Replication and

Upscaling
The organization faces challenges at 3 levels, i.e. sustainability, replication
and upscaling

~ustainability
Providing continuous work to Lambani and other underprivileged women
on a regular basis has been a constant challenge for Sabala as generating
business orders also depends upon the overall economic scenario. Since
the global economy has witnessed a slowdown, Sabala is also facing its
effects. The pricing of the products has not increased significantly while
the pressure from women to increase wages has been tremendous in light
of constant inflation. Additionally, the business has not grown expectedly
which means a comparatively lesser amount of work for women. This also
demoralizes women who again have started looking for alternate options.
Sabala's continuous efforts to generate business from multiple sources
have somehow ensured regular work to a core group of women, however,
sustainability still remains one of the biggest challenges.

Replication
Sabala's model runs on the premise of trust, innovat ion and leade rship. All
the th ree factors are highly time-consumin g. Any project or programme that
 Is ~ab~le Reedy for fl Digital Trarisforrnatio,,
81
has tilne limitations 1nay not be in a position to repliC'rlte tile s· d
'" · a1ne mo . el that
Sabala adopts. Such welfare models are only applicable in prog .
. . . . r ,m1me mode
wluch ~o not ha~e ~tnct _tune constraints. Sabala,s efforts to replicate the
rnodel 1n other d1stncts of Karnataka have had limited success due to these
reasons. The leadership, which is completely engaged in the management
of the ongoing initiative, has not been able to devote similar attention to
other areas and the en1ergence of new leadership for other areas with similar
dynainis1n ai1d passion has been absent. The absence of strong second rung
leadership in the organization can also be attributed to this limitation.

Upscaling
Sabala is under constant pressure to increase the nw11ber of women working
as artisans. With the number of women getting educated, there is a shortage
of the population indulging in the traditional art form. The educated women
seek much more lucrative employment. Though Banjara products are in
high demand in the international and domestic markets, the limited number
of trained artisans acts as a hindrance in this initiative. The handmade art
takes time unlike the other machine-made products whose production can
be increased as per demand. Another important factor in upscaling of any
initiative is the career pattern in any industry which is rather limited in
this case. The income can be increased only if the value of the products is
increased. Due to the limited human capacity of the workers, it is difficult to
give extra pieces for production to the workers. This might affect the quality
also.
In light of the above factors, sustainable livelihoods for the ultra-poor
remain a challenging area as generating these demands years of rigour,
trust and innovation. The current development paradigm, which looks to
generate results in the shortest time frame, will need to rethink its strategies.
As demonstrated by the Sabala case, sustainable livelihoods for the ultra-
poor demand much higher timeframes and creation of new forms of
linked enterprises or institutions, which can help them in interacting and
negotiating with the market.
:'
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Pl1t,t,, ;-: l>r. ,\lollm,im,, Sittit1.~ witl, tlw St,~(f "'"'

l>t-r"1ing tlit• Design

Photo 9: /1,lia Roberts Dons a

SABALA Bag in "Eat Pray Love"

Photo 8: Sabala uses Bottle Col1er.s to Mtike

Tre11,ly Jewellery

Questions for Discussion

QI. Identify a target segment for Sabala produc ts given their pricing and
produc t categor ies.

Q2. Which platfo rms will best serve their digi tal market ing needs, should
th~y venture into it?

Q3. Should crowdfu nding be used to sustai n the ir market ing efforts?

Q4. Develop a digital marketing plan for Sabala to add ress three key
challenges of sustainability, replication and upscaling.