This Assam venture is creating livelihoods through sustainable home décor

India’s home décor market has long been shaped by mass-produced goods. But in recent years, a new generation of brands has begun to spotlight artisanal craftsmanship and sustainable materials.

In Assam, where bamboo, cane, jute, and water hyacinth are abundant, the opportunity lies in blending traditional skills with contemporary design. Startups such as Kraftinn Home Decor are showing how local heritage can be reimagined for modern homes and workspaces.

The founder’s journey

For Parikshit Borkotoky, building Kraftinn was as much about identity as it was about entrepreneurship.

“We always wanted to build a brand from Jorhat, Assam. That is a matter of pride for us. We wanted to understand how we could create sustainable income opportunities for local artists and artisans from here,” he says.

Kraftinn operates as a direct-to-consumer brand, designing products from sustainable fibres tailored to contemporary living spaces.

“When we studied the Northeast, we realised how rich the region is in sustainable raw materials like bamboo, water hyacinth, cane, and jute. Beyond that, the heritage, culture, and traditional skills are immense. So we asked ourselves why not use these existing skills to create meaningful products?”

That intent ultimately shaped the brand’s foundation.

“That is how the Kraftinn brand came into being,” Borkotoky explains.

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Tackling industry challenges

Like many craft-based ventures, Kraftinn had to navigate structural hurdles early on.

“One of the biggest challenges in this industry is that the market is highly unorganized and seasonal. Because of that, there is very little structure or predictability,” he says.

To address this, the team developed a distributed production model anchored by microfactories.

“We created a system where different product components are made across artisan clusters and assembled in our microfactory. At the microfactory, design, finishing, quality control, and delivery are handled centrally. Each unit is also connected to nearby distributor clusters, which helps create a more structured and predictable supply chain.”

Government support

Borkotoky credits the Assam government’s startup ecosystem for strengthening Kraftinn’s early momentum.

“The biggest takeaway from the Assam government has been the visibility and credibility created through the Assam Startup programme. It is not just about funding or policies. The most valuable part is the network they are building. Through it, we receive continuous learning, guidance, and support in shaping a national brand identity. That has been incredibly valuable.”

Vision ahead

Today, Kraftinn focuses primarily on lamps and bags, supported by two operational microfactories. But the long-term ambition is far broader.

“Over the next four to five years, we want to expand into multiple product categories. Our goal is to build more microfactory models so the craft-based microfactory concept can be replicated across the country,” Borkotoky says.

He also sees Assam entering a new phase of entrepreneurial growth.

“The overall ecosystem is changing quickly. Infrastructure is improving, logistics are getting stronger, and the startup environment is taking shape. We truly believe we are part of a very promising and rising Assam.”

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