Nand Kishore Chaudhary
| Nand Kishore Chaudhary | |
|---|---|
| Born |
13 June 1953 Churu, Rajasthan, India |
| Residence | Jaipur |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Chairman and Managing Director of Jaipur Rugs |
| Website | NK Chaudhary |
Nand Kishore Chaudhary (born June 13, 1953) is an Indian social entrepreneur. He currently serves as the Chairman and Managing Director of the social enterprise Jaipur Rugs, which he founded in 1978.
Nand Kishore Chaudhary was born in a Marwari family in the Churu district of Rajasthan. He was not interested in following his father in the traditional family business of shoe-making. Instead, he was fascinated by the carpet business, and started weaving with two looms in the year 1978.
The carpet weaving in the Indian knotted carpet industry used to take place through middlemen. These middlemen used to exploit the artisans by not paying them amounts commensurate with their art. N. K. Chaudhary through his formative years wanted to change this scenario.
Hence he established the social business model of Jaipur Rugs, connecting the poor weavers with the global markets by building a global supply chain focused on developing human capability and skills at the grassroots level, providing steady income for rural men and women in the most depressed parts of India and connecting them with markets in the United States. Visionary, Man of the Masses, and a Businessman with a Heart of Gold” Mr. Nand Kishore Chaudhary (NKC), is the founder of Jaipur Rugs. It is his story of success and prominence that clearly shows how determination and willpower, when coupled with knowledge, clear vision and proper planning, enables one to reach the peak of humility with leadership.
In 1978, he initiated his carpet business operations with just two looms and 9 artisans. Now, it has converted into a network of more than 40,000 artisans across 6 states in India and today, is known as India’s leading manufacturer and exporter of hand knotted rugs, bringing in about $18 million annual revenue. The carpets are exported to more than 40 countries across the world. Mr. N K Chaudhary’s vision is to see Indian hand-knotted rug industry at par with the international industry. For this, he is constantly working to promote and facilitate research in the rug industry with special focus on product development and technology inclusion.
Mr. NK Chaudhary believes that the reason behind his devotion to the cause is seeing underprivileged people empowered. He wants to identify, develop and enhance their skills, so that they could continue sustaining and lead a respectful life In order to uplift the grassroots and introduce them into the carpet production value chain, he established Jaipur Rugs Foundation, which works to enhance their artisanal skills and design sense, helping them further to become entrepreneurs. By elevating their status from mere wage earners to become business owners, it provides better ways to artisans, especially women below poverty line to earn more and lead a financially empowered life.
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