In the intricate world of rug weaving, where heritage, craftsmanship, and artistry quite literally intertwine, few brands embody the essence of tradition quite like Jaipur Living. Founded in 1978 by Nand Kishore Chaudhary, Jaipur Rugs began as a humble venture with just two looms in rural India. Today, it has evolved into Jaipur Living, a globally recognized brand known for their high-quality, artisan-made rugs. The company’s success speaks to the enduring beauty of hand-knotted craftsmanship but also offers an example for building a business with the model of social responsibility and family-led business continuity in mind.
Under the leadership of Asha Chaudhary, CEO, and her sister Archana Chaudhary, COO, Jaipur Living has expanded its reach while treasuring and celebrating the core values instilled by their father. These values—dignity, empowerment, and fair wages—remain at the heart of the brand’s mission. The company has successfully bridged the gap between traditional craftsmanship and modern design, creating a global platform for artisans while preserving the ancient art of rug weaving. Jaipur’s growth offers a powerful example of how a family business can evolve, stay true to its roots, and impact communities on a global scale.
In today’s competitive business landscape, legacy family businesses face unique challenges when it comes to balancing tradition with innovation. According to PwC’s 2023 US Family Business Survey, 78% of family businesses believe that customer trust is essential, yet only 52% feel their customers fully trust them. Jaipur Living has successfully bridged this gap by consistently communicating its purpose both internally and externally, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technology and sustainable practices. This dedication to trust and transparency is not just about preserving a legacy but also about securing the future of the business for generations to come.
Another key insight from PwC’s Survey points to the importance of succession planning. While 78% of family businesses view protecting their business as their top long-term goal, only 34% have a robust, documented, and communicated succession plan in place. Jaipur Living stands out as an example of successful multi-generational transition, with Asha and Archana Chaudhary carrying forward their father’s vision while adapting the business for modern growth. Their focus on clear governance, family leadership, and long-term strategy demonstrates how effective succession planning is essential for preserving a family business’s legacy and ensuring continued success.
Jaipur’s model of eliminating the middleman, upholding fair wages, and empowering artisans aligns with PwC’s findings’ emphasis on prioritizing employees and customers to sustain long-term trust. As family businesses like Jaipur Living grow and innovate, they set a standard for others looking to pass down their enterprises. Impact Wealth sat down with Asha for insights into her strategy as Jaipur’s legacy continues to grow.
Q&A with Asha Chaudhary, CEO of Jaipur Living
Q: Your father, Nand Kishore Chaudhary, started Jaipur Rugs with just two looms. How have you expanded his vision to achieve Jaipur Living’s global success while maintaining his core values?
A: My father’s vision was never just about creating beautiful rugs—it was about fostering meaningful change by upholding the principles of dignity, fairness, and empowerment. He saw each rug not merely as a product, but as an opportunity to transform lives, elevate communities, and preserve artisanal traditions.
When my sister Archana and I stepped into leadership roles, our mission was to honor and expand this legacy without ever compromising those core values. Over the years, our family has successfully grown Jaipur Living into a global brand, blending traditional craftsmanship with forward-thinking design. But at the heart of everything we do remains a deep commitment to the artisans whose hands craft our products and to the communities that sustain them.
My father’s guiding philosophy of ‘profit through love’ continues to inspire our journey. It serves as a constant reminder that our business thrives when we prioritize people—ensuring that fairness, respect, and opportunity remain at the core of Jaipur Living. This approach allows us to create not just beautiful products, but also to make a lasting positive impact on the lives of those who make them.
Q: What were the biggest challenges you and your sister Archana faced in evolving the company, and how do you envision continuing the legacy while ensuring the company’s sustainability and positive social impact?
A: One of our greatest challenges has been staying true to our core business. It is easy to want to expand and diversify, but for us we made a very continuous decision to focus on artisan-made premium products.
Our focus had to remain scaling this model in the U.S. market while staying globally connected, all without losing the authenticity and close-knit relationships we’ve built with our artisans. Preserving the high-quality craftsmanship and the ethical standards that our father established has been essential to our growth.
Sustainability—both environmental and social—has always been at the core of our strategy. As we expand, we remain committed to ensuring that every rug reflects the love, care, and skill of the artisans who create it, while actively minimizing our environmental footprint. Additionally, we continue to deepen our commitment to empowering women, many of whom have become leaders in their communities thanks to our initiatives. This focus on uplifting people and communities remains integral to our mission as we look to the future.
Q: Jaipur Living is known for co-creating rugs with both designers and artisans. How do these collaborations influence the final product, and what role do innovation and technology play in rug construction and design?
A: Collaboration is key to our design process. By working directly with designers and artisans, we create rugs that are not only beautiful but also deeply personal and reflective of diverse perspectives.
The majority of our rugs are designed in the U.S. with an in-house product team, but occasionally bring on Designers collaborations to bring fresh, contemporary ideas, while artisans infuse their work with generations of traditional knowledge. Innovation and technology play an essential role, particularly in the precision and efficiency of weaving techniques.
We’ve embraced digital design tools to experiment with new patterns and textures, but we always ensure that authenticity and hand craftsmanship remain central to the final product.
Q: What steps are you taking to modernize while preserving the authenticity and heritage of the traditional rug-making craft?
A: Our approach to modernization is about finding a balance between honoring our heritage and embracing the future. While we use innovative design tools and sustainable production methods, we are careful to preserve the heart of our business—traditional hand-knotted craftsmanship.
Programs like Manchaha empower artisans to create one-of-a-kind rugs without weaving maps, allowing their personal stories to shine through. By supporting artisans and staying true to our roots, we ensure that the essence of rug-making is never lost, even as we evolve.
Q: With over 40,000 artisans in 700 villages, what impact does this create for local communities, and how does this contribute to your commitment to sustainable development?
A: Our network of artisans not only preserves the ancient art of rug weaving but also generates meaningful economic impact for rural communities in India. Many of our artisans, particularly women, have gained financial independence, which in turn strengthens their communities.
We operate at the grassroots level. Our artisans work out of their homes. Since my father, N.K. Chaudhary, started the business 46 years ago, in 1978, we’ve done an amazing job harnessing the creative capabilities of our craftspeople, helping connect their beautiful work with the bigger world of design.
In rural villages, outside of laboring in the fields, there’s no other way to earn an income. By working at the grassroots level, the women are able to care for their children throughout the day. It offers the same advantages of working from home that we talk about in the States, saving the time and expense of childcare and commuting by bus to a city center for a job.
This model of social business contributes to sustainable development by providing fair wages, healthcare, and education, empowering artisans to lead better lives. We view sustainability as holistic—it’s not just about the environment, but about the people who make our products and the communities they live in.
Q: Can you explain how “removing the middleman” improves both quality and the livelihoods of your artisans? Do you have a story that illustrates how this model has transformed an artisan’s life?
A: By eliminating the middleman, we’ve established a direct connection between Jaipur Living and our artisans, ensuring they receive fair compensation for their craftsmanship. This model empowers artisans to work from their homes, providing them with flexibility and control over their work. In essence, we’ve brought the supply chain to the artisans’ doorsteps. We set up looms in their homes, deliver the raw materials, and collect the finished products when they’re ready.
Eighty-five percent of our artisans are women, which allows them to financially support their families while remaining at home to care for them. This grassroots approach provides the same benefits of remote work that we discuss in the U.S.—saving time and costs associated with commuting and childcare, while enabling them to balance work and family life.
Take Vila, one of our artisans for example. With four young children and living below the poverty line, she was unable to work outside her home due to her family responsibilities. When she came to us, we set up a loom in her house and taught her to weave. Realizing the potential, she started recruiting other women in her village. We provided her with more looms, and now she leads a network of 120 women, transforming her community.
On a broader scale, we run various programs to empower women, offering education, healthcare, and building awareness of physical and mental well-being. One initiative I’m particularly proud of is helping artisans open their own bank accounts. In many cases, women didn’t have control over their finances, with husbands often mismanaging household funds. Now, with their own accounts, these women can invest in their children’s futures, make improvements to their homes, and save for long-term goals.
Q: What initiatives does the Jaipur Rugs Foundation have in place to further support artisans and their communities?
A: The Jaipur Rugs Foundation focuses on holistic development for artisans, offering programs in leadership, healthcare, financial literacy, and personal growth.
We place a strong emphasis on education and skill development, providing artisans with the tools they need to improve their livelihoods and contribute to the socio-economic progress of their communities.
We also work closely with women weavers, helping them gain independence and leadership roles within their villages.
Q: Industrialization has posed a threat to traditional rug weaving. What specific strategies has Jaipur Living employed to ensure the survival and revival of this ancient craft?
A: We have an ambitious commitment to the art of rug making, and a cornerstone of our strategy is to continually invest in artisans and their craft. By upholding our mission to support this 2,500-year-old tradition, we provide a platform for artisans to express their creativity through unique designs while ensuring their skills remain relevant and appreciated.
Initiatives like our Manchaha program—meaning “expression of the heart”—celebrate this art form while preserving time-honored weaving techniques, blending tradition with individual artistry.
Q: How does Jaipur Living contribute to the global effort to sustain disappearing crafts and traditions?
A: In a world of immediate gratification, we take pride in the time and care it takes a single hand-made rug to end up grounding someone’s home. We are committed to preserving the hand-made craft of rug making, which is disappearing in many parts of the world due to industrialization. Through our commitment and working directly with artisans, we ensure that this craft continues to thrive.
Our global platform allows us to showcase the beauty and value of handmade products, helping to sustain not just the craft itself but also the livelihoods of those who practice it. We believe that by educating consumers and offering products that honor tradition, we can contribute to the larger global movement of preserving disappearing crafts.
Q: Sustainability is central to your business model. How do you ensure that Jaipur Living’s growth remains aligned with ethical and environmentally responsible practices?
A: The term “sustainability” has become so overused that it has lost much of its original significance. For us, sustainability is about accountability—to our people, the materials we use, how we produce our products, and our commitment to minimizing our impact on the planet.
One of the keyways we approach sustainability is through the longevity of our handmade products. Many of our rugs are designed to last for decades, often becoming cherished family heirlooms. This durability helps counter the fast-fashion mindset, reducing the need for frequent replacements and encouraging investment in timeless pieces.
We also prioritize the use of natural, renewable fibers such as wool. These materials not only ensure high-quality craftsmanship but also align with our mission to produce eco-friendly products.
Through our Manchaha program, we take sustainability a step further by minimizing waste. Leftover yarn scraps are repurposed to create unique, one-of-a-kind rugs, proving that reducing environmental impact doesn’t mean compromising on quality or creativity.
Finally, we recognize there is always more work to be done. We’ve developed a five-year roadmap, holding ourselves and our vendors accountable to higher standards. I’m excited to lead the charge as we continue to push for better practices—both now and in the future.
Q: In what ways has Jaipur Living helped to set new standards for social businesses in the industry?
A: Jaipur Living has always aimed to be more than just a business; we’ve sought to be a model of social responsibility by putting people at the heart of everything we do. Our dedication to fair wages, community development, and sustainability has established new standards in the industry, reflecting our belief that business success should never come at the cost of ethical practices.
At the core of our mission is the empowerment of artisans. We ensure they receive fair compensation for their craftsmanship, which not only supports their families but also uplifts entire communities. Beyond financial support, we invest in their personal growth, offering resources like education, healthcare, and leadership opportunities to help artisans thrive both economically and creatively.
Our efforts are an extension of this commitment to people. We strive to create an ecosystem where artisans, their families, and their environment can flourish. From using natural, renewable materials to designing programs that reduce waste, we ensure that our business decisions contribute positively to both the local and global communities.
By integrating ethical values into every facet of our operations, we’ve built a business model that not only preserves ancient craftsmanship but also sets a precedent for how companies can succeed while lifting up the people who make that success possible.
Q: As Jaipur Living continues to grow, what is your vision for the company’s future, and how do you plan to innovate while staying true to your roots?
A: As Jaipur Living continues to grow, our vision is to expand our global presence while maintaining the authenticity and craftsmanship that define us. Our roots are deeply embedded in the artistry and cultural heritage of our artisans, and we will always honor that. Looking ahead, we aim to scale sustainably by embracing innovation in design, materials, and processes without losing the human touch that makes our products unique.
Q: What have been your biggest personal learnings as a leader, and what advice would you give to other entrepreneurs building socially responsible businesses?
A: When I first joined the family business after college, I was driven by ambition and eager to achieve success quickly. However, over time, I learned that true and lasting success comes from passion, not just ambition. Passion fuels a deeper sense of purpose, which naturally brings compassion, love, and empathy into everything you do.
Building a socially responsible or purpose-driven business requires these values at its core. For me, these qualities are not just nice-to-have—they are the foundation for creating meaningful and lasting change as an entrepreneur.
