Empowering Threads: Pabiben Rabari’s Journey from Rural Artisan to Global Market
In today’s economy, rural entrepreneurs play a crucial role in changing the shape of worn-out business models. These entrepreneurs established innovative businesses and saved the solutions for cultural and social values. Various entrepreneurs have inspiring and motivational stories of their successful businesses. Pabiben Rabari is one of them.
As a conservative community member, Pabiben achieved a name in the global market. She received various national and state-level awards. Pabiben Rabari is a woman from the Rabari community of Gujarat who created history by being a successful rural entrepreneur. Today, she has her website and brand name, which Rabari Embroidery recognizes globally. Now, she is one of the most famous rural entrepreneurs in India.
Being a daily wager, Pabiben started her journey in the Bhadroi village of Gujarat. She lost her father at the age of five. She left her studies after the fourth standard and started ancestral embroidery work in her community. In the 1990s, the community decided to stop this practice as this embroidery was complicated and time-consuming. After that, Pabiben joined a Bhuj-based NGO named Kala Raksha, where she earned INR 50 per day.
While learning, she invented a new form of embroidery called ‘Hari Jari’. This embroidery required readymade ribbons, designs, and patterns using the sewing machine. Gradually, several women joined her. They prepared different types of bags, home furnishing items, and garments with Hari Jari. Now, she had a team to create several products, but she had no business skills, so in 2015, she approached Nilesh Priyadarshi, a PhD holder in the craft business. He told them about sampling, labeling, packing, and organizing everything. After learning these basic steps, they need a name to become a brand name. They wanted this name to be authentic and of Indian origin, so they used it as Pabiben.com. Pabiben’s determination and ability to adapt to the latest patterns through continual innovation transformed her into a successful businesswoman in India.
Indeed, her journey is an inspiring story of rural entrepreneurship. Her diligence towards work changed her life and empowered other women who engaged with Pabiben.com on a large scale. On this artisan platform, traditional embroidery techniques are used in an artisanal way in the form of different products.
Pabiben’s creations are no longer limited to Gujarat but are featured in Hollywood and Bollywood movies. Not only on Pabiben.com, but these unique embroidery work bags are also in high demand in various online stores like Amazon, Flipkart, and many more stores named Pabi Bag. She proved herself to be a famous rural entrepreneur in India.
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The core crux of Pabiben’s success:
- Determination: This is an essential trait for the achievement of an aim. It keeps you hopeful and motivated towards your goal. The same thing happened with Pabiben; despite her hurdles, she had a solid determination to become a businesswoman since her childhood, and finally, she achieved it.
- Innovation: Rabari is a community famous for its intricate embroidery. Pabiben applied her new idea to traditional embroidery, making the embroidery unique and more accessible than the previous way. This innovation made her work famous everywhere.
- Ability to adapt: Although Pabiben was not educated, she could still adjust to the latest techniques and ways to spread her products. She accepted every change in today’s market. She started her online store, which denoted her brand globally. Today she has various social media accounts on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube channel. She knows how these mediums have a significant role in expanding any business.
- Fruitful assistance: “God helps those who help themselves.” this proverb comes true in the case of Pabiben. She knew she was best in the craft but had no business skills. So she approached Nilesh Priydarshi, who helped her pack, sample, label, and organize everything about the products. Nilesh Priydarshi has a PhD in the craft business. Such help played a crucial role in the rise of Pabiben’s business.
- Collaborate with notable organizations: Pabiben’s enterprise collaborates with various notable organizations. Which helped her in enhancing her product’s demand for the market. A few collaborated organizations are The/NUDGE Institute, India Exim Bank, Pearl Academy, FICCI, Dastkar, and many more.
Pabiben’s Achievements and Awards:
- Quality Mark Women Award by Ahmedabad in 2016
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi honored her Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar in 2016
- National Award for Outstanding Performance in Rural Business in 2018
- Prerna Award in 2018
- Mahila Shakti Award in 2018
- International Craft Award at India Craft Week in 2019
- Award by FICCI in 2019
- Honoured by the Chief Minister of Gujarat in the field of handicrafts in 2020
- Honored by Wings Group Gandhidham in the field of special achievements in 2020
- Swayam Siddha Award by GCCI
- Award of Best Rural Entrepreneur by Ministry of MSME, Government of India
- My FM Jiyo Dil Se Award
- NABARD Excellence in Business Initiative Award