How Mehraj unboxed his online biz dream

FREE INDIA Kashmiri man Muheet Mehraj runs a successful ecommerce website, unrest back home notwithstanding

DELHI: Muheet Mehraj’s abiding memory of Independence Day is being home without internet. As part of security protocol, internet is suspended in Kashmir every August 15.

And yet, at 21 when he decided to drop out of college to begin his own start-up, he chose to rely on the internet. Today, 27-year-old Mehraj runs a successful e-commerce website, Kashmir Box.

“The best solutions often come from the worst places,” he says with a smile.

From fine Pa sh min a shawls and richly decorated paper mâché products to intricately carved walnut wood furniture-Kashmir Box has a flavour of everything Kashmir.

Mehraj co-founded the site after realising the online potential of Kashmir products.

“There are about 8,000- 10,000 stores that sell Kashmiri products but there is negligible presence online.” he said.

The website started in the winter of 2011 with a ₹1,500 loan Mehraj took from his mother.

Sincethen, ithas thrived, growing from just two people working with 10 artisans to a 25-member team working with 2,500 artisans.

On the way, it has picked up orders in 35 countries and even been awarded – all at a time of great turmoil for the e-commerce industry in India.

Last year, Kashmir Box began its Delhi operations at . The expansion came at a time of huge unrest in the Valley after militant Burhan Wani’s death last summer. “Our artisans would call us and say that we were their only link to customers so we had to deliver,” Mehraj recalls. Reaching office during curfew was impossible, so they began work early morning from 5am - 7am before it came into effect and post 6pm till late night. But the unrest also had other repercussions. One employee was hit by ape llet gun, another rounded up and taken to the police station . He says, “We lost 60% business during that time and we haven’ t still recovered all of it. But for me, it was important to circumvent the problem, not cry about it.” Three people came down to setup an office in Delhi. Courier services were not working so they had to go to the airport themselves. While M eh raj says his K ash miri identity was not a hindrance, he admits prejudice sa bound. He’s received messages calling him “an agent” and comments like “Don’t order from them, they may pack a bomb.” His other peeve is that media often asks him about Kashmir’ s violence or Pakistan, which has nothing to do with his work. Buthe is unfazed. “The income of an artisan was lower than that of a daily wage labourer. Right now, we have managed to double that income. We want to make it five times,” he says. Kashmir’s rich tradition of arts and crafts took a hit in the 90s as militancy peaked. Mehraj says to keep up quality and eliminate fakes, they got a rigorous system – for example, the Pashmina has to pass 31 parameters. Mehraj doesn’t divulge exact numbers on revenue but confirms a fund-raising round this year. “Everyone wants to build a marketplace. We want to create an ecosystem and have social impact. We are a business with a heart.”