Birla Scion Ananya Birla Enters Ecommerce Sphere, Launches Curo Carte

Ananya Birla, third-generation scion of the Birla family, announced the launch of her second venture Curo Carte. It is a global ecommerce platform that provides handmade and high-end luxury products, curated from nine countries.

Incepted in 2015 by Ananya, the online portal claims to be an amalgamation of design, beauty and lifestyle. It currently offers 1500 products across 70 categories.

Commenting on the launch, Ananya Birla, founder and CEO, Curo Carte said, “Through the brand, we aim to revolutionise the ecommerce space by bringing inaccessible and aesthetically appealing products from all around the world to the people in India and also to a global audience. The charm of Curo Carte lies in the fact that we curate these products directly from the makers themselves from all around the world. We are trying to organise the unorganised market through technology.”

The venture will run on an inventory-based model, aiming to create a space for itself in the premium sector. According to an official statement, it has tied up with an international laboratory which tests every product before production.

“It’s about bringing out what is there, but not seen before. There is so much love that goes into making products by hand, and that positivity comes through in each of our products,” she added.

The startup collaborates with uber-artists and uses technology to make those designer products accessible online. It also performs design interventions on rare crafts, making them suitable for the contemporary lifestyle.

Ananya’s first venture, Svatantra Microfin Pvt Ltd, a Mumbai-based startup microfinance institution (MFI), was launched in 2013 with the aim of empowering women in the rural areas of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

According to an Assocham study, India’s handicrafts exports are likely to cross the $3 Bn (INR 24,000 Cr) mark by 2020-21.

On the regional front, Ahmedabad-based etailer for regional goods Salebhai raised $1.5 Mn (INR 10 Cr) from Times Group’s Brand Capital, for a minority stake in August 2016. It is currently serving requirements of regional goods for 17 such communities. The list of products includes sweets, chocolates, bakery items, spices, dry fruits, beverages, pickles, handicrafts, paintings, among others. These products are supplied globally from 260 vendor bases from over 100 Indian cities.

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