ABSTRACT
Fabindia is a leading fashion brand of India. Its story started in 1960, when John Bissell visited India as a buyer for a famous US chain of stores. While sourcing traditional handicrafts of India, he saw that while there was very rich variety of handloom fabrics in the country, the artisans and weavers were desperately poor. He started Fabindia in New Delhi with the objective of helping the producers with a system of “inclusive capitalism,” that is, of selling the handicrafts at a profit but also ensuring “a fair, equitable, and helpful relationship with our producers, and the maintenance of quality.”
Ethical branding comes not just by creating an image but also through actions that speak the sincerity of the brand. Fabindia has established a business that is a social business, one that looks after all its stakeholders. This case study shows it is possible to break the stranglehold of brokers and traditional businesses if it goes about its task with sincerity and a sense of purpose. This adds to brand building in a much better way, as opposed to trumpeting about one’s CSR activities.
The case study describes the branding of Fabindia in detail and its socially oriented activities. The study is based on secondary sources and some interviews with store managers.
