From family workshop to a ₹1 crore enterprise
TIRUPATI: A woodcarving workshop in Tirupati that was taken over by Chandrakala after the death of her husband in 2007 has grown into a significant local employer, reporting an annual turnover in excess of ₹1 crore and supporting more than 100 workers, the Press Information Bureau (PIB) said in its account of the National SARAS Mela 2026.
The business began as a small family craft venture in 2002. When the founder passed away in 2007, his widow assumed responsibility for day‑to‑day operations, including order management, accounts and customer relations — tasks the family had previously distributed among members. Rather than allowing the enterprise to decline, she navigated the transition and sought to stabilise production and artisan morale.
Support networks and market access
PIB highlighted the role of the Lotus Self‑Help Group (SHG) in her progress. Membership in the SHG provided access to a peer network where operational challenges could be discussed, and offered entry points into exhibitions and trade fairs that expanded the firm’s customer base beyond the local market. Such market linkages helped the venture move from subsistence levels towards a structured small business model.
“She now hopes to take the business further by creating livelihood opportunities for 500 rural women,” the PIB report said.
Exposure at state and national platforms, including the SARAS Mela, is credited with increasing orders and visibility for traditional crafts. For many artisans, especially those transitioning from agrarian incomes, such avenues can be decisive in shifting household earnings from seasonal farm work to year‑round non‑farm employment.
Local employment impact and aspirations
The workshop’s reported scale — more than 100 workers — is notable in a district where small‑scale manufacturing and handicrafts form a key component of rural non‑farm livelihoods. The enterprise preserves skilled woodcarving knowledge while channel‑linking it to commercial demand, a combination that underpins sustainable artisan incomes.
Chandrakala has articulated an ambition to enlarge the operation’s social footprint. According to the PIB narrative, she aims to reach a target of providing work to 500 rural women, a goal that would multiply the economic influence of the business across surrounding villages and strengthen women's participation in local value chains.
- Origins: Workshop started in 2002; taken over by Chandrakala in 2007.
- Current scale: Annual turnover over ₹1 crore; employs over 100 workers.
- Support: Backed by Lotus SHG and exposure at trade fairs such as the SARAS Mela.
A simple table below summarises the key figures reported by PIB.
| Metric | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Annual turnover | ₹1 crore+ |
| Workers employed | 100+ |
| Targeted new beneficiaries | 500 rural women (aspiration) |
Broader implications for Tirupati’s rural economy
The trajectory of this enterprise underscores two features relevant to Tirupati’s economy: first, the potential of value addition in traditional crafts to generate stable non‑farm employment; second, the catalytic role of women’s collectives and market linkages in scaling small businesses. For farmers and rural households facing seasonal agricultural uncertainty, such craft enterprises can provide diversified income streams.
From an economic‑policy perspective, supporting artisans requires consistent access to raw materials, credit, design assistance and market platforms. The workshop’s evolution illustrates how peer support structures — here, an SHG — plus participation in recognised fairs can compensate for gaps in formal institutional support, at least in the early growth phase.
As the owner seeks to expand employment to 500 women, practical challenges remain: ensuring steady orders, maintaining product quality at scale, and managing working capital. How these are addressed will determine whether the enterprise moves from a successful local business to a model for wider replication across the district.
PIB’s account places the Tirupati workshop among a set of success stories showcased at the National SARAS Mela 2026, signalling the continued policy emphasis on strengthening rural livelihoods through micro‑enterprises and women‑led self‑help initiatives.
