Nand Kishore Chaudhary (born 13 June 1953) is an Indian

social entrepreneur Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, Startup company, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to ...

. He currently serves as the

Chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

and

Managing Director A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...

of the

social enterprise A social enterprise is an organization that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners. Social enterprises ha ...

Jaipur Rugs, which he founded in 1978.

Early life

Nand Kishore Chaudhary was born in a

Marwari Marwari may refer to: * anything of, from, or related to the Marwar region of Rajasthan, India, largely in the Thar Desert ** Marwari people, an Indian ethnic group originating in the Marwar region ** Marwari language, the language of the Marwari ...

family in the

Churu district Churu is a district of the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. Churu lies in the Sekhawati region of northern Rajasthan and shares boundaries with the Hanumangarh District to the north, the Haryana state to the east, the Jhunjhunu and Sikar ...

Rajasthan Rajasthan (; Literal translation, lit. 'Land of Kings') is a States and union territories of India, state in northwestern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the List of states and union territories of ...

. Growing up as an introverted child and avid reader, he was influenced by the works of

Gandhi Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2October 186930January 1948) was an Indian lawyer, anti-colonial nationalist, and political ethicist who employed nonviolent resistance to lead the successful campaign for India's independence from British ...

and

Tagore Rabindranath Thakur (; anglicised as Rabindranath Tagore ; 7 May 1861 – 7 August 1941) was a Bengalis, Bengali polymath who worked as a poet, writer, playwright, composer, philosopher, social reformer, and painter of the Bengal Renai ...

. He went to school in Churu and graduated from Government College in Lohia in 1973. Nand Kishore was inspired by

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

researcher and designer Ilay Cooper to get into the business of carpet manufacture and design, and therefore help in the revival of this neglected art. Nand Kishore decided not to follow his father in their traditional family business of shoe-making, and even let go of a

government job The public sector, also called the state sector, is the part of the economy composed of both public services and public enterprises. Public sectors include the public goods and governmental services such as the military, law enforcement, Infr ...

in a national bank. Instead, he went into the rug and carpet business. His venture started with a loan of 5000 rupees, that he borrowed from his father, and today that venture is known as Jaipur Rugs, an exemplary model of

social entrepreneurship Social entrepreneurship is an approach by individuals, groups, Startup company, start-up companies or entrepreneurs, in which they develop, fund and implement solutions to social, cultural, or environmental issues. This concept may be applied to ...

at its best.

Career

N. K. Chaudhary established the social business model of Jaipur Rugs, connecting weavers with global markets by building a global supply chain focused on developing human capability and skills at the

grassroots A grassroots movement is one that uses the people in a given district, region or community as the basis for a political or continent movement. Grassroots movements and organizations use collective action from volunteers at the local level to imp ...

level. Jaipur Rugs provides a steady income for people living in the most rural parts of India by connecting them with markets across the world. Nanda Kishore started a humble carpet business in 1978 with just two weaving-looms and 9 artisans. That has today transformed into Jaipur Rugs, which is a network of more than 40,000 artisans across 6 states in India and is one of India's leading manufacturer and exporter of hand woven rugs, bringing in an annual revenue of $18 million. Jaipur Rugs has become an ecosystem of companies and organizations, and the 40,000 weavers and their families are an integral part in this ecosystem.

Personal life

Nanda Kishore is married to Sulochana. They have five children, Asha, Archana, Kavita, Yogesh and Nitesh, all of whom are involved in specific roles in the Jaipur Rugs Company. *

Publications and Accredations

Jaipur Rugs has become synonymous with N. K. Chaudhary’s principles of equality, socialism, and love, which he maintains are the real foundation of the Jaipur Rugs ecosystem. Nand Kishore has chronicled his journey with Jaipur Rugs in his own writings. These are available as e-books at his website https://www.nkchaudhary.com/. The journey of Jaipur Rugs has found international acclaim and has also been mentioned in many publications worldwide, such as: * Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid ‘Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid’ by

CK Prahalad Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad (8 August 1941 – 16 April 2010) was an Indian-American entrepreneur and author. Personal life He was born to a stay at home mother and a father who was a judge. He is married to a woman named Gayatri, an ...

was published in 2009. It acclaimed Jaipur Rugs all over the world. * Take Me Home Published in 2014, Rashmi Bansal talked about N. K. Chaudhary and Jaipur Rugs, from its very inception to the scale it has achieved now, in her book Take Me Home. * Healing Organisation Published in 2019, Raj Sisodia and Michael J. Gelb covered Jaipur Rugs in their book ‘The Healing Organisation’ describing NK’s vision of innocence and Jaipur Rugs’ as an ''ashram''.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Chaudhary, Nand Kishore 1953 births Living people Indian chief executives People from Churu district Indian social entrepreneurs 20th-century Indian businesspeople Businesspeople from Rajasthan