Payal Nath Is Enabling Rural Women To Shine Through Indigenous Grass Crafts

When Payal Nath stepped on stage to collect her Digital Women Award in Hyderabad, she represented the basketry makers of India and the aspirations of 1,200 rural women artisans. Her Kolkata-based brand, Kadam Haat, has become a benchmark for sustainable gifting, transforming indigenous grasses into high-quality, compostable products such as bags, dining and serveware, and storage solutions.

Payal said, "It is a big honour. I stand here for our artisans and team Kadam. We thank all of you, and we dream to make basketry from India global, and we will do it."

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This recognition celebrates women-led innovation, community impact, and the spirit of sustainable business that Kadam Haat embodies.

Payal Nath: Digital Women Awards 2025

STP: What is Kadam Haat and the vision behind it?

Payal Nath: Kadam Haat converts local indigenous grasses into gifting products with high craftsmanship. Our gifting range includes bags, dining and serveware, and storage, all of which are 100% compostable and aligned with 12 of the 17 sustainable development goals.

Kadam Haat currently provides regular employment to 1,200 rural women by building a gig economy for them. Our business is driven by three core pillars: our commitment to 1 million livelihoods, our commitment to the planet, and our commitment to 10 million conscious consumers.

Currently, our website serves 50,000 customers, and our brand works with 187+ B2B clients. In 2024-25, 10,000 bags made from a single grass were sold, saving 500 million litres of water and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

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STP: In what ways do technology and digital tools contribute to the growth, efficiency, and overall success of your business?

Payal Nath:Technology is the backbone of Kadam Haat’s operations, enabling us to scale efficiently, reach new markets, and maintain high standards of quality and impact.

Digital Integration: Our D2C channel runs on an integrated ecosystem connecting Shopify with Zoho Accounts, Inventory, and Projects. This ensures accurate stock visibility, smooth order flow, vendor payments, and project tracking across artisan clusters.

Operational Efficiency: Tools like Shopflo, CustomerLabs, and Shipway improve checkout, audience segmentation, and real-time delivery tracking. Biometric attendance and automated dashboards streamline workforce and production management.

B2B Automation: CRM workflows capture leads, track co-branded bulk orders, and convert buyers into long-term collaborators. Dashboards monitor fibre availability, production planning, and logistics for 100% advance-paid orders.

Artisan Training & Innovation: Digital modules support artisan learning, while data insights guide product development and marketing campaigns.

Global Reach: Technology allows us to combine traditional craft with modern processes, ensuring predictable cash flow, operational efficiency, and a premium customer experience, building a global brand that is honestly crafted and soulfully chic.

STP: What are your plans and opportunities for growing your business?

Payal Nath: At Year 4 of our business, we have 187+ B2B buyers from various corporate sectors for their SDG-compliant gifting.

The sustainable gifting sector is growing at 15 to 20 per cent CAGR, and in 2024, the Indian gifting market was estimated at 75 billion USD.

Our large social and environmental footprint and high impact make us a natural choice for clients across IT, real estate, personal care, manufacturing, banking, and educational institutions.

We aim to generate 40 per cent of our revenue from D2C through our website and retail presence, where we already have 50,000 customers with an average order value of ₹1,900. 

This AOV is planned to increase to ₹2,900 with new product development. Our growth plan targets ₹96 crore in revenue by 2030, supported by systematic planning, profitability focus, and a robust team.

STP: What were some key challenges you faced while building your business?

Payal Nath: I come from design and technical product knowledge with prior experience in B2B, mainly in large organisations, and also experience of running an NGO for 15 years, so it took some time to understand the D2C start-up way of doing business.

Also being a first-generation entrepreneur, understanding, accepting and putting across to investors, valuation, understanding the worth of self and what we were doing as a business in major social and environmental impact, and finding such investors who understand was a challenge.

Building a committed and professional business first team in a city like Kolkata was also not easy.