Gujarat : One Viral Reel Takes Amreli Woman’s Rug Business Global

AMRELI : A rug made in the courtyard of a remote Gujarat village has travelled thousands of kilometres—thanks to one viral social media reel. What began as a simple attempt by Hansaben Dansangbhai Rathod to showcase a handmade rug has transformed, within just six months, into a growing business with customers across India and countries including America, Canada, Australia, Oman and Dubai.

Hansaben, who comes from an ordinary farming family in Tajpar village of Lathi taluka in Amreli district, never expected a short video posted on social media to change the course of her livelihood.

She had received a handmade rug from a peer and decided to make a reel showing the rug and its making process. The video gained traction and initially brought orders from Surat. As customers shared the product with others, demand gradually spread to other parts of India and eventually overseas.

“Initially, I used to make videos of bhajans. My son Sanjay helped me with the videos. Later, I thought of starting something that could benefit women, and the rug business began,” Hansaben said.

From Tajpar to America

The success is striking because Tajpar itself has limited internet connectivity. Yet the handmade rugs produced in the village are now reaching international customers.

Hansaben said buyers abroad have appreciated the products and no rug has been returned so far.

But the story is not just about a woman finding a new market. It is also about an entire group of village women finding a new source of income.

20-25 women now earning

Around 20 to 25 women from Tajpar are currently involved in the rug-making work. They are given work that can be completed from home, allowing them to continue farming and household responsibilities alongside earning an income.

A woman can earn approximately Rs 300 to Rs 600 per rug. The group produces around 9 to 15 rugs a day, with individual workers often making one rug in the morning and another in the afternoon.

The rugs are made using white cloth, red cotton and cotton. The material is rolled and stretched on a pole before the cotton is folded and filled through the traditional process.

A rug costs approximately Rs 1,100 to produce and is supplied in Gujarat for around Rs 1,800, including courier charges.

Hansaben previously earned by making embroidered purses. The rug she received from her peer, however, gave her a new business idea. After making another rug herself, she posted reels of both products—and the response changed everything.

‘An additional income along with farming’

Rambhaben Bharatbhai Parmar, a woman from Tajpar working with Hansaben, said the initiative has provided villagers with an income opportunity without forcing them to leave their homes.

“Hansaben pays around Rs 300 for a rug. Along with farming, the women of the village have got an additional source of income,” she said.

Hansaben herself continues to work on production despite the growing demand. Her stated goal is not simply to expand sales, but to ensure more women in the village can earn independently.

What started with one rug, one reel and a small village workshop has now become a remarkable example of how social media can connect rural craftsmanship with a global market—and turn a woman’s simple idea into livelihoods for an entire community.