Raj - 75 Years of Weaving Traditions

seventy five years of weaving traditions

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published by
Raj Group
designed by
Seechange.in | New Delhi, Bangalore
printed by
Archana Advertising Pvt. Ltd. | New Delhi

produced by
Raj Group | India
Plot 150, Sector 25, Industrial Estate HUDA
Panipat 132103, Haryana, India
+91-180-2693809 / 813 | [email protected] | www.rajoverseasonline.com

© All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted in any form without the written permission from the Publisher.

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This book is dedicated to Shri Rajeshwar Nathji
and the entire Raj Family

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S even decades ago, in 1939, R aj established a place in the
art of carpet and rug weaving and the spinning of yarn. Today, Raj
Group provides its clients with complete f loor covering solutions,
with offerings that include carpets, durries, scatter rugs, bath mats,
pillows and f loor cushions. Honouring its origins in traditional craft practices
and design techniques, the organization has established a presence in countries
across the globe.

At Raj, tradition is as sacred as innovative, creative application. This is an
organization that places great value in its employees, in both their inherited
abilities and their growing expertise. The organization seeks to learn from
and interact with arts and crafts traditions from across the globe. Hence, Raj
maintains a constant initiative to have new ideas infuse its existing range, both
traditional and modern, of contemporary carpet weaving techniques.

Due in no small part to its perseverance in fulfilling its clients’ needs, Raj is
recognized today as an international brand with skilled employees who work
together as a family across the organization’s vast network of plants and offices.
Raj has established factories in the historic city of Panipat, also known as the
City of Weavers. The organization has seen its role moving beyond providing
f loor furnishings to clients; it also seeks to create an heirloom with each product
that leaves its doors. It is in this spirit of service to lasting relationships that the
Raj Group enfolds its vision and continues to build a future.

In 2014 Raj completes a momentous 75 years of weaving traditions. Art, craft,
design, tradition, innovation, skill and handiwork are some of the elements that
contribute to the legacy of the Group, and this book is a tribute to that legacy.





As the wheels of time turn, Raj has woven its history
into a legacy of endeavour and success. Raj started off as
a single plant and today has grown to become an industry
that harnesses its energy from a blend of traditional
and modern values. Sumeet Nath | Managing Partner | Raj Group

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In 1939, Raj Woollen Industries
was set up by Rajeshwar Nath,
sowing the seeds of Raj Group.

Back then, Panipat had a small wool
mandi where wool came from the borders
of the neighbouring state of Rajasthan.
When Raj Woollen Industries was
established, it was only the third
such spinning factory in the country.
Processing raw wool into yarn was a key
function at the new plant; the wool was
sorted to create yarn, and the yarn in
turn was woven into blankets. In those
days the weaving was done by the famed
Kumbalia community of Panipat, using
traditional handlooms. Today, wool
sorting remains a prominent part of the
process of carpet weaving at Raj, making
it among the few standalone companies
that processes its raw material into a
finished product. The wool is carefully
sorted to remove various impurities
before it is sent for carding and further
processing. Wool is currently procured
from New Zealand, Pakistan, China,
Turkey, England, Australia, Greece and
several regions of India.

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I have been working at Raj in the wool sorting section for over two decades now.
For women of my stature, a safe and secure environment and timely payment
are all that one requires. I think the fact that I have been here for over 25 years
explains my contentment with working at Raj Group.

Rani | From Panipat | Wool sorting | With Raj for 25 years

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Once the wool is sorted and categorized into several blends, it is sent for carding.
The process of carding ensures the wool is disentangled and cleansed of impurities so that it may be spun
into yarn. When Raj Woollen Industries was set up, wool sorting and carding were the two most prominent
manufacturing processes. Today, they form just a part in the larger process of making fine floor furnishings.

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For me, Raj is the finest and most successful company in Panipat, because this is my home and has been for the past
30 years. I call Raj my family, because of the environment here. I am constantly encouraged to innovate, create new
yarn blends, finer weaves and experiment with various materials other than wool. As Spinning Incharge, my role and
responsibility is not limited to my job profile. I joined Raj when it dealt mainly with yarn spinning and weaving for
the domestic market. Today it is a leading exporter and manufacturer. I am proud to be part of such a long journey.
Although I have already spent 30 years here, I would like to continue working for another 30, perhaps!

Ram Kumar | From Panipat | Spinning Incharge | With Raj for 30 years

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T oday Raj Group has five prominent factories situated across Panipat,
and each factory hosts significant stages in the process and manufacture of floor
furnishings. At the dyeing and washing unit, yarn is washed, dried and dyed before it
is sent to be woven into carpets, rugs, durries, bath mats, floor cushions and pillows.

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T he dyes are developed and processed by experts. Each dye
is carefully sampled and rigorously tested in a specialized in-house laboratory.
They are then made in larger quantities for the dyeing machines. Once the yarn
is dyed it is dried in several cycles before being sent to the weaving sections.

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32 years ago, my position at Raj was that of an assistant. Today I am an accounts manager.
There are quite a few of us who have seen this company grow from the beginning. And
I know most of us have continued our career with this company because of the sense of
solidarity and responsibility that we feel. It might be ordinary for anyone to be successful,
but it is extraordinary for humility to come before success. I believe that Raj holds humility
and generosity before success and that’s what makes it home for most of us.

OP Khurana | From Panipat | Accounts Manager | With Raj for 32 years

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I started off at Raj Group as a labourer, after a few years I was promoted to supervisor and
purchaser; and then production incharge. Today I am the GM of Raj Woollen Industries.
I think my growth signifies that the 30 years spent here have not been in vain. Progress is
something that Raj ensures its employees. And my journey exemplifies this. I have seen this
company grow from humble beginnings and always wish that it will find unimaginable success.

Karnel Singh | From Panipat | General Manager, Raj Woollen Industries | With Raj for 30 years

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After yarn is washed, dried and dyed, I am from Madhubani, Bihar. The society I come from is
it is opened out and made into large loops. very conservative, and the only reason I was allowed to work
These loops help keep the yarn tangle-free in another city is because the environment here is conducive
and easier to handle while weaving. for women to work. I have been working here for nearly 20
years and wouldn’t like to imagine another source of livelihood.
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Laxmi | From Bihar | Yarn opening section | With Raj for 19 years

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Everyone has worked
as a team over the years
to make Raj Group a
successful venture. The company has
grown on sheer hard work, honesty and
foresight. Every individual has been
actively involved in multifarious tasks
and aspects to ensure this successful
completion of 75 years.

Anil Nath | Senior Managing Partner
Raj Group

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From the workers, to the machinery and raw materials;
the relationships we share with employees, the festivals we
celebrate and the problems we solve together... for me this
company is not just about the business, but about every
single element that makes it.

If you treat anything right, it will give back to you with the same
respect. When I come to the factory every single day, I am filled
with the excitement of doing something new. I spend a lot of time
going around the factory, into various sections, because I like to
experience the creativity here. I think growing individually is
worthless. A sense of respect and responsibility helps create the
vision of collective growth. And this in turn helps the company
grow. The art of carpet weaving is exquisite; it is something that
has tradition and culture ingrained in it. My achievement would
be in seeing this exquisite artistry gain international recognition
not just as a product, but also as a craft.

Ajay Nath | Managing Partner | Raj Group

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In this air of meditative
silence, the quiet whirl of the
charkha has much to share. It
tells of a long line of people -
many hands that have skillfully shaped
the progress of woven traditions from
decades ago. At Raj, the work of the
knowing human hand is the soul that
breathes life into our products.
The section is dominated by women,
who wield these traditional spinning
wheels to blend various counts of yarn.

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At R aj, tufted carpets are crafted
using both hand tufting and machine
tufting guns. Each carpet goes through
meticulous intermediate processes before its
finished form. First, a pattern is created by tracing
the design onto a khaka (a traditional term used
for a stencilled design on tracing paper). After
tracing and perforation, the khaka is placed on the
tufting fabric. The paper is smeared with ink that
seeps through smalls pores onto the fabric below.
Once the whole design is transferred onto the
fabric, it is stretched on a metal frame, and the
weavers take over.

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In the early seventies
Rajeshwar Nath, the founder of
Raj Group, brought back a
hand tufting gun from one
of his visits to Japan. With this device
as a sample, he got many hand tufting
guns locally crafted in Panipat. These
were used to create hand tufted carpets
and rugs for India’s expanding Hotel
Industry. This tufting gun was also later
adopted by other carpet manufacturers
in Panipat. With an increase in the
production of hand tufted carpets and
rugs, the company was able to foray
into exports. Rajeshwar Nath’s son
Ashok Nath initiated exports and soon
generated visibility for the Raj product
lines in markets abroad.

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Today, I head Design at Raj, and
while I still have so much to learn
I can easily say that the factory and
its creative energies have guided my
professional objectives
and my work at Raj.

Even though this is a large family business, my father
had never thrown the idea of working at Raj group
towards me. I was always encouraged to pursue my
own interests. Around two years back, I decided
I wanted to explore the factory, understand the
business and possibly see if I could find a place
for myself here. I started off as an intern and
as I progressed in understanding the business,
I graduated from one position to the next in the
merchandising department. I wouldn’t say it was
an easy process—learning on the job and being an
assistant to everyone—but it was definitely a guiding
force in making my decision about working at Raj.

Avni Nath | Design Director, India | Raj Group

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After weaving, the carpets
are strengthened with a latex
backing. The latex reinforced
carpets are then dried out in the sun,
in summer, or in large heating rooms
during the monsoon and winter seasons.

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Once the latex has dried, a backing
fabric is added to each carpet. The edges of
the carpet are then hand sewn to perfection.

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