Like the intricate pattern of a well-made rug, success draws from varying elements to form a rich and complex whole. Rugs and Beyond, based in New Delhi and founded by Sakshi Talwar ’10MBA, connects local weavers and artisans in rural India with customers eager for finely crafted, handmade rugs and carpets. It's also helped Talwar connect her creative side with a keen sense for business and skills honed through Bryant University’s MBA program.
“Everyone has creativity within them,” says Talwar. “And every single human being is multi-dimensional. You don’t ever have to be focused on one particular side of yourself.”
The idea for Rugs and Beyond came into existence after Talwar saw a gap between traditional weavers and end customers while living in New York. “I would see home decor stores selling rugs at exorbitant prices,” she recalls, knowing that very little of that mark-up would make its way back to the craftspeople.
In the face of that inequity, she decided that she could help to make a difference — and find a better way. Under the aegis of her father and mentor, Harash Kumar Talwar, the founder, chairman, and director of a leading home decor brand, she started Rugs and Beyond. Inspired by the company’s focus on empowering traditional weavers and artisans, she decided to take that work to the next level by sharing their gifts with the world — and removing several layers of intermediaries in the process — through a specially built e-commerce portal.
But a good idea does not always equate to overnight success and Talwar is quick to recall the early, difficult days before her start-up built a customer base. “We were launching a new venture and attempting to disrupt a $150 million industry,” she remembers. “There were no sales at first, and there were certainly moments when I worried ‘Oh, this just isn’t going to work, I might be wasting my time.’”
“In everything that you do, you have to give 100 percent now, because if you don’t, you’ll regret it later, whether it’s the next day, or five years in the future.”
It didn’t help, says Talwar, that her company was trying to enter a traditionally male-dominated field. “To see a woman break into the industry was pretty rare,” she reflects. “There were people who did not take me seriously because they thought ‘She's just a young girl.’ ”
There were moments of doubt, Talwar freely admits, but they were more than matched by a resolve to see her vision come to fruition. “In everything that you do, you have to give 100 percent now, because if you don’t, you’ll regret it later, whether it’s the next day, or five years in the future,” she argues. “All I could do was turn a deaf ear to the naysayers and focus on the work.”
In time, that perseverance paid off and Rugs and Beyond now ships all over the world. Much of their early business grew from strong word of mouth — and a commitment to helping match customers with the perfect rug or carpet. There’s a satisfaction in filling that need that goes beyond making a sale, says Talwar. “We provide our customers with something that, hopefully, is going to have meaning for them for a long time and will also be cherished for their generations to come.
“Because our customers know where it comes from, each rug has a story and an emotional connection for them,” she adds. “And because they know that by ordering the rug from us, they're actually supporting weavers and local craftsmen in rural areas, it also gives them a sense of fulfillment.”
Providing a conduit for customers to express their creativity, she says, is one of the best parts of her job. “Sometimes people come to us with a unique idea, they don’t want a regular, rectangular rug. They might ask for a unique shape or a rug that can be used as a wall hanging,” Talwar says. “And I enjoy telling them, ‘We can do that.’ ”
“There is no elevator to success. We had to take the staircase — but it was worth it.”
Rugs and Beyond gives back in other ways as well, including its commitment to using sustainable materials and its 1Rug1Child program, which donates a percentage of sales towards the education of weavers’ children. In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, Rugs and Beyond not only provided financial support to its local weavers but also assisted them with securing healthy food and clean water.
The skills to succeed
Talwar, who is also an award-winning film director, painter, and the creative director of YAK India, always knew that her destiny would be found in a creative field — but she also knew she needed the business acumen to succeed. That’s why she chose to enroll in Bryant’s MBA Program.
Talwar, who has also studied at the London School of Economics and Political Science, Delhi University, and at the Parsons School of Design — The New School, says she developed the right set of skills for a future entrepreneur at Bryant. “The professors were so experienced, and the coursework was very practical and centered around real-world examples. It teaches you to think critically on your feet and develop a logical, solution-based mind,” she reflects.
She was able to test what she’d learned by working on consulting projects with companies like construction management firm Gilbane and supply chain solutions provider Banneker Industries. “We learned so much by working with them to solve problems and the obstacles that they were facing," she says.
“When people, especially women, are just starting out, they can often feel like they’re lost or that they’re alone. It’s so important for them to know that they are not and that they never will be."
Immersing in unfamiliar, diverse industries also helped her refine her agility, an ideal tool for a potential disruptor.
Along the way, Talwar formed lifelong bonds throughout the Bryant community. “Everyone made you feel like you were at home; it was a great atmosphere,” she remembers. “There were students and professors from all over the world and from all different backgrounds and we all learned from each other.”
Today, Talwar is passionate about empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders. On a recent return trip to Bryant, she visited an "Introduction to Business" class — where first-year students develop a business idea that addresses a global need — and shared some of the wisdom she has acquired. Impressed by their work, she encouraged them to keep striving for excellence. “There is no elevator to success,” she advised. “We had to take the staircase — but it was worth it.”
That message is especially important for young women to hear, says Talwar, who represented India as a Young Woman Leader at the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2019. “I think it's so important for women like me to come forward, share their experiences, and motivate other women,” she says. “When people, especially women, are just starting out, they can often feel like they’re lost or that they’re alone. It’s so important for them to know that they are not and that they never will be.”
