GoCo-op

About GoCo-op

GoCo-op operates as an online social marketplace with a mission to connect India's rural handloom and handicraft producers directly with a global customer base. Founded in 2011 by Siva DeviReddy, the Bengaluru-based company was conceptualized after DeviReddy, an industrial engineering graduate from Arizona State University with a 14-year background in IT and business technology at companies like Accenture, witnessed the economic struggles of weavers in his home village. This experience prompted him to leverage technology to address the market access challenges faced by artisans at the grassroots level.

The company's core business revolves around an e-commerce platform that serves both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) segments. For its B2B clients, which include retailers, wholesalers, designers, and brands like Aditya Birla and Reliance, GoCo-op facilitates the sourcing of handmade fabrics and crafts in bulk directly from producer cooperatives. In its B2C channel, the platform functions similarly to other online marketplaces, offering a wide array of products such as sarees, home linens, apparel, and accessories directly to individual consumers. The business model generates revenue by earning a commission of 5-15% on each transaction facilitated through the site.

GoCo-op provides significant support to the artisan and weaver cooperatives it partners with. The company assists with product cataloging, photography, and quality control at no initial cost to the producers. Once an order is placed, GoCo-op's local representatives manage quality checks, packaging, and shipping. This model aims to create a more transparent and efficient supply chain, bypassing traditional middlemen and ensuring that a higher percentage of the revenue, reportedly a 15% income increase, goes to the producers. The company launched its own brand, 'Good Loom,' to market high-quality, aesthetically designed handloom products to eco-conscious consumers. Over the years, GoCo-op has received several accolades, including a National Award for Handloom Marketing in 2015.