About Us

ROPE is a manufacturer and supplier of handmade and handloom woven natural products for large international retailers and buyers. Throughout the developing world, rural workers and artisans have a long history of creating beautiful and unique products using traditional skills and local materials. ROPE offers global customers the ability to source with confidence and ease products made by rural artisans using these skills and materials. ROPE's design team continually creates new products that customers can purchase as ready-made or use as inspiration for custom requirements. In addition, ROPE offers customers a catalog of skills and materials from which they can create one of a kind products.

ROPE is also a social enterprise, providing employment to rural artisans by linking them with global customers. ROPE is a socially responsible producer that strives to provide its artisans steady incomes, benefits, opportunities for skill enhancement, and improved working environments.

ROPE manages the production process while ensuring quality products and timely delivery. To be commercially competitive and meet the challenges of working with small artisans in rural areas, ROPE has developed technology to allow it to effectively and efficiently manage its supply chain.

ROPE was founded in January 2007 and incubated at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras through their Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI). ROPE currently produces in India and operates in the state of Tamil Nadu, employing full-time over 500 rural workers manufacturing more than one million handmade units per year. ROPE plans to expand to other parts of India and to other countries to offer customers additional unique rural skills and materials.

The following partners are integral to the success of ROPE: Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI), L-RAMP (the Lemelson Recognition and Mentoring Program) and National Research Development Corporation (NRDC).