The hardest part of leading a heritage craft business?

The hardest part of leading a heritage craft business?
Saying no to the wrong shortcuts.

When you grow up in a family that’s been handcrafting rugs for over a century, you inherit not just a business – you inherit a standard.

And upholding that standard isn’t easy in a world that rewards speed.

Every few months, I come across ways to “improve” production, mechanical looms that promise higher output, cheaper dyes, or synthetic blends that seem practical on paper.

And while some of these innovations make sense for mass production, they don’t belong in our kind of work.

Because when your name carries four generations of trust, you don’t just represent a company, you represent values.

My grandfather built that trust with people.
My father built it through design.
And for me, it’s about protecting it through discipline, by balancing innovation with integrity.

At Understorey and S.N. Kapoor Exports, we’re constantly evolving, exploring better tools, cleaner processes, faster ways to help our weavers — but never at the cost of authenticity.

Craftsmanship, to me, isn’t defined by how quickly something is made, but by how long it lasts.

Shortcuts may save time.
But they cost legacy.