Baro Market

Srila Chatterjee
After 25 years of working in advertising, Srila took the retail route of design and co-founded Baro India, a popular furniture store in Mumbai’s Lower Parel area. Platform last spoke to her when Baro India had just started off as a store for designed furniture and lights, and soon evolved to become a hub of events that promoted arts and culture in various forms. Srila hosted and curated these events in her inimitable style, which helped her form a community of like-minded customers and small business owners, who aspired to be a part of her remarkable events. These events also greatly supported the local artists from smaller villages and tribes. 

The success of these bazaars and shows led to the creation of Baro Market. This market retailed only locally-sourced products from artisans in villages and small business owners who were seeking a platform to showcase their work. The pandemic forced the store to close right at its onset. However, Srila wasted no time and converted Baro Market into a digital retail space. 

Baro Market
Opening Baro Market had its fair share of challenges, but now it is up and running, with more than 50 brands, and continues to grow. Srila is naturally resistant to commercial labels. She is very passionate about all things handmade, traditional, that tell stories and remain very exclusive. This led her to open Baro Market, which soon became the go-to place for home decor, apparel, stationery and a whole lot more. 

Srila has also worked tirelessly to encourage and empower the local craftsmen and artisans, by giving their products a shelf space at Baro Market. ‘I feel that this partnership is infused with a passion that I feel for all the incredible work they do. I also feel that it is incumbent on all of us, who have been granted privileges, to make more effort to expose others with less or no privileges, to the same level of opportunities as us,’ she asserts. Srila’s passion for hosting events stays intact as she hosted several of them in Mumbai and Goa prior to the second wave. She is eager and looks forward to hosting many more and making Baro Market physically accessible everywhere soon.

Text Hansika Lohani Mehtani
Date 01-07-2021