Founded by Mallika Sharma, Delhi based startup, The Leather laundry, intends to provide quality service that undoes all kinds of fading and tearing and brings back the former glory of the leather products.The startup has positioned itself as a one-stop-shop for all the leather, suede and fur care needs. They also offer professional cleaning, colouring, repairing and restoration services for all leather products which include shoes, bags, garments etc.
The parent company is one the leading manufacturers and exporters of leather products in India and they have at least 30 years of experience in the leather industry. After working with various renowned brands, they claim to have the best technical skills of leather in India. The venture is second generation that seeks to encourage the already existing foundation and explore new horizons in the leather world. According to its founder, Mallika Sharma, TLL has never indulged itself in the price war, rather it has always been very focused on the quality of the products and good quality service.
“Since our focus area is narrow and caters to a niche market, it will take us a while to get volumes and break into the market. But it will be totally worth its while! Profit, is not the motive at the moment, building up on a culture of leather-care in India, is,” Sharma says.
Mallika has done her postgraduation in masters of science in Finance and Investment from UK. Besides managing affairs at The Leather Laundry, she also looks after her family-run export house as the president of the garments division and is presently pursuing a post-graduate diploma in Human Rights from IIHR, Delhi.
“Also I had often heard people complaining that it takes months for them to have their branded leather possession repaired or restored. This is because people approach the stores of these brands directly, who then have these products sent to their workshops in other Indian cities or countries, making the processing time naggingly tardy and uneconomical. Many dry cleaners claim that they also “do leather”, it is anything but true. They do not do it and cannot do it because leather requires a different kind of expertise, technical knowledge, chemicals/cleansers and craftsmanship altogether.” says the Founder.
Being an environmentalist at heart, Mallika personally has liked the concept of a laundry service for leather. Reason being, that by offering to clean, repair and care for leather, they are dissuading people from discarding their leather gear. This reduces wastefulness and conserves the environment (as leather processing entails a lot of water consumption and air pollution) According to the proud Founder, thus TLL, is also a socially responsible initiative that tacitly reduces the impact of growing consumerism and fast fashion.
“We are taking our own sweet time, and want the venture to grow organically. We are learning every day and are playing it by ear. Definitely we have certain dreams, goals and milestones for the venture, but I would like to keep them to myself for now.”, says Mallika
For the start-up, the key milestones for the next one-year would only be to focus on excellent quality and timely deliveries. They have planned and also executed innovative marketing strategies to gain traction and attain greater visibility. Being completely self-funded for now, they are expecting funds in near future so that they can grow over time and expand their business.
