Why this page exists

Indian textiles are among the most beautiful in the world. They are also produced in a complex, fragmented supply chain spread across thousands of villages, weaver clusters, and workshops.

Without active care, problems can hide in this complexity — child labour, unpaid weavers, dangerous working conditions, fake-handloom claims. Buyers in Europe usually have no way of knowing what they are actually paying for.

IndiaNiva will not be the brand that pretends these problems don’t exist. This page sets out what we commit to doing differently.

Our eight commitments

1. No child labour in our supply chain

We work only with suppliers who can verify that their supply chain — including subcontracted weavers and finishing workshops — is free of child labour. We will not source from any region or workshop that cannot provide this assurance.

If we ever discover child labour in a supplier’s chain, we will publicly disclose it and stop working with that supplier.

2. Fair compensation for weavers and artisans

We commit to working only with suppliers who can demonstrate that weavers and artisans receive fair compensation — including living wages aligned with regional standards in India.

Where possible, we will publish the wholesale price we paid for a saree, so buyers can see the share of the retail price that went to the supply chain rather than to brand margin.

3. Best effort to verify working conditions

We make best effort to verify supplier working conditions through:

— Supplier visits by Valentine (founder), at least annually
— Partnerships with established Indian sourcing agents who conduct their own visits
— Third-party certifications (Fair Trade, GoodWeave, Craftmark) where suppliers have them
— Direct conversations with weavers, not just supplier sales contacts

We will publish honest accounts of these visits — what we saw, what we changed, what we still don’t know.

4. Support traditional Indian crafts

By prioritising handloom for our premium collection, we directly contribute to the survival of traditional Indian textile communities — Banarasi weavers, Kanjivaram looms, Chanderi clusters, Patola families, and others.

Wherever possible, we name and credit the weaver community on each product. Anonymous mass-sourcing of “designer sarees” from middlemen is not our model.

5. Honest product photography

What you see in our product photos is what you receive:

— Real natural light wherever possible
— Real fabric texture visible — including the small inconsistencies of handloom
— Real models or real mannequins — no AI-generated product images
— No “beauty editing” of bodies or skin
— Honest colour rendition (with a note that screens vary)

6. Truthful labelling of fabrics

If a saree is pure silk, we say pure silk. If it is silk-blend or silk-mix, we say so. If it is polyester or viscose with a “silky” feel, we are explicit about that.

We will never describe a saree as “pure silk” or “handloom” or “Banarasi” unless it genuinely is. This is the single most common deception in the global saree market, and IndiaNiva will not participate in it.

7. Quality verification before shipping

Every saree we ship is checked by us, in Germany, before reaching the customer. We inspect for:

— Fabric weight and finish
— Weaving consistency
— Accurate colour as described in the product photo
— Cleanliness and condition
— Blouse piece presence and condition

If a piece doesn’t meet our standard, we absorb the cost of returning it to the supplier — we don’t pass on imperfect sarees and hope nobody notices.

8. Long-term supplier relationships

We prefer building a small number of long-term, trust-based relationships with suppliers over one-off sourcing from the cheapest available source. This gives:

— Weavers and supplier teams predictable income
— Both sides incentive to maintain and improve quality
— Better transparency over time as we learn each supplier’s chain
— Real partnership rather than transactional sourcing

When we fall short

We will not always get this right. Mistakes will happen — a wrong supplier choice, a fabric mislabel, a missed visit. When that happens:

— We will acknowledge it publicly, not hide it
— We will explain what we are changing
— We will offer the affected customer a full refund or replacement, no questions asked