The Cauvery Arts and Crafts Emporium on MG Road, one of Bengaluru’s iconic handicrafts outlets. DH FILE PHOTO
Bengaluru: Cauvery Arts and Crafts Emporium, a landmark on MG Road, will soon relocate to a new building nearby.
The iconic store, owned by the Karnataka State Handicrafts Development Corporation Ltd (KSHDCL), currently operates from a century-old building at the MG Road-Brigade Road Junction and draws visitors from across India and abroad.
Authorities have long planned to shift it to a four-storey building a few metres away. The new building will house the store on three floors and the KSHDCL office on one. It will offer lifts and basement parking, unlike the current showroom.
"We plan to create more display space and better facilities for craftsmen. We also want to add a coffee area and comfortable zones for customers and artisans,” KSHDCL Chairperson and KGF MLA M Roopakala Shashidhar told DH.
Asked about the move, she said: "We pay Rs 26 lakh rent every month — over Rs 3 crore a year — which affects our profits. For the first time, we have registered a profit of Rs 11 crore."
HR Rajappa, Managing Director, said: "We put up a board at the new building and are informing customers about the location move. We want to avoid a sudden shift, as the emporium is a historical landmark.”
Staff shortage
The corporation is functioning at just 15% staff capacity due to recruitment delays.
"We have very few staff and not all roles can be outsourced. Work that should take days is taking weeks, which slows the shift,” Rajappa said.
To boost sales, the corporation is revamping its website to add attractive photographs and mirror other e-commerce apps, he added.