When we started Chharee in 2016, Bhutan’s construction sector looked very different. There weren’t any specialized vendors that provided exclusive retail service in ceramic tiles, sanitaryware, granite, or really, any other construction-related product. This meant that Bhutan’s fast-growing construction sector had to rely on Indian vendors from border towns. Our customers did not know a lot about the products, and the vendors could not offer post-sale service to the customers. In this, we saw not just a large, unserviced market, but also the opportunity to improve the standards of business in Bhutan.

We spent a lot of time in 2016 touring various manufacturers and factories in India. We traced each supply chain to find the most expedient, cost-saving way to get our products home. We also researched various parts of the ceramic tiles, granite, and sanitaryware supply chain in India to cut as many middlemen out as possible, making our products cheaper for consumers. 2016 was special for us, not just because it was the year we started but also because it was the year when we learned the most about all our products, their supply chains, and mostly about the Bhutanese market.