About Us

Preserving India’s Town-Specific Traditions

India’s heritage is woven from the traditions, skills and knowledge passed down through generations. Across the country, towns and cities are known for their distinctive products, traditional industries and ways of making things. These are more than everyday commodities; they represent the history, identity and expertise of the communities behind them.

At Native Things, we believe these traditions deserve to be discovered, appreciated and carried forward. Our aim is to bring authentic, town-specific traditional products closer to modern consumers while helping preserve the identity of the places from which they originate.

The Heritage of India’s Traditional Industries

For generations, families and local businesses across India have built their livelihoods around products unique to their towns. In many places, business itself has become a family tradition, with knowledge and skills passed from one generation to the next.

India’s regional diversity can be seen in products such as Bhavani Jamakkalam, Pattamadai Mat, Sungudi Sarees, Channapatna Wooden Toys and Narsapur Crochet Lace, along with many other distinctive products associated with towns across the country.

Each place has its own story to tell. These products reflect local knowledge, established practices and the identity of the communities that produce them. Preserving this diversity means helping people discover not just a product, but also the place and tradition behind it.

The Challenges Facing Traditional Businesses

Despite their rich heritage, many traditional industries face challenges in today’s changing world. Globalization, competition from cheaper alternatives, technological barriers and the need to adapt to changing customer expectations can make it difficult for traditional businesses to reach new markets.

At the same time, many consumers may not know where particular traditional products originate or how to find them.

We believe technology and entrepreneurship can help address these challenges. By connecting traditional products with modern consumers through digital commerce, we can help make these products easier to discover without overlooking the regional identity that makes them special.

Introducing Native Things

Native Things is a technology-enabled e-commerce business focused on authentic, town-specific traditional products from across India.

Our approach is rooted in a simple idea: bring products closer to customers while keeping their places of origin at the heart of the shopping experience.

Rather than treating every product as just another item in a catalogue, we highlight the towns and regions associated with their specialties. From traditional textiles and mats to wooden products, baskets and other regional goods, our goal is to help customers explore the distinctive products that different places have to offer.

Through our website, nativethings.in, we aim to make discovering and purchasing these products more convenient for customers while creating greater visibility for India’s town-specific traditional industries.

Our Mission

Our mission is to bring India’s diverse range of traditional products together under one digital roof while preserving the uniqueness of each town’s specialties.

We aim to:

• Celebrate regional identity: Highlight products associated with specific towns and their traditional industries.

• Improve accessibility: Help customers discover and purchase traditional products through an online shopping experience.

• Support traditional businesses: Create opportunities for regional products to reach customers beyond their places of origin.

• Preserve traditional knowledge: Encourage continued appreciation of the skills, practices and heritage behind these products.

• Connect tradition with technology: Use digital commerce to help traditional industries adapt to the needs of modern consumers.

Our Vision: Tradition Meets Innovation

We envision a future in which India’s traditional products remain relevant and accessible to new generations of consumers.

As awareness grows around environmental concerns, plastic use and the materials found in everyday products, we also want to help customers discover traditional alternatives where suitable. We believe that better access to information and products can encourage people to explore options beyond those they already know.

Our vision is to build a stronger connection between India’s towns, their traditional industries and consumers everywhere, using technology as a bridge between heritage and modern life.

Our Guiding Principles

Our slogans express the values behind Native Things:

பழையன புகுதல் — Embrace the Old

We believe traditional products and knowledge deserve a place in modern life. Preserving heritage does not mean resisting progress; it means carrying valuable traditions forward as the world changes.

நல்லதை விற்பனை செய் — Sell What is Good

We believe in helping customers discover products that reflect the distinctive character and traditions of their places of origin. This principle guides our commitment to making traditional products more accessible.

A DPIIT-Recognised Startup

Native Things is a DPIIT-recognised startup, recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Government of India.

This recognition is an important milestone in our journey to build a technology-enabled business around India’s town-specific traditional products and to explore new ways of connecting regional industries with modern consumers.

Discover the Traditions Behind Every Product

Every town has a story, and every traditional product offers an opportunity to discover something about the place it comes from.

At Native Things, we invite you to explore India’s town-specific products, learn about their origins and bring a piece of the country’s rich regional diversity into your home.

Discover by Place. Explore India’s Traditions with Native Things.

Visit www.nativethings.in to explore our collection.