Khurja potters start cooperative after losing jobs

Fellow potters always knew Abdul Rahim could do magic with clay. Few thought he could do business as well.

But Rahim, to his own surprise, has been doing just that - running a cooperative of potters. When his factory here shut soon after demonetisation, he spearheaded a movement that is now the talk of the town.

Earlier this year, Rahim collaborated with 13 other artisans, who had similarly lost their jobs, and started the cooperative in Khurja, the small town in Bulandshahr district known for its pottery and ceramics industry.

The 14-strong cooperative now makes a profit and is being hailed as a local start-up.

The potters pooled in their savings, collecting Rs 7.65 lakh, with which they bought clay and tools such as a pottery wheel, rolling pin, brushes, sponges and measuring devices.

For the the last two months, they have been earning a profit of about Rs 80,000 a month.

"We share the profits. There is no owner and no worker. I am living my childhood dream," Surendra Singh, the oldest member of the cooperative at 82, told

(This article has not been edited by Zeebiz editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)