About Us

Kapse Foundation

A Foundation to enhance the Dignity of the Paithani

Possessing a Paithani is a matter of pride for every woman because a Paithani is revered as a Majestic attire, a Regal attire. We, at Kapse Foundation, are constantly striving to elevate Paithani's stature and, as a social commitment, ensure due recognition to its creators.

Our Objective

To conserve in a sustainable way the oldest weaving art of India, simultaneously reducing its dependence on Governmental as well as non-professional players.
Today, Yeola (Nashik) has emerged as the centre of utmost excellence in Paithani making and Kapse Paithani Park is committed to playing a crucial role in highlighting this status.
To work for the upliftment of rural women and other economically backword tribal communities on the periphery of the society. To provide them with necessary training and livelihood opportunities with an assurance of employment.
To develop or to create wholly organic and sustainable eco-farming methods and to enlarge their scope consistently so as to benefit maximum number of people.
To conserve and upgrade cowsheds in consonance with the time-tested indigenous style as is being practised for thousands of years to nurture cows.

Our Goal

The modern world is moving towards adoption of a fully sustainable lifestyle based on state-of-the-art technology. In such a realm, everyone including those who are physically disadvantaged, must have equal opportunity without reference to their social background, caste, creed or race; be it a man or a woman.

How does Kapse Foundation function?

Kapse Group has been able to preserve the art of Paithani weaving in its original form, at the same time maintain its efficacy. We consider it our duty to preserve and propagate all the aspects of Paithani making. To this end, the following structures are taking shape at Kapse Paithani Park.

Equipped Production Department

The construction of the production department began in 2016 and as of date 39000 sq. ft. of land has been developed over three floors, with a provision to add four more floors in future. Each of the three floors developed so far can accommodate 80 handlooms. This department will also house the design section.

Eye-catching Staff Quarters

Staff quarters are being built on behalf of Kapse Foundation for the benefit of economically weak workers and weavers. So far four buildings with 71 apartments have already been constructed. Each apartment is 600 sq. ft. in area and 33 families live in such apartments at present. Free of cost residential facilities are being provided to tribals and weavers suffering from speech and hearing impairment.

Spacious Paithani Showroom

The three floors of Kapse Paithani Park have a large spare space of 80000 square feet where the retail salesroom of K K Handloom is being transferred for the service of customers. The quality of service and the degree of efficiency will automatically rise manifold since the sales point, showroom and office will be housed at a single location in the Park.

About the founder of 'Kapse Group'

About Our President Shri Balkrishna Kapse ...

Today, the name of Kapse Paithani is well-known all-over Maharashtra, thanks to Namdeo alias Balasaheb Kapse and the way he toiled relentlessly with a creative urge to bring his dream into reality like a man possessed. There was a time when he had to go from house to house carrying bundles of sarees on his head. The business with such a humble beginning has now a turnover in crores. It is literally a glorious tale of success how he worked hard in adversity to teach himself and ultimately created the empire of Kapse Paithani Industry as it stands today. However, he never lost the sense of gratitude towards the society and to repay that debt, he started the two activities of Kapse Foundation and Ahilya Goshala.

Balkrishna Kapse, the founder of 'Kapse Group of Industries', was born on 2nd June 1970 at Yeola in Nashik District. His father was an agriculture labourer and also worked on daily wages as a construction worker. Young Balkrishna himself had to join his parents in doing hard labour so as to support his family.

It was a time of great hardship for Balkrishna Kapse when survival demanded hard physical work. He had to leave school when he was in 9th Standard and go to work as a daily wages’ labourer on local sugarcane fields. The meagre income he earned helped him sustain his family and he still managed to save something for his education. In order to augment his income, he did additional work such as cutting grass for neighbouring families, bringing fodder for their cattle, making cow dung cakes and selling them.

Initially Balkrishna Kapse worked as a domestic help in the household of Shri Soni, the owner of Yeola's famous shop 'Soni Paithani'. Impressed by his diligence and perseverance, Shri Soni made him an assistant in the shop. Soon he became the sales representative of Soni Paithani. During his stint at Soni Paithani, Kapse got a hands-on training into the complexities of the Paithani business. Very soon he had a thorough knowledge of the entire industry including various types of Paithani’s, the intricate decorative patterns, idiosyncrasies and preferences of customers, sources of raw material, looms, weavers and challenges they faced, etc.

In 2001 Shri Kapse started production and sale of Paithanis independently. The modest beginning was made in a small 200 sq. ft. shop taken on rent in Yeola. His focussed approach and the prompt implementation of plans helped him expand his business in a very short time. In 2003 he shifted his business to a large 1000 sq. ft. premises in Yeola.

A deep attachment to the business and an equally passionate ambition to make it big, drove Shri Kapse to establish control over the entire supply chain in the business. In 2004, he started manufacturing Paithanis at Bangalore with just 5 handlooms and power looms. Today, the number has gone up to 150 thus enabling the production of other types of sarees along with Paithanis.

Shri Kapse knows the travails of a weaver's life through his own humble family background. He has a deep concern towards the difficulties of the rural and the tribal folk. His concern has driven him in the last decade to strive to create a large number of employment opportunities for local weavers and deaf-mute persons as also for rural women. Kapse Group employs more than 200 sales representatives and an additional workforce of 100 employees for other supplemental work, apart from the weavers.

Kapse Group has interests in sustainable farming and dairy business (cowsheds). Shri Kapse is also a member of the board of trustees in 'Maruti Jagruti Devasthan' and 'Gagangiri Maharaj'. He is the chairman of 'Sadguru Gagangiriji Maharaj Nagari Patsanstha' (Urban Credit Society). In addition to all this, Shri Kapse is also involved in different social activities through his Group as in his individual capacity for the past several years.