An entrepreneur, who was once a door-to-door carpet salesman, now runs a carpet-making firm. Here’s the amazing story of Insigne Carpets’ CEO, Asif Rahman.
We normally believe that someone who sells their items door-to-door or on the streets will never be able to sell their wares to the world’s most renowned and powerful people. When you have a determination like Asif Rahman of Insigne Carpets, nothing is impossible and there are almost no limitations.
Asif came from a regular working-class family in Kolkata. His father was a jute mill worker who spoke Arabic, while his mother was a housewife who taught him Sanskrit. Asif was jobless after finishing his graduation from Kolkata University in 1988 and began hunting for work. He got his first work opportunity when a shop owner brought him inside his rug store sited on Park Street in Kolkata. Asif was just looking at the rugs from the outside. The shop owner like
Asif’s curiosity and offered him a job as a door-to-door salesman.
Asif understood that his persistent hard work would pave the way to success after commencing on a career path in the carpet industry.As a door-to-door salesperson, Asif encountered a variety of physical and psychological hurdles, including intense hard work and, on occasion, humiliation.Asif continued to learn and develop as a carpet master. His expertise soon landed him a better job chance at a carpet house in Bhadohi, where he stayed until 2003. Asif was given the opportunity to work for a carpet firm in New York in 2003.
During his eight-year tenure with the New York-based firm, Asif mastered the carpets industry from an international perspective and developed good contacts in the industry – during this period, he became a carpet-wizard and decided to start his own business, launching his company ‘Insigne Carpets.’Asif immediately received his first order – a tiny contract to design carpets for the entry lobby of the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, IHCL’s flagship hotel – he was only able to secure this little contract because of his credibility, as the Taj Group maintains high vendor standards. The officials obtained special authorization to allow Asif to join IHCL’s supplier list.
Since then, Insigne Carpets has established itself as a prominent carpet manufacturer by a combination of originality, precision, and quality.Asif went to great lengths to locate carpet craftspeople from all throughout the country. Meanwhile, he continued to create and hire additional manufacturing facilities for his industry.
Five-star hotels and airports, private and commercial jets, and properties belonging to the world’s wealthiest and most powerful people are among Insigne’s clients.
Among Insigne’s most notable projects is the carpeting of the crown prince of Abu Dhabi’s private yacht. Companies such as Google, Louis Vuitton, and others are among their clients.
It is a remarkable achievement for someone who began in the carpet industry by accident and necessity — as a door-to-door salesperson and installer – to have achieved this level.
