Hailing from Kanpur’s bustling by-lanes, Mohammed Farid has taken his family business from a small leather workshop to global shipments. With skills passed down from one generation to the next, Farid is transforming the business into a thriving digital-age brand. Armed with tradition, technology, and tenacity, the business has already grown from five hands to 30, breaking norms and boundaries. Glam Gills is proof that handcrafted dreams can travel far and fast. Read more.
Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, is often known as “the leather city of India”. And it’s here – in a humble workshop, that a family has been perfecting the art of leathercraft for generations. The skills were passed down over the years and shaped the foundation of a business now led by Mohammed Farid, poised to carry the leather legacy into the digital age.
In 2014, recognizing the potential of e-commerce, Farid launched Glam Gills on Flipkart as the online arm of their family business, F. K. International. What began in the by-lanes of Kanpur suddenly reached carts across India, with daily orders jumping from under 10 a month to nearly 20 in a single day. This also opened new opportunities, including leather bags, which helped keep the workforce employed during the off-season for jackets.
In 2023, building on this growth, Farid became a part of Flipkart Samarth—a program that supports and uplifts underrepresented entrepreneurs, including artisans, weavers, persons with disabilities, and women-led businesses. The program gave Glam Gills increased visibility, handholding support, and a platform to scale sustainably.
The next chapter of this leather legacy is only beginning—and this is Farid’s story, as he tells it.
Building on Heritage: The Second Generation Crafting Leather
Our story began back in 1975 when my father opened a modest workshop in Kanpur with just two staff members: a tailor and a pattern maker who traced patterns. Leather jackets were rare back then, and he hand-stitched each one, producing no more than 10 a month for local customers.
We work with sheepskin leather—sourced from sheep, it’s known for being lightweight, soft, and perfect for crafting high-quality jackets.
My grandfather, a former tailor in a parachute factory, taught my father precision in stitching—lessons that form the backbone of our craft.
Before I joined in 2014, it had expanded to five employees in our local shop, where we made custom jackets for the locality—it was a small operation. But I knew the time had come for us to take the family name beyond Kanpur.
Scaling Up: Expanding Beyond Kanpur with E-Commerce
In 2014, I joined the family business, and that’s when I saw an opportunity: e-commerce. I listed our products on Flipkart, where the garment category was still new, and in no time, our daily orders jumped from under 10 in a month to nearly 20 in a single day. The online platform opened up a whole new world of growth, with customers coming from regions far beyond Kanpur. Back then, we had to pause taking new orders after the first 20, as we didn’t have enough hands to fulfill them.
Today, under F. K. International and the Glam Gills brands, we design and manufacture leather garments on a larger scale while maintaining the craftsmanship passed down through our family. Our small team expanded, with staff numbers doubling and machines added to keep up with demand.
In 2023, we registered with Flipkart Samarth. It was a turning point for us—boosting our reach and allowing us to scale more effectively. We also received recognition through the One District, One Product (ODOP) initiative by the Government of Uttar Pradesh, which put us on the map and helped cement our place in the growing leather goods market.
We also saw more sales. Operating both online and offline effectively, we frequently ran out of stock as we fulfilled the huge number of orders coming in through Flipkart.
A People-First Approach: Glam Gills’ Workforce Evolution
Our workforce has now grown to about 30 people, with clearly defined roles in every aspect of production. We’ve always believed in creating stable, year-round jobs, which is why we expanded into leather bags to help balance the seasonal dips in jacket demand. Five women now lead our packaging and quality control team, breaking local norms and proving that women can thrive in these traditionally male-dominated roles.
I believe that growing my business isn’t just about profits – it’s about helping people. Every job I create supports not just one person, but their whole family. That’s why I focus on providing steady work throughout the year, even during slow seasons. Over time, this has brought financial stability to my workers.
Together, we’re building something meaningful for our community.
Also read: Weaving in Women’s Empowerment: Flipkart Samarth Seller Anjali Singh’s Jute Revolution
