Smooth As Silk

It has been a memorable journey of 47 years and Indian Silk House Agencies still grabs centre stage in every home where silk is the indispensable attire. We interacted with Pratibha Dudhoria, the executive director of Indian Silk House Agencies, to get an insight into the brand’s remarkable journey.

- Anurima Das

THE DUDHORIAS MOVED FROM Rajaldesar in Rajasthan to Murshidabad (more precisely, Azimganj) in the early 1700s. Their family was considered one of the most historically significant families of the region, with Pratibha Dudhoria’s great grandfathers having earned various titles/recognitions for their contributions to society.

The Dudhorias, who are now based in Kolkata, however, have not forgotten Azimganj and have been trying to reconnect with their roots over the last few years. “We are once again moving our focus, time and resources to develop Murshidabad as a region, which has stood frozen in time for the last 100 years. As a first step, we are restoring our 250-yearold family palace, Bari Kothi, into a rustic, luxury boutique hotel, with the intent of boosting international tourism in the region. This project will be significant for the local community and economy and will be the first of its kind in the region,” says Pratibha Dudhoria.

Start of the journey

The Dudhorias’ foray into silk sarees, however, goes back to Pratibha Dudhoria’s father, Sri Sumati Chand Samsukha, who had set up a saree showroom in North Kolkata. A diligent entrepreneur, with sheer hard work and determination he went on to turn this saree outlet into a leading household name across India. In the year 1971, his sons Dilip Kumar Samsukha and Tarun Kumar Samsukha, amongst others, set up another showroom at Rashbehari Avenue of Kolkata with the intent of catering to the growing urban population of South Kolkata, adding the suffix ‘Agencies’ to the name Indian Silk House.