Uncanny Valley

This is quite a different experience than factory tours in the U.S.. Sanganer is known for paper and printing, and our driver managed to find this place when we crossed the river from Jaipur. Note that hiring a driver in India isn’t nearly as fancy as it would be in the U.S..

In any event, we managed to get an impromptu tour that seemed to borrow a bit from when they show clients around. The manager was very hospitable in that respect to give such a thorough tour with no notice. Fortunately for us it was during the lunch break, so we were able to see more than perhaps we could normally have. We also were able to see how Indian factory workers deal with the heat, which is by napping. Also interesting is what is considered ‘men’s work’ and what is ‘women’s work.’ It did not need to hinge on difficulty: I feel it has more to do with socialising than anything.

The small factory supplies big brands like Target in the U.S., and they had a wide variety of paper products with varying textures and colours and properties. The paper is all made from scrap cotton bits from a clothing manufacturer. All paper trimmings are recycled here, and even the dye water is reused. Such mindfulness never ceases to impress me. There was not even the strong odor of many paper factories, which leads me to suspect that they use less toxic chemicals in processing. The factory does all aspects of manufacture, and was very flexible in what they could make, and all by hand.

At the end, we were led to the sample room. We got a lot of fancy paper sheets, and some nice blank books, all for about 1/20th of the U.S. price. I think they still made a profit off us though. I must say that before I walked through the doors, I had a much different expectation on how the workers would be treated and what the environmental impacts were. It makes me wonder why all the companies in the West whine so much about how everything gets in the way of profitability. I think obstinance against such mindfulness is the big obstacle more than anything.

So yea, definitely a memorable and favorable experience.