MBR: Tell us about your professional background.

Firoz Ahmed Khan: I am a graduate in Aerospace Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology in Madras. Most of my contemporary Bangladeshi students who went to India to study in this field, either went to more developed countries to build a desirable career or opt for higher studies in India. But, for familial reasons, I had to come back to Bangladesh and started searching for jobs. At one point, I got an offer from Techno Heaven which was, at that time, working with Bangladesh Railway in building the e-ticketing system. That’s where I started my career.

While working at Techno Heaven, I realized that I needed to do an MBA in order to get a more suitable job. So, I left Techno Heaven and enrolled in the master’s program at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA) at University of Dhaka. While at IBA, I also started a small independent business along with Yasir Azman, a close friend of mine who is now the Deputy CEO of Grameenphone and a few other friends which did not go far, of course. Upon finishing my post-graduation from IBA, I applied for jobs in several companies. This time I was looking for something different. So, when I came to know about Ekushey Television’s foray outside the typical network system, I was positively fascinated. I joined ETV as a Management Trainee Officer and began working in a number of areas from the beginning including program management, logistics management, finance, and marketing.

Later on, I concentrated more on the company’s finance department and used to coordinate with the banks. While working at the Ekushey Television, I met Abrar Anwar, former CEO of Standard Chartered Bank, Bangladesh, currently CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia. At one point, he offered me to join Standard Chartered Bank which eventually led to me joining Standard Chartered Bangladesh and beginning of my Banking career.
I worked at Standard Chartered bank for eight years, mostly in the finance department, and learned a great deal about banking. Those who work in the finance get to have a bird’s eye view of the entire operation. So, it helped me a lot. Later on, I joined BRAC Bank as the Head of Retail operation. BRAC Bank was an emerging brand at that time. They had a consistent growth rate and were trying to bring in a new business model which particularly focused on Small and Medium Enterprises (SME). I worked there for eight years and saw the company grow large.

During the end of my tenure at BRAC Bank, I felt the need to do something on my own. No matter how late, the urge kept growing inside me. Afterward, I sought consultancy from a dear friend of mine, Shariful Islam, Founder of Bangladesh Brand Forum. We discussed and planned to do something in the financial industry. Traditionally, this industry is characterized by high-regulation and dominance of a few entities. Banks who have been the major players for a long time in the sector have never faced any competition from disruptive outside sources. Hence, there is a little place for innovation here.

So, our idea was to build a knowledge and innovation platform to help the finance industry grow. We formed a company called FinAction Bangladesh and we launched a platform called Financial Forum Bangladesh with an ambition to help the financial industry grow. We arranged some programs and organized training events. But building a platform is a challenging affair and it takes time. And if you are working in the financial industry which is a highly regulated industry where there is no pressure for change and innovation, it is even harder to break into. While working on the Financial Forum, I came across an opportunity at LankaBangla Finance and joined there as Deputy Managing Director. But the itch inside me of doing something of my own was there and growing.

After a while, I again felt the need to build something on my own. The urge this time was stronger. I gathered my former partners and this time we decided to work on a more root level initiative. That eventually led to the founding of Finova Technologies Limited – a company that aims to build fintech solutions.

Firoz Ahmed Khan, Founder, Dorpon

MBR: What opportunities you discerned in the market that you opted for this line of business?

Firoz Ahmed Khan: As I said, when we started Finova, our goal was to build financial technology solutions. But once we started working, we came to find that it is difficult to build many of these solutions due to several challenges including regulatory ones which eventually led to the founding of Dorpon, which is not a financial product at its core but has several components that could facilitate build fintech solutions in the future.

We decided that we would build an e-marketplace that would be selling handcrafted products made by rural artisans. Our idea is unique in the sense that we are facilitating collaboration with these craftsmen and connecting artisans with customers directly without any middleman and in the process helping these artisans to earn the fair price for their products. We believed that if these two groups meet in a single platform, scaling up businesses would be much easier for the artisans and it would unleash a bounty effect where customers will get better products and artisans will be able to make better products.
So, essentially, Dorpon is an online marketplace, which connects artisans, craftsman and creative entrepreneurs with the customers and enables both parties to have a win-win relationship. Despite the fact that there is a huge market for crafts and artisan products, artisans often struggle to survive and build a meaningful career. We hope our platform will help artisans to earn the fair price for their products.

MBR: Could you briefly share how the business model of Dorpon works?

Firoz Ahmed Khan: Dorpon is an e-commerce platform where we are promoting all kinds of local handmade products produced by the creative artisans from all over the Bangladesh. Dorpon is mainly an open platform. Any entrepreneur of creative goods can open shop at www.mydorpon.com at free of cost and start selling products. There are few procedures one needs to follow while opening shop, that artisan has to go through our verification process. Once they have created their virtual shop at www.mydorpon.com, they can upload the images of their products with details contents by setting the product price by themselves.

After then, customers can all over the world place order for these products. Dorpon ensures proper packaging to proper delivery of that product to customers through its logistics systems.

Currently Dorpon has more than 150 creative artisans on boarded at its platform from all over the Bangladesh. Specifically from the remote area of Khustia, Jessore, Chittagong, Chittagong Hill Tracts, Sylhet and so on. Once customers place order at www.mydorpon.com, our logistic partner pick those ordered products from the producers or artisans of those products. Then they do the proper packaging of those products with Dorpon’s packaging materials and deliver it to customer’s end. Usually it takes 3-6 days to deliver the products. For doing all those above mentioned activities Dorpon charges 15-18% commission from artisan’s selling price.

Likewise, when customers are purchasing their products from Dorpon, they are being able to know the story behind the craftsmanship of that product as well as that of a particular artisan. Additionally, Dorpon is keeping track of the sales report of these creative artisans that by showing them in future they can generate finance from different Banks and NBFIs.

As well as, Dorpon is creating opportunities for young creative entrepreneurs who can utilities the technology and its advancement to flourish their inherent talents. Furthermore, Dorpon is giving medium to those underprivileged creative women entrepreneurs who are not being able to step forward due to lack of support. By using Dorpon’s platform these underprivileged creative women entrepreneurs can explore, endorse and sell their products by sitting at their home and able to be financially sustain. Moreover, other women are getting inspired to come forward and show their capabilities and get a way to earn by themselves. Since we are committed to be transparent, we aims to target only individual buyers who are fond of local handmade products and know the value of this products. Mostly our targeted customers are middle class group of people and upper-middle class group since our product’s price range are affordable. 

Well, Dorpon is being partnered with NGOs from root level. Along with them Dorpon arranged workshops to increase their knowhow on Dorpon and about online marketplace. On skill development we officially have not organized any training session but we are planning to do it very soon. Although, our team are guided them with customers choice, feedbacks and what customers are really up for and all. By getting all those feedbacks these creative artisans have started developed their designs and works as well.

MBR: What is the marketing strategy you follow for Dorpon, as we know handicrafts and artisan products have a huge demand in the market?

Firoz Ahmed Khan: Well, we have just soft launched our platform and currently we are focusing our marketing strategy based on Social Media. We are posting and boosting different products of artisans on our Facebook page and group as our customer group is also in the social media. In future we have different plans on marketing.

MBR: What challenges you are currently dealing with and how do you overcome them?

Firoz Ahmed Khan: Ever since, we have started working with Dorpon we are facing few challenges.

Finding and taking new artisans onboard is one of the biggest challenges for us. This is actually pretty challenging process. Since, most of the creative artisan of the handmade local products are from root levels and they are not technologically savvy at all. To make them understand about e-commerce platform and Dorpon’s model is a quite challenging task.

The other challenge is managing the shops of the artisans. A significant number of these artisans keep up a wholesale business action plan. Since we are aiming to divert our providers from distributer to retailer, evaluating has turned into an issue. Their pricing strategies are not generally helpful either for us or for themselves. Thus, to give them a retailer’s point of view is a challenge on instance.

The quality and outline of the items is likewise a matter of concern. If we want to take the advantage of the top line market, at some point they will demand for more advanced sophisticated products. So, the skilled workers, in such manner, appear to need learning of value changes like of design, color and fabric. To make them aware of it we have to prepare them which implies extra speculation. From the earliest starting point, we understood that we would require putting resources into outline – helping artisans with plans and related stuff. Be that as it may, it is difficult to actualize. We are investigating choices. Indeed, Government can help us in such manner by giving some preparation to these artisans keeping in mind the end goal to make them more appropriate.

Another challenge is attracting customers with handmade local products. Our people has become more fixated on foreign products specifically Indian and Pakistani products. To get these customers focus on handmade local products is also a bit challenging matter to us. These are a few ration of the difficulties we see. Having said that, there will dependably be challenges. Tending to these challenges is our activity.

MBR: What is your take on e-commerce business in Bangladesh? To what extent, do you think, buyers dependency on e-commerce platform, will increase in coming days?

Firoz Ahmed Khan: As we all know e-commerce is one the fastest moving business sectors of Bangladesh. Among 163 million of 73 million people are internet users. We have seen that people has dependent online shopping mostly on Facebook Pages. Most of the creative artisans are also selling their products through Facebook pages. Buyers are most likely depending on online platform to get their necessary products by sitting at office or home without facing any hassle. So, we are assuming that in coming future online based customers will increase more.

MBR: What is your plan down the line regarding Dorpon? Do you have any plan to have a physical store of Dorpon?

Firoz Ahmed Khan: Amid the staying of this current year, enhancing and improving our platform is the main need. Making the experience consistent for both the artisans and the clients. You will likewise observe a couple of new highlights. Our mobile app is also in the making. Mobile continues to play an important role in digital shopping. Many people predict that mobile is the next growth frontier. Before long you will be able to see our mobile application. At the start of one year from now, we will endeavor to craft-centers (training centers for craftsmen) the nation over and client encounter communities for clients to come, understanding and request our items if everything goes well. At the present time, our primary spotlight is on giving quality support of our clients. The stage is developing every day. New traders are joining. Gradually clients are putting orders. As we push development, guaranteeing predominant shopping knowledge will dependably get priority.

We have planned to have a Flagship store at the end of the year 3 of Dorpon’s operation as currently we want to focus on our online platform and its development.