How it's made
How Shakti is made is about more than the bottom line. We're mindful about who we work with, and the materials we source. We're lucky to have production partners that reflect the goodness we want to see in the world.
Our Partners
After almost 10 years of working hands-on with our partners, we have learned just how complex ethical manufacturing is. We don’t do it because it’s easy, but because it’s the right thing to do, and we believe we can do better for everyone who comes in contact with Shakti. The relationships we have with our partners are much more than simple transactions. We look for people who share our values and bring them into our family, supporting their people as we do our own.
Our values
We partner long-term.
This provides economic security for the people making your tools. Building long-term relationships also gives us meaningful access and influence to ensure our standards are met.
We take a hands-on approach to ethics.
This means we have a full-time representative living in India and regular visits from senior leadership. They travel regularly to each place of manufacture, ensuring that what we see is what happens day-to-day.
We lean on independent auditors.
This ensures transparency and accountability. We have an established code of conduct and ensure it is upheld via independent Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits (SMETA) audits, which our suppliers must pass to work with us.
We go beyond compliance.
We are always searching for ways to go further for our team and our partners. A large focus of ours has been seeking opportunities to support the communities around our places of manufacture.
The Gratitude Factory, Varanasi
The original home of the Shakti Mat is the holy city of Varanasi. In the rural outskirts of the city, it can be difficult for females to find meaningful employment. When the Gratitude Factory was first formed in 2008, the vision was to create a sanctuary for female employees where they could become self-sufficient and financially independent in an inclusive and safe space.
All women employed at The Gratitude Factory are paid a living wage, sick leave and holiday leave. They are provided weekly meals, time for daily puja, free medical care, and an emergency medical fund for them and their families.
KISHOR EXPORTS,
RANCHI & AGRA
Kishor Exports is a respected garment manufacturer operating in Ranchi and Agra. Founded in 1978 by a husband-and-wife team, the company holds virtually every certification a demanding international buyer could require.
The company has been recognized with the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Practice award at the World CSR Congress. Its employees receive fair pay, responsible working hours, transportation, medical assistance, health insurance and retirement support.
Shakti has partnered with Kishor since 2022, and we're excited about what lies ahead. Today, Shakti Premium Mats, Pillows and selected Acupressure Tools are produced in one of their Fairtrade-certified facilities.
The Shakti Network, Delhi
Shakti Delhi is not a single factory, but a network of small family businesses working together to craft each mat. The model prioritizes family empowerment, financial independence, and flexible working hours.
Our partner Matman Plastics leads the network and handles the final delivery of Shakti products. Craftspeople receive living wages, overtime pay, end-of-year bonuses, and ESI medical insurance, helping ensure the wellbeing of them and their families.
Panipat
The historic “City of Weavers” is around 95 km north of Delhi. It’s a global textile manufacturing hub, and Spartan Trends has added to its legacy since 1954.
Spartan specialises in spinning, weaving, stitching, embroidering, and fabric bonding. All five techniques go into producing our Acupress Leg Wraps, and Back & Belly Band. They also finish our Torus Rings.
2 acres of their factory’s area is set aside for staff to enjoy. Spartan are also SMETA, ISO (9001:2015), and ZED certified. Respectively, these certifications ensure safe and ethical labour practices, quality management and compliance, and a commitment to reduce waste and use energy smarter.
Noida
Just over 10 miles southeast of Delhi is the city of Noida. It’s home to Curio Crafts, the supplier of our Wonderball.
Curio’s team of 400 local artisans specialize in age-old glass and metalwork techniques. Their ability to turn our idea of a brass ball covered in spikes into a working acupressure tool affirmed their expertise. But the duty of care towards their staff and surroundings proved they care, too.
Production is based in one location and their CSR initiatives include commitments to CTPAT, SA8000 and SEDEX. Each certification plays a part in proving and upholding supply chain security, and social and ethical compliance. Curio also engages its wider community with charity efforts to support underserved areas.
Independent audits
In addition to our hands-on approach, we also lean on independent audits to ensure complete transparency and accountability across our network. This means all partners are audited by Sedex Members Ethical Trade Audits (SMETA).
SMETA audits assess labor standards such as fair wages, working hours, non-discrimination, and the elimination of child labor, health and safety such as workplace safety, emergency procedures, and employee well-being, environment such as management systems and sustainability practices, and business ethics such as business practices, anti-corruption policies, and responsible purchasing.
Our Materials
Enormous thought goes into each component of our products. We consider all of our stakeholders including the environment, the craftsperson, and you, our customer. We are constantly looking for ways to improve the materials we use to better serve our communities and planet.
GOTS
Organic cotton just feels better. It’s better against skin, better for the planet, and most importantly–it’s better for the people who produce it. We only work with factories that carry the world’s leading textile processing standard for organic fibres. It’s the least we can do. The Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) sets ecological and labor-related benchmarks throughout the cotton supply chain to ensure traceability and best practice. Organic production is based on farming that maintains and replenishes soil quality without the use of toxic, persistent pesticides or synthetic fertilizers. All Shakti cotton is GOTS-certified.
BLISSFOAM™
Our premium plant-based Blissfoam™ is responsibly sourced from two trusted suppliers.
Eco-Latex is a leading Sri Lankan producer that generates 60% of its energy from renewable sources. The company is progressing toward carbon-neutral operations while working closely with the Government to create meaningful employment and support a broad range of positive local initiatives.
Signature Foam operates from Kerala, India, as the country's first and only farm-finished organic latex producer. They provide fair wages, complimentary meals and accommodation for all 150 employees. Signature also directs a portion of its profits toward supporting schoolchildren, seriously ill community members and sustainable farming, while employees receive access to India's Provident Fund and Employees' State Insurance Scheme.
ABS plastic
The last time we tried recycled plastic it just wasn’t sharp enough, and pointless mats are about as useful as white crayons. It’s why we currently use ABS for its performance, durability, and safety on skin.
Our spikes are arguably our most important asset. And while everything we make comes with a 5-year guarantee, there are Shakti Mats from 2014 that still provide the sensations and benefits we expect today.
A force for good
Every Shakti purchase helps us use business as a force for good. This means at least 10% of profits donated to causes in India and a tree planted for every Shakti Mat purchased.