The Bhuttico society was floundering along under the immense pressure from the power loom shawls, who started marketing similar shawls using block prints of the Kullu design at one third the market price. In 1956, Mr.Vedram Thakur, the brightest alumni of the Industrial Training Institute gave up his own flourishing weaving industry and donated everything to this society and joined its ranks to be elected as its President, bringing in his wisdom, vision and hard work which today has been translated into "Bhuttico".

Born, as most great men are, to a poor family in Kullu's lovely Lug Valley on 21 April 1921. As a child he insisted on going to school when most children would have been happy to be out grazing sheep and playing games in the lovely meadows. A merit scholarship holder in high school, his future had appeared to have been jeopardised when tragedy struck the family. Mr. Ved Ram faced tragedy early in life, when as a child, he lost his father. Due to financial hardship he could not complete his High School education after which he was on his own.

After the untimely interruption in his studies he worked for a time with the forest contractors, bringing down heavy slippers of wood from the forest to the riverside. But this was not his destiny and he got the opportunity to join the Government Industry School in Kullu and where he topped in the Handicrafts Weaving Examination. An example of the great things he was to do later in life can be judged from the reply he gave his examiners when asked about his ambition in life, which was to be in a position to give employment to at least a hundred people.

As ordained here he was to be picked up by the biggest weaving industrialist of the time in Kullu to manage his industry in Kullu. He took this as a challenge and from weaving the traditional tweeds he landed an order for woman's shawls and in the process developed the simple design Kullu shawl, which was not only easy to weave but was also very attractive and at the sometime easy on the pocket.

From then on he never stopped. The phenomenal success of this new product not only saw competition from other weavers but the power loom sector was to produce a cheaper version of it. Since they did not have the means to weave the design they simply made blocks of the design and printed them and sold them at a third of the price, thus in the process destroying the Kullu weaving industry.

The owners of Kullu woollen shawl industry for whom he worked lost interest in this industry and sold the same to Mr. Vedram Thakur. In his inimitable style he went about the task in a more innovative method. Cutting costs at various points and doing the costing and most other administrative work himself and introducing new designs and marketing the shawls in than far off places like Delhi, Allahabad etc., which meant at least a week's journey to reach these places. Over a period of time he was able to not only go independent but was a successful entrepreneur with his own work place, handlooms and a showroom in the middle of the largest market in Kullu as well a showroom in Manali.

Mr Gurcharan Singh, the then Inspector of Cooperative Societies posted at Kullu, who observed and followed his rise and learnt of his ambition motivated and encouraged Mr Ved Ram Thakur to join Bhutti Weavers Cooperative Society. Mr. Thakur in 1956 donated his working and profitable shawl industry including the workshed, showroom and the handlooms to this society, which is a rare example of selfless service.

After joining the society as a member, Mr. Thakur was elected and elevated as the President of the Society in the year 1956. From that day onwards the functioning of the society was transformed from a dead Cooperative to a revived one. Mr. Thakur not only donated his working industry but also brought in his professional acumen, business and administrative expertise, which laid the strong foundation towards the systematic growth and development of the society. Working with member weavers, encouraging them to greater productivity, not only teaching them new designs but also switching them over to the new Paddle looms and the fly shuttle technology, thus made the society reach new and higher production levels. He brought in his vision to transform it from a docile institution into a dynamic business house that has since maintained its unique position as a market leader in the shawl industry.

Developmental Activities

On the other hand, he worked towards creating newer marketing avenues by opening showrooms in other tourist places like Palampur, Dharamshala, Dalhousie, Mussourie, etc. He also worked with government agencies, which were then giving various incentives and monetary grants, etc. to enhance both financial position as well as the infrastructure facilities of the Society. His 14 years of unswerving loyalty to the Society raised it from its microscopic beginning to the present prestigious position.

He led the co-operative movement in Kullu. Weaving remained his first love until his untimely death on 31 October 1971, shortly after his fiftieth birthday. He lived to see his dream, the Bhutti Colony-take shape and was mourned by the people on his death as the " Father of Kullu Shawl Industry", an apt and affectionate title.