Who we are?

Bringing back the REAL dolls while empowering underserved communities.

The history of fabric dolls or rag dolls stretches back to ancient Egypt and the Roman Empire. Traditionally home-made from spare scraps of material, they are one of the oldest children's toys in existence. Handmade and often given as a first toy not many examples of early rag dolls have survived. Their very nature means they would disintegrate over time. But this is also part of their appeal. The fact that they can be carried around, loved and patched up when they wear off makes them perfect toys for little ones.

Mass production of rag dolls began around 1830, when fabric colour printing was first developed. And, with the advent of plastics in the 1900s, rag dolls were put on a path of extinction. 1950s saw the introduction of Barbie and subsequently, the market was flooded with more synthetic alternatives. The fabric dolls didn't stand a chance given the economics and convenience that the plastic alternatives offered. 90% of the toys in the market are made out of plastic and 80% of them end up in landfills with the average duration of use being 6 months. The toy industry uses 40 tons of plastic for every $1 million in revenues and is the most plastic-intensive industry in the world.

The Good Doll is an attempt to bring back the old world charm and sustainability of these fabric dolls into urban households.

We bring you a thoughtfully designed range of fabric dolls. All handcrafted by women from underserved communities, using natural and up cycled materials that are ethically sourced from within the region. The fabric that we use for making the doll dresses come from pre-consumer textile waste. Thereby minimising the carbon footprint and bringing circularity into the process.

Each doll comes with a maker card to introduce you to the artisan who made the product.

Dolls that are good for you, good for your loved ones. Good for the maker and good for the planet.

In 2018, Sunita and Suhas moved to the Nilgiris, a.k.a blue mountains in the southern state of Tamil Nadu. As they started a life away from the city and corporate structures, they noticed that the rural & indigenous communities around them struggled with unstable livelihoods. Their efforts towards finding a sustainable solution to this problem gave birth to Indian Yards Foundation (Agai IY Foundation). This has now evolved into a social enterprise ecosystem that empowers these communities towards socio-economic well-being with craft and commerce.

To learn more about the Indian Yards Foundation and see how we empower women from these communities into becoming first-generation artisans,
click here.

For this ecosystem to become truly sustainable, the artisans need access to a reliable market resource. One which could provide consistent orders and market insights. Which in turn circles back to profitable product development. A resource that could connect them to a relevant customer base and transfer the maximum value generated, back to the artisans. This gave birth to The Good Doll (Macramedecor Craft Pvt Ltd).

Vision : To create an equitable world that is inclusive and sees this planet as a necessary stakeholder.

The Good Doll is a key component of this enabling ecosystem. The means by which the artisans can earn an equitable income. A key element to eventually turning aspiring artisans into entrepreneurs, helping them earn more than just an income.