Exploring partnerships – Mason & Co.

Fabien is a young Aurovilian entrepreneur who has co-founded, together with his partner Jane, the Auroville unit Conscious Living, of which the tasteful Mason and Co is the brand name. A few years ago, frustrated by the lack of good quality chocolate in India, the couple began to experiment with regional ingredients. Jane, who has a background as a raw chef in Bali, ordered roasted cocoa nibs from Kerala and made a few batches of chocolate. Soon enough, more and more friends were visiting in the hope of tasting her delicious vegan chocolate treats. This was when the idea of providing chocolate to a wider range of people emerged, and it began to appear in Pour Tous and Foodlink. In parallel, a friend of Fabien and Jane’s from South Africa began to work on a logo and brand name, and that’s how Mason & Co., craftsmen of chocolate, was born.

Mason & Co are a single origin bar, which means that all the beans they use originate from a single region. Fabien explains that this allows for a high quality chocolate as it ensures control of processing and traceability. They have also started the production of cacao butter and powder that has allowed them to expand their product range with the addition of new products such as drinking chocolate, a product that has rapidly grown in demand and benefited from the single origin bean to bar concept.

Now, there is an ever-increasing demand for their products. Fabien says that since their inception, there has been a steady rise of bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturers starting up in India, and they are no longer the unique concept they were a few years ago. This has pushed the unit to grow. The famous Bread & Chocolate eatery on the Auroville Main Road has materialized because of Mason & Co partnering with another successful Auroville unit Wild Yeast Bakery to form Artisan Revolution.

Upon entering Bread & Chocolate and the factory of Mason and Co there is a distinctive “western” atmosphere. Large framed pictures hang on the impeccably clean white walls, heavy wooden chairs sit along equally beautiful wooden tables, the counters are sparkling, the glass window is shining, and the temperature is relaxingly cool. For a moment, one even forgets the noisy traffic and the humid air outside. Fabien and Jane wouldn’t have it any other way; they are proud of the safe haven that they have created. Fabien says, “I grew up here, I have a strong connection with Auroville that is difficult to explain. It goes far beyond just being my home and the place I grew up in. I connect with the Mother and Sri Aurobindo’s vision and Auroville’s ideals. Although I believe you can be an Aurovilian anywhere in the world, being in Auroville pushes you to grow faster because of all the difficulties you face, both from within and from without. I have realized, though, that being an entrepreneur in Auroville is one of the most difficult of things I have faced so far. In fact, it feels like the more I want to do, the more blockages and walls I hit. It takes a lot of perseverance to keep going.”

The challenge of commerce

Against the backdrop of commercial units constantly struggling to contribute financially to Auroville, Fabien feels that unit holders are often portrayed as being only commercially minded. He says that various people have expressed that this goes against the ‘spirit of Auroville’. “But, there is a need for commercial units for Auroville’s growth and sustainability, and commerciality and spirituality are not mutually exclusive. Money is not the problem, it is how it is made and how it is spent that matters. Subsidizing products made in Auroville units for Aurovilians can be done when you reach a certain size. We are getting close to that and are looking at different options to do that with our own products in the near future. Having conscious businesses in Auroville should be a focus.”

He feels that the current economic climate of Auroville doesn’t offer the much-needed support for start-ups or established units. He says, “The unit holders work and generate income and people think it’s only for ourselves. But, the reality is that I don’t own anything.” He looks at his sunglasses on the table in front of him and adds: “Apart from my sunglasses, and maybe my bike, everything can be taken away from me – even the visa on which I am here. And I accept that, I have chosen that.”

In the wider context of Auroville’s economy, he adds, “Auroville does not have its own economy. This became only more apparent during demonetisation, for we are linked to India’s economy whether we want it or not. We are not self-sustaining; we depend on outside donors and the Indian government for a large portion of our income. That is not a good thing; I feel that Auroville needs to generate its own income.”

Fabien sees the need for new ideas, more guidance and better communication from the working groups to promote and help units. As a direct result of their experiences in growing the unit the couple are planning to start a youth support group to help young entrepreneurs that have ideas but are not sure about how to realise them within the context of Auroville’s set up.

He believes that accounting and tax advice, as well as providing start-up capital and loans and discussing contribution waivers would go a long way. “If you are an established business you can surely afford to pay 33% or even 50% of your profit, but if you are a start-up then this is an extremely counter-productive move. It may be a quick-fix in the short-run for Auroville’s cash flow but it is definitely not a long term solution and ultimately will dampen the entrepreneurial spirit and reduce the chance of success for these start-ups.”

Talking about his own unit’s recent challenges in looking for a place in which to expand their activity, he shares: “As far as I know, there isn’t a list of Auroville assets available, nor any idea about the utilization of our spaces. I see that there are a lot of empty spaces, and yet we are told that none are available. In my opinion only the working groups who hold the bigger picture should allocate space.”

He also believes that outside help is needed because Auroville lacks the manpower and the unbiased objectivity that professional auditors and accounting firms can offer. “Although we are all supposed to be moving in the same direction, conflict of interest exists in Auroville.”

Unblocking the deadlock?

Besides the struggles of dealing with the internal structure of Auroville’s administrative and bureaucratic processes, Mason & Co have to answer the question: are the disadvantages of remaining under the Auroville Foundation outweighed by the advantages? From an economic point of view, Fabien says: “Definitely not.” He adds, “And yet we know that a win-win solution can be found. That solution would not only satisfy our willingness to grow but also be able to generate much more income for Auroville.”

Consequently, for the last six months or so Fabien has been knocking on doors in the Town Hall and inquiring about the possibility of an alternative model for Auroville businesses that would allow them to have some kind of partnerships with outside companies. An ad-hoc think-tank has been considering how this could be made a possibility, for example by the creation of a holding Trust in which outside private limited businesses could operate. There needs to be a fail-safe model that guarantees safety for investors and Auroville alike.

Nothing concrete has been presented to the community yet, but the churning process has definitely begun.