The dominance of Nepali product ‘Raeko’ brand in Everest

Kathmandu. The ‘Raeko’ brand is conceived because of the many excuses given by foreigners. The brand, which started with a few lakhs, has now become a multi-million dollar business. Not only that, this brand has also provided employment to hundreds.

Especially the hassle of importing various items required for mountaineering at high prices has also been removed. Now, the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest and other mountains can be climbed by putting down the indigenous brand. Demand for this specialty has grown significantly as a result of recent corporate scandals. High mountain areas and extremely cold places need fair clothing. Therefore, the export of this brand’s down jackets and fair clothes is increasing day by day even in different countries of Europe.
Binod Mani Rai, one of the founders and operators of ‘Raeko’ brand, has been busy lately. With the onset of spring season, founder Rai is also busy. This season is considered to be the most suitable for climbing other mountains including Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who set the first human foot on the world’s highest peak, Mount Everest, also successfully climbed Mt. Everest in the spring season. Therefore, this season is no more than a season of climbing.
Since the start of the spring season, the expedition team has started collecting all the items needed by the members of the expedition. Lately, all the equipment required for mountaineering has been made by the Nepali product ‘Raeko’ brand. That’s why founder Rai is busy at this time. The success story is based on a conversation between Buddha Bir Bahing, editor of Sagarmatha Online, about the success and struggle of the ‘Raeko’ brand in a short period of time.
We only sell fake brands here. What he did was not to be responsible to the customers. Sold out. The one who can now said original. 5 thousand to 20 thousand to sell. Those who can’t afford to sell the same goods for 500 rupees. While such a situation was coming up, many foreigners also complained. We are selling ourselves in this way. What does it mean to sell like this ? You have invested so much. We have worked so hard. The most beautiful country in the world is the mountains, in your country. The mountain with an altitude of over 8,000 meters is all yours. So why do you do that Not one, not two. Every day we have foreign tourists from all over the world asking the same question.

The same Northface is hanging in every shop. The price seemed to be the same everywhere. What if a foreigner told me that a Nepali has no mind? When I asked him why he didn’t have a mind, he said, “Everywhere you look today, the tide of protectionist sentiment is flowing. Have you used your mind? In such a beautiful country. ‘There are so many tourists around me. Those tourists are not from the same country, they are from different countries. There are tourists from all over the world. But, you can’t even make an outdoor brand to introduce your country? We can’t think that much. After saying that, I finally regained consciousness. That’s right. In Aruba, foreigners used to feel a kind of contempt for us. That’s when an energy came. Oh, that’s right.
We consulted with some friends on how to create a brand. After some time of discussion on how this brand was created, at the beginning we Sherpa friends would come to our shop in Thamel. When they came, they would tell each other where they were and that they were in ‘Raeko’s shop. Even when ordering tea, it was said yes at the ‘Raeko’ shop. Later everyone says rye shop. Well, let’s not have a brand of ‘Raeko’. That’s what I imagined.
Since we have daily face-to-face meetings with foreigners, it has become easier to test our brand. Because it will be easier for us to work directly. Some of the goods were made of ‘Raeko’. I also tested it. Foreigners feel so proud after writing Madein Nepal. Wow, I was happy to see Nepal’s product, but I was getting more energy.
The founding investors in ‘Raeko’s brand are contemporary. After passing the SLC in the same year, they came to Kathmandu and worked together in Thamel while studying in college. At that time, even my friends said no, what to do? Shall we do something now? Let’s do something joint while the discussion is going on. Is our outdoor field. Let’s talk. I have started a shop. I have already started the brand of ‘Raeko’. The test has also been done. The response has been good. Don’t add to that ? After I brought the proposal, all the friends happily agreed. Then we started this brand so that we would not be absorbed in it. No documentation was done before that. I was just testing. After that, 5 of us got together and increased the investment again. I have been doing everything with the official registration. Later, the objective was to institutionalize ‘Raeko’s brand.

In the beginning, when we went to officially register to create a brand of ‘Raeko’, we were given a badge of ethnicity. However, if you are looking for its rules, where are they ? We were not approved by the industry department. The fact that it looked ethnic stopped us. We tried a lot but it didn’t work out. Even after holding their board meeting, discussions were held in two or three stages. But that did not mean ethnicity. We also presented examples of various foreign brands. For example: Honda, Tata, let’s say a brand called Sherpa in Nepal. We introduced them to these brands. He said that all these things will be reconsidered. And we went to the meeting again. After many attempts at the end, it did not work out. Eventually it happened to ‘Raeko’.
At present, we mainly focus on outdoor items. Apart from that, we make equipments that can be used in the Himalayas, from going rafting, to summiting Mount Everest, to climbing.
In the beginning I started this business from 15 thousand. Later friends were added. Since then, we have started this business from 1.3 million. Later, we added profit and share cost. At present, our total capital has reached around Rs 10 million. The annual transaction is about 50 million of us. In the beginning, I was the only one running this business. Later 4 friends were added. Then there are 5 of us till now.

In the beginning, we are getting positive and inspiring responses when we make and sell clothes that can be worn in the mountainous region from various clothes that we wear for Expedition. We think the Northface should be like Sosa. We are not alone in that. Our customers are, well-wishers. Especially foreign well-wishers. Instead, Nepalis are not so proud. But foreigners feel proud when they see a brand written in Made in Nepal. What is here is Madein USA, Madein Japan is Oho. If it is called Madein Nepal, it means that it is Nepali. That means not giving importance to the things you have. Citizens of international developed countries are very happy to see his brand. It will be a matter of prestige. The brand will be the jewel of the nation. It also raises the prestige of the entire country and its citizens. Our shop meets tourists from all over the world every day. That citizen is so happy to see his country’s brand in Nepal that it is impossible to describe. But in Nepal, even without a brand concept. Even though there is a brand called Medine Nepal, Nepalis do not give much importance to it. But lately, there has been a wave of brand expansion in Nepal as well.
‘Raeko’s brand’s downsuit was the first mission to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 2015. However, that mission was not completed that year. After that another attempt was made but that year did not happen. Finally, in 2018, climber Diki Sherpa successfully climbed the summit of Mt. Everest wearing ‘Raeko’ brand logo and accessories used in the expedition. Since then, our brand’s downsuit and other accessories are being used continuously. Moreover, in 2019, our brand down suit, which is the most sewn in Nepal in the high mountains above 8,000, has also been sold. Climbers in Makalu, Kanchenjunga, Everest, Choyu and Manaslu used it the most. Even now, we can see that our brand’s down suit is worn in the photo of the mountain being climbed above 8,000 meters.