Bay Dar & Co: when building supply becomes a business strategy

This case study examines a Yangon-based handicrafts and textiles company that links design, production, and market access through a distributed network of in-house workshops, outsourced producers and equipment placed with weavers.

Facing inconsistent product quality across small-scale producers, the company shifted from an e-commerce idea toward direct investment in training and supply-chain management, later supported by a donor-funded skills programme through a phased approach moving from stand-alone training to full-cycle, supervised production.

The document traces how this supply-side investment underpins a diversified revenue model spanning corporate gifting, branded retail, white-label manufacturing and commission sales, and how sales channels adapted following restricted access to Facebook.

It presents growth figures on revenue, workforce and supplier network size between 2022 and 2025, alongside operating constraints such as working capital pressure from corporate clients and logistical difficulties across regions.

The case argues that embedding capacity building within business operations, rather than treating it as a stand-alone activity, can be commercially rational where supply consistency limits access to higher-value markets.