The Copy Problem - Why You Should Only Buy IBHI Torans and Decor From IBHI

Why the Original Is Always Worth It

What happens when someone sells you an IBHI design without IBHI's quality and how to make sure it never happens to you.

The Copy Problem And Why It Matters More Than You Think

We want to have an honest conversation with you.

IBHI's toran and home decor designs have been copied. This is not speculation it is something we see regularly in the market and hear about from our customers. Designs that IBHI originated and developed, constructed using careful handwork and quality materials, are being replicated by others and sold at lower prices sometimes explicitly in IBHI's name, sometimes simply as lookalikes.

We understand why this happens. Our designs are beautiful. Our products sell. Imitation is, in a sense, confirmation that we are doing something right.

But the copy is not the original. And the difference is not just pride of authorship. The difference is in the quality of what you receive in your hands, on your door, in your home, and it is significant. This blog explains exactly what that difference is, how to spot a copy, and why buying from IBHI directly is the only way to be certain you are getting what you came for.

IBHI's Designs Are Originals, Not Adaptations

Every design in IBHI's collection was developed by our design and artisan team in our facility in rural Gujarat. The Asopalav toran with silk fabric leaves on Kalawa thread, the Lumba toran with beaded bunches, the Patola and Pichwai-inspired pieces, the two-sided reversible construction these are not IBHI adaptations of existing products. They are IBHI originals.

The design process at IBHI involves considerable time and craft knowledge: understanding which materials hold, which embellishments last, which construction methods produce pieces that survive years of daily use, international transit, and the varying climates of homes across the world. Each design is tested before it reaches our collection.

Exactly Where Copy Products Cut Corners And Why It Matters

Copy products are cheaper because they use cheaper methods and cheaper materials. The differences are specific, visible, and consequential. Here is what to look for:

1. Glue Gun vs Hand Stitching

The test is simple: gently pull an embellishment or bead bunch away from the base. On a glue-assembled copy, you will feel the brittleness of the adhesive joint. On an IBHI piece, you will feel the resistance of stitched thread it holds firm because it is properly made.

2. MDF vs Cardboard Base

The base is the spine of a toran. Pick up a piece and you can feel the difference within seconds a real base holds its shape, a poor one bends and warps.

3. Quality Beads vs Cheap Substitutes

Look closely at the beadwork. The colour, weight and finish of a bead tell you everything about how the piece was sourced.

4. Thread Quality and Stringing

Thread is invisible work until it fails. The strength of stitching and stringing decides how long a piece survives in your home.

5. Fabric Quality — Silk vs Synthetic

Fabric is where copies fall apart fastest under inspection. The lustre, drape and feel of silk cannot be faked by synthetic substitutes.

IBHI vs Copy - The Complete Quality Comparison

If you want the differences in one view, here it is:

The More Serious Problem - Products Sold in IBHI's Name

Beyond copies that simply replicate our designs, there is a more serious issue: some sellers are marketing lower-quality products while explicitly using IBHI's brand name, creating the impression to buyers that they are purchasing genuine IBHI products when they are not.

This puts our customers in a particularly difficult position: they believe they have bought IBHI, they receive a product of much lower quality than they expected, and they associate that quality with our brand. We find this deeply unfair to our customers and to our artisans, whose careful work is being misrepresented.

What You Actually Get When You Buy From IBHI

Beyond the material quality differences, buying from IBHI directly gives you something no copy can provide:

The Design Intention

Every IBHI design is created with specific utility and aesthetic intent. The two-sided construction so you have two festival faces in one toran. The Chanchal foldable design so you can travel with it internationally. The custom sizing so it fits your actual door, not a standard dimension. None of these design decisions appear in copies because copies are reacting to the finished product, not thinking about why it was made that way.

The Artisan's Work

Approximately 180 women artisans work at IBHI's facility in rural Gujarat women who moved from seasonal agricultural labour to full-year skilled craft employment in a clean, purpose-built workspace. When you buy from IBHI, you are directly supporting these women's livelihoods. When you buy a copy, that money goes elsewhere to a supply chain that has no artisan story, no craft knowledge, and no accountability. Read more about our story →

Export-Standard Quality Process

Every IBHI product goes through a stringent quality check before dispatch. We check dimensions, finish, colour consistency, embellishment security, and packaging integrity. The standard is export quality, the same standard that satisfies international buyers. That process exists precisely so that what arrives at your door is exactly what was promised.

The Pre-Dispatch Video Call

IBHI offers every customer, and particularly international customers, a pre-dispatch video inspection call. You can see your specific product, check the quality, and confirm it is exactly as ordered before it ships. This service exists because we stand behind every piece we make. Copy sellers do not offer this because they cannot the product would not survive the inspection.

Customer Service After Purchase

IBHI has a seven-day exchange policy for defective items. We are reachable via WhatsApp for any post-purchase questions. Our team knows our products intimately because our team made them. After-purchase support from IBHI is support from the people who created the piece. No copy seller can offer this.

On Price - Why IBHI Costs What It Costs

The most common argument for choosing a copy is price. A copy is cheaper. This is true and the reason is specific.

A copy is cheaper because:

• It uses glue instead of hand stitching saving hours of skilled artisan time
• It uses cardboard instead of MDF - saving material cost per piece
• It uses fewer and smaller beads - saving material cost per piece
• It uses lower-quality thread and fabric - saving material cost per piece
• It involves no design development cost - the design was taken from IBHI
• It involves no quality control process - saving time and labour cost
• It pays no artisan fairly for skilled work - the labour cost is minimal

IBHI's pricing reflects the reverse of all of these: proper materials, skilled labour paid fairly, a real quality process, and original design development. The price difference between an IBHI original and a copy is, in large part, the price of quality and the price of paying a woman artisan in rural Gujarat fairly for her skill.

What IBHI Customers Say

The difference between an IBHI original and a copy is most visible to the customers who have experienced both. Here is what they tell us:

Frequently Asked Questions

The Original Always Tells the Truth About Itself

A handmade piece made properly speaks for itself the moment you hold it. The weight is right. The stitching is firm. The fabric has the correct lustre. The beads are full and even. The brass bells ring cleanly. These are not subjective qualities they are the observable results of specific material and craft decisions made by IBHI across every product in our collection.

A copy speaks for itself too just differently. The glue joint gives slightly under pressure. The cardboard base flexes. The beads look sparse. The synthetic fabric lies flat. The 'brass' bell makes no sound.

We make this comparison not to be critical of others but to be honest with you. The difference between an IBHI original and a copy is real, observable, and consequential for the life of the product in your home. You deserve to know what you are buying and why it matters.