The sixteen-week internship tenure is meticulously crafted to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. This design ensures that students immerse themselves in a professional environment, equipping them with the skills and experiences necessary to navigate the competitive business landscape successfully. Within the framework of this program, I seized the opportunity to intern at Nepal Airlines Corporation, contributing to a deepened understanding of the intricacies of the aviation industry. The sixteen-week internship tenure is meticulously crafted to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical application. This design ensures that students immerse themselves in a professional environment, equipping them with the skills and experiences necessary to navigate the competitive business landscape successfully. Within the framework of this program, I seized the opportunity to intern at Nepal Airlines Corporation, contributing to a deepened understanding of the intricacies of the aviation industry.

1. Bibek Bist
Dhamashree Subedi
Falak Perveen
Junu Nakarmi
Neetiz Adhikari

2. ➢ Launched Service in May 2020
➢ Apparel and Fashion Thrifting
➢ Work with pre-obsessed
dresses
➢ Sustainable and economical
solution by optimally utilizing
the available resources

3. ● Helping individuals monetize their assets in
the most convenient manner
● To save 100,000 kg of carbon emission in the
year 2021.
Vision

4. Role of Thrifting
➢ Enables individuals to make a
sustainable choice
➢ Reduces the amount of clothing items
that ends up in a landfill
➢ Directly helps to reduce carbon
emissions.

6. Short-term Long-term
● Keeping up with
Market Trends
● Marketing
segmentation
● Sales strategy
● Expanding store for
variation in
products.
● Hiring employees for
smooth operations.

7. Challenges
● Societal Issues
● Hard to find a product-
market fit
● Pandemic effect

8. Antidote’s Contribution in Solid Waste Management
● Helps to offset 15 kg of carbon emission.
● Globally we produce 13 million tons of textile waste
each year 95% of which could be reused or
recycled.
● Directly offset 15 kg of carbon emissions (saved
10,000 kg of carbon emissions in 2020, goal of
saving 100,000 kg of carbon emission in the year
2021.

9. Minimizes mass production
Leads to less landfill waste
production
Helps in solid waste
management

10. Suggestion to Improve
Solid Waste Management
● Learn to mend rather than to
discard things.
● Raise awareness on the topic of
waste management at home
● Reuse and recycle

11. Suggestion to Improve
● Think Sustainable Materials Management
● Avoid the route to the Landfill
● Take a Collaborative Approach
● Separating waste
● Collection of waste door to door
● Project, planning and implementation of
waste-to-compost

12. We interviewed Manish Jung Thapa, founder of Antidote Nepal.
About the Interview
1. What struck the idea of Antidote to you?
Antidote GO launched its service back in May 2020 as a marketplace for
second-hand apparel and accessories. Previously, we had another segment,
Antidote Nepal, which was a clothing rental platform. But, during the lockdown, we
faced a serious setback and challenge as our sales were down by 95%. As cash
reserves were slowly depleting, we had to come up with ways to stay afloat. That's
when one of our team members suggested that we are already working in the rental
of second-hand items, what if we expanded to selling as well. That's how we started
Antidote GO.
1. What is the company's vision statement?
To help individuals monetize their assets in the most convenient manner.
1. What did your close circle had to say about the idea?
I had a lot of critics and naysayers when I first shared this idea with my close-
knit circle. I wouldn't blame them because we have been conditioned in such a way
that we frown upon even with the thought of wearing second-hand clothes.

13. 4. How did you assemble the team?
Actually, the starting of Antidote GO was not that hard. We had a year of experience, a team,
and insights on the industry of second-hand items- all thanks to Antidote Nepal. But, the case was
completely different when starting out with Antidote Nepal. I was the only one working at the
company for three and a half months. Once I convinced myself that this was worth a shot, I began
reaching out to my friends and their friends. That's how the first five hires came about.
5. How is your company contributing to the waste management system or in making the
environment better?
Our business model is such that every time we enable sales through our platform, we directly
offset 15 kg of carbon emissions. In the year 2020, we directly saved 10,000 kg of carbon emissions
and we have a mammoth goal of saving 100,000 kg of carbon emission in the year 2021.
We were clear from the beginning that in spite of being a for-profit business, we would make an
attempt to raise awareness about climate change and the importance of consumers in
championing the case. We made sure that every individual who buys/sells through our platform is
made aware of the fact that they helped us save carbon emissions. This creates positive
reinforcement and encourages them to tell their friends about us.

14. 6 & 7). How has the pandemic affected your business? How was it earlier and whats the
current situation?
It has substantially affected our first segment Antidote Nepal. Our entire business revolved
around fulfilling the needs of looking good when going out to events. Due to the lockdown,
95% of our orders were canceled and throughout the quarter our sales plummeted by more
than 90%. Despite these setbacks, we were able to launch Antidote Masterclass, a training
platform, and Antidote GO during the lockdown.
We are constantly trying to digitize our business model. We are investing in a WebApp that
will enable resellers across Kathmandu to list, buy and sell their pre-loved items. We are also
planning to begin our in-house logistic service to ease last-mile delivery as well. Time's
changing and only those businesses will survive that will adapt.
8. What are your long-term plans and short-term plans for management?
We are looking forward to introducing our WebApp, which will formally embark Antidote GO,
on our journey as a pre-used marketplace. We are hopeful this will help us expand by leaps
and bounds. Similarly, we aim to expand into categories such as books, shoes, and bags as
well. For the short-term, closely monitoring the expenses, trying to reform and restrategize
has to be our top priority.

15. 9. What is the role your company is playing in the environment?
We are a) enabling individuals to make a sustainable choice, b) reducing the demand of
brand new items and the scarce resources that goes into manufacturing them, and c)
directly reducing the amount of clothing items that ends up in a landfill. All of this directly
helps us reduce 15 kg of carbon emissions.
10. How do you feel about other people creating their own thrift store pages on Instagram?
How is that turning out for your company?
I think that's amazing. This will only help the industry to grow. We are not a thrift store so
mushrooming thrift stores do not possess a threat. We are rather, a Daraz for other thrift
stores. We have currently more than 80 thrift stores that sell their items through us.
Our logistics service, payment processing service, customer support, and everything that
helps to sell a second-hand item is really of value to small-time thrift store owners. So we
actually benefit from the increasing numbers of thrift stores.
11. What are the challenges your company is facing?
We are currently testing the product-market fit for our business model. This is the most
challenging state for any startup or new business. We are yet to find a perfect product-
market fit, albeit trying our level best. Lack of access to institutional finance from BFIs and
an ability to hire exceptional talents have to be the current challenge that we face as a
company.

17. References
https://nepal.communitere.org/antidote-apparels-innovating-and-adapting-to-the-pandemic/
https://www.facebook.com/antidotego.shop/
https://www.instagram.com/antidote.go/?hl=en
https://couchpotatowrites.blogspot.com/2020/08/thrift-culture-in-nepal.html?m=1
https://www.thebalancesmb.com/textile-recycling-facts-and-figures-2878122
https://medium.com/@NEHUB/entrepreneurs-in-spotlight-antidote-medicine-for-fast-fashion-a6d5c42d2a7d