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The time has come for India’s homegrown brands to shine. Through this podcast series, media personality Monisha Singh Katial takes you on a journey through the galli-mohalle and local high streets of the country to meet the founders of our most incredible up-and-coming brands. On the way, we get to be inspired by their stories, learn something new from their work, pick up some practical advice, check out their unique products, and understand the passionate minds of our Voices For Local.
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We’re heading down to Kochi this episode, as Monisha speaks to Zuzana Gombosova, a material researcher and designer from Slovakia, who is the co-founder of Malai, a company that designs and develops bio-based materials from Bacterial Cellulose that they grow. Zuzana tells us about the challenges of working with biodegradable materials, the fascinat…
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Voices for Local turns 50! Well, not 50 years – but 50 episodes, and we think that’s something to celebrate! It’s been a fun, fascinating, and fulfilling journey across the length and breadth of the country, getting to know the stories behind some incredible brands. What better way to mark the occasion than to look back at some of our favourite epi…
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This week, on Voices for Local, Monisha gets talking to Saarus Nirhali, the founder of Glasshopper, a Bangalore-based stained glass studio that creates suncatchers, panels, lamp-shades, tea light holders, and jewellery. Monisha asks her what it was like to leave behind a career in criminal law, how she got into stained glass, and how she sources he…
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Monisha chats with sibling duo Tarveen Kaur Vohra & Jasjyot Singh Hans, the co-founders of fashion brand Tappa, whose first collection features gender neutral clothes in sizes that fit all body types. They chat about how the brand started, the reaction they’ve received, the effectiveness of fashion as a medium of queer representation, and how their…
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We’re featuring a brand on Voices for Local this week that is creating quite a buzz in the beverage space with their unique catalogue of mead, the world’s oldest alcoholic beverage made by fermenting honey with various fruits and spices. Nitin Vishwas, one of the co-founders and self-proclaimed ‘Benevolent Overlord’s of the Pune-based Moonshine Mea…
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On Voices For Local this week, Monisha chats with the Co-Founder, Creative Director and Executive Chef of La Folie – Sanjana Patel herself, who opens up about her grandmother being the spark in her life and her cooking inspiration, and what it’s like to marry and work with your childhood sweetheart. She also speaks about returning to India after st…
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Monisha gets into conversation with cheesemaking brother duo, Prateeksh & Agnay Mehra, the co-founders of The Spotted Cow Fromagerie, a small creamery based in Mumbai that make handmade artisanal cheeses which are 100% vegetarian and preservative free. They tell Monisha how they went from brewing beer to making cheese, their stinky first few batche…
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This week, on Voices For Local, we have Mandavi Kanchan, the Founder and Creative Head of Bruijn on the show. Bruijn offers nourishing, gourmet delights which are modern interpretations of classic dried fruits & nuts. Mandavi tells Monisha more about growing up around her family’s homegrown small business, her key learnings like perseverance, adapt…
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On this episode of Voices For Local, Monisha continues her foray into the F&B industry, by speaking to the founder of a brand that’s been on everyone’s mind, everyone’s lips and everyone’s Instagram feeds. We have Rahul Reddy, Co-Founder of Subko Specialty Coffee Roasters on the show this week, and he opens up to Monisha about Subko was created to …
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We’re travelling in a new direction on this episode, and not just because the brand we’re featuring on the show today is based in Kashmir. Happy to announce that Voices For Local will now be eating and drinking its way into the food & beverage industry! To kick this off, Monisha speaks to Chris Zandee, the founder of Himalayan Products, who makes n…
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This week, on Voices For Local, Monisha gets into conversation with Samriddh Burman, founder of The Burlap People, that works with third and fourth generation indigenous craftspeople to develop aesthetically pleasing, high quality, sustainable-crafted products made out of natural fibres such as jute and cotton, combined with salvaged leather. Samri…
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Today, on Voices For Local, Monisha speaks to Santanu Das, the founder of Maku Textiles, a textile and clothing label that has its roots in the slow fiber movement and the use of handwoven cloth. Santanu explains his emotional connect to jamdani and Dhakai, creating a global community of clients, why he wanted to revive an artform like Tangail, hav…
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On this episode, Monisha chats with Tanvi Agarwal, the Founder and Creative Head at House of Ekam, that curates a catalogue of one of a kind, handcrafted home furnishings & decor directly sourced directly from artisans across India. Tanvi tells us about how her father instilled the importance of financial independence in her, on her sourcing experi…
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Monisha gets into conversation with Poornima Garg, the owner and creative head of Home Neera, a brand that creates handwoven art dhurries inspired by everyday narratives, on this episode of Voices For Local. Poornima gives us a background on what these traditional handwoven rugs really are, the moment she got her first dhurrie made, the birth of Ho…
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This week, on Voices For Local, Monisha gets into conversation with Mallika Reddy, who believes cancelled plans lead to the best outcomes. Naturally, she named her sustainable streetwear fashion brand… you guessed it – Cancelled Plans. She tells Monisha what it’s like experimenting and using unconventional materials, like the time she created a jac…
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On this episode of Voices For Local, Monisha gets into conversation with Dhruva Patel. She is the founder of Studio Wildflower, a home decor and accessories studio based in Ahmedabad, that hand crafts ceramicware, rugs, scarfs, glassware, and tableware, inspired by nature. Monisha asks her about how her tryst with ceramics began, and feeling connec…
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Voices For Local heads (virtually, of course) to the Northeastern state of Mizoram on this episode, as we meet Patricia Zadeng, the founder of Lapâr, a contemporary textile brand. Patricia tells Monisha more about the meaning behind the name Lapâr, the significance of the Mizo puan and how long it takes to weave one, the challenges local Mizo weave…
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On Voices for Local this week, Monisha is joined by Kevisedenuo Margaret Zinyu from Kohima Nagaland. She is the founder of Woven Threads, a design initiative to encourage, support and mentor the women of Nagaland to sustain their roots by preserving the unique tradition of weaving. Margaret opens up to Monisha about her move from the corporate worl…
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Monisha speaks to mother-daugher duo Indu Menon and Chitra Gopalakrishnan on this episode of Voices for Local. They are the co-founders of Kara Weaves, a social enterprise working with co-operatives in Kerala to create fair-trade handwoven textiles. They share what it’s been like working with over 800 weavers from these local weaving co-ops across …
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This week, on Voices for Local, Monisha has sister duo Divya & Pragya Batra on the show to talk about their handcrafted silver jewellery brand Quirksmith. They narrate the story behind their design philosophy "Apne jazbaat peheniye", and why Divya zeroed in on working with silver. Pragya tells us more about their best-sellers, and they share some a…
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On this episode of Voices for Local, let’s see how a Delhi-based design studio takes the humble chair and makes it into a signature piece of art for your very own living room. Monisha chats with the founder of limón, Aradhana Anand, who tells her what got her thinking about upholstering Indian handloom saris onto chairs, how she decides which weave…
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This week, on Voices for Local, Monisha is in conversation with Daisy Tanwani, the Founder & CEO of Pinklay, a brand dealing in comfortable clothing and striking home furnishings. Daisy tells Monisha what it’s like to work with the director of her company (who also happens to be her husband), facing regressive gender roles and prejudice from suppli…
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For this episode of Voices for Local, Monisha makes her way down the Malabar coast to Kerala, to speak to Sreejith Jeevan, the Founder and Head of Design, Rouka. He tells Monisha about how he started to look at a Kasavu sari through a global lens, how he aims to making it relevant in more ways than one, making Indian festivals his muse, and challen…
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Today, on Voices for Local, Monisha is back with a brand that makes her favourite outfit ever - the sari. She speaks to the co-founders of Suta, Sujata and Taniya Biswas, who gave up their corporate life to pursue their passion. The sister duo tells Monisha what it was like to grow up in Odisha and West Bengal seeing women wear saris everyday, how …
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On this episode of Voices For Local, Monisha gets into conversation with Shaan Shah, the co-founder of denim apparel brand FREAKINS. Shaan opens up about being an entrepreneur in his early 20s, entering the D2C (direct-to-consumer) space, and starting the brand to address the issue of denims from international brands not catering to the body type a…
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This week, Monisha is looking at walls. No, really. Voices For Local steps into the world of home decor on this episode, as Monisha speaks to the Founder & Managing Partner of Kalakaari Haath, Sahiba Madan. Kalakaari Haath is a design studio that makes beautiful wallpapers, wall arts and decals in traditional prints. Sahiba tells Monisha about usin…
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On the show today, Monisha is in conversation with Saumya Somesh, the marketing coordinator of Ahilya, a hand-painted apparel brand established only last year by her mother Shalini Jain. Aiming to combine India’s century old weaving traditions with contemporary style, Saumya tells us the journey of setting up Ahilya – the brainchild of a non-profit…
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Today, on Voices For Local, we feature the first online custom shirt brand in India – Bombay Shirt Company. Its dynamic founder Akshay Narvekar speaks to Monisha about gamifying the process of custom-designing your own shirt using a unique algorithm, making it through a pandemic in which people were stuck at home not wearing shirts to work or parti…
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On this episode of Voices For Local, Monisha gets into conversation with dadi-poti duo from Delhi, Sheela & Yukti Bajaj, who started Caught Craft Handed during the lockdown. Sheela knits and crochets a whole range of “handcrafted with love” products, while her granddaughter Yukti runs the business through social media. They tell me about their most…
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This week, on Voices For Local, Monisha chats with Kena Shah, the founder of the Ahmedabad-based trendy clothing brand Inara. Kena shares stories of growing up always trying to upgrade her school uniform with folds and knots, which then manifested in doing a fashion-based project during her MBA, and finally in her own label. She also told Monisha a…
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On this Earth Day Special episode of Voices For Local, Monisha speaks to Nikita Barmecha, the co-founder of EcoRight, a brand that, in their own words, makes products that make the planet happy. They use organic materials to create sustainable, trendy bags of all kinds – from totes and crossbody bags to backpacks and grocery bags. Nikita tells Moni…
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On the 20th episode of Voices For Local, we’re celebrating a brand that’s commemorating its very own 20. This year marks 20 years of Kama Ayurveda, a brand that promotes India’s age-old practice of wellness through its authentically-made, luxurious products. Monisha sits down with CEO & Co-Founder Vivek Sahni, who takes her through the genesis of t…
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Today, on Voices For Local, Monisha takes to the hills, as she speaks to Vasanthi Veluri whose brand Peoli is based in Almora, Uttarakhand. Peoli works with artisans and farming communities of the Kumaon region, using hand spun, naturally dyed pure materials to make premium hand knit apparel. Vasanthi talks to Monisha about always putting the artis…
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This week, on Voices For Local, Monisha gets chatting with Ritu Oberoi, the founder of ForSarees, a saree brand that works to revive indigenous crafts and weaves across India. Ritu tells us about her journey giving up a job in media to start her own passion project, how ForSarees works with over 300 weaver families, how she wants to keep discoverin…
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Today, on Voices For Local, Monisha is joined in the studio by the Co-Founder and Head of Product Development of Veedaa, Dhruv Kohli. Dhruv tells us how Veedaa is a brand that spends practically nothing on marketing and lets the products speak for themselves. He also tells Monisha the process of developing candles that are modern renditions of trad…
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This week’s Voices For Local episode features Karishma Kajaria, the Founder of handmade ceramics brand Nitara. Karishma tells Monisha about her move from fashion to ceramics and how Nitara is a one-woman team. If that’s not inspiring enough, she also shares some practises at Nitara that prove how fair-trade and sustainability are not just buzzwords…
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On this Women’s Day Special episode of Voices For Local, Monisha gets into conversation with the Vice Chair of iconic brand Nalli Silks, Lavanya Nalli, who opens up about what it was like to grow up in a house with the Nalli legacy, and the challenges, external and internal, of taking Nalli online and replicating the Nalli in-store experience. She …
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On this episode of Voices For Local, Monisha chats with Gauri Malik, the founder of Sirohi, a brand supported by her non–profit, the Skilled Samaritan Foundation. Gauri speaks about Sirohi’s mission to provide income opportunities to women from marginalised communities, the resistance she faced while reaching out to these women, how she connects th…
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Today’s episode of Voices For Local features sister duo Kavisha & Mahima Doshi, who are not just fulfilling their mother’s dream but taking it forward with a brand they created during the lockdown. Listen to them talk to Monisha about their vision for Meghstudio, which specializes in beautiful hand-painted sarees, how they apply data science to the…
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Today, on Voices For Local, we dive into the world of leather with Smriti Sain, the Founder & Creative Lead at Chiaroscuro, that makes pure leather bags and accessories. Smriti tells Monisha about their one maker, one product philosophy, using upcycled, ethical leather from tanneries across the country to reduce wastage, and the challenges of worki…
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On this episode of Voices For Local, Monisha speaks to the CEO of handloom luxury brand Ekaya, Palak Shah, who comes from generations in the textile industry. She tells us how her family has maintained close relationships with weavers and their families for generations, how she maintains the balance between customer demands and showcasing her own c…
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Today’s episode of Voices For Local features a very special story from the small town of Bhujodi, one of the major textile and craft centres of the Bhuj region in Kutch. Here, Ashok Siju, brings together his family heritage of weaving with his newfound love for indigo dyeing. He tells Monisha about how he got into natural dyes, the process of indig…
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The guest on this episode of Voices For Local chose to follow her passion of showcasing the weaves of her home state Assam to the world, in turn giving local weavers the opportunity to earn a livelihood. Shravanti Borah speaks to Monisha about her brand Enajori, her fascination with the thread and the sound of the looms, the significance of weaving…
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Today, on Voices For Local, Monisha gets in conversation with Himani Mantri Grover, the founder of a design studio that specializes in heirloom jewellery conservation, and handcrafted bespoke jewellery. Himani opens up about getting inspired by her own family heritage, how her brand name is a symbol for Indian romanticism, how stores originally did…
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Today, on Voices For Local, Monisha talks to Kushal and Anjum Mahajan, who run one of the most popular jutti stores in Amritsar – Raunak Punjabi Jutti. They tell us about the 20-year legacy of this family business, their plans of expanding online, and how they keep the traditional jutti always fresh and on-trend. To check out Raunak Punjabi Jutti’s…
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On today’s episode of Voices For Local, Monisha talks to Arundathi about her creation Studio Beej, a conscious accessories brand. Arundhati tells us how the seeds of her brand were sown by a Google search following a trip to Europe, how her karigars adapted to materials they’d never worked with before, the importance of being transparent about thei…
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Our journey across the country to meet the Voices For Local is taking a quick pit stop, but don’t you worry– we’ll be back before you know it! Until then, don’t forget to support your local brands this holiday season. Happy shopping! Voices For Local will return on January 6th. To keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishas…
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On this episode of Voices For Local, we’re going to celebrate a brand that makes the sari an effortless style statement. Monisha chats with the founder of Hathkargha, Shubha Mutneja, about how she went from never being exposed to everyday sari-wearing to being passionate about saris and textiles, what the brand name means to her, not really using s…
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On today’s episode of Voices For Local, we get insights from Shravan Satyani, Director at Satyani Fine Jewels and Tyaani Fine Jewellery, on the constant innovation it takes to make sought after jewellery, the importance of personal customer relationships and trust in the jewellery business, his efforts to transform and revive the obsolete “thappa j…
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Today, on Voices For Local, founder of Khara Kapas Shilpi Yadav shares with us how she built a brand that embodies comfort, style, sustainability, all woven together in pure cotton. Shilpi talks about how she designed her own wedding outfit in cotton, how she feels being a working mom positively impacts her son, and managing crisis situations as a …
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