Voices for Local with Monisha Singh Katial

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 artisan’s needs first, reviving the craft of hand-spun...

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 discovering new styles and weaves across India, and how the...

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 traditional, familiar desi fragrances, what it’s like...

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 for her, and how she overcame people underestimat...

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 also talks about bridging the perception gap for...

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 these artisans to designers from around the globe,...

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 their brand, and their advice to young, budding ent...

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 working in a male dominated industry. To check out Ch...

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 creativity, how to promote traditional fabrics to...

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 indigo harvesting & dyeing, putting fabric & stitch qua...

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 in Assamese society, how the pandemic forced we...

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 didn’t want to stock her jewellery because of its “...

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 work, follow their journey on  Instagram @rauna...

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 their footprint, and how she doesn’t like to use t...

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  @monishasinghkatial . We would love to hear from you and y...

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 social media marketing shortcuts or strategies, a...

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 jewellery” artform, exploring men’s jewellery, an...

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 woman in a male-dominated industry. To check out...

On today’s episode of  Voices For Local , we have Founder & Creative Head of Studio Metallurgy – Advaeita Mathur. She shares how she took her love for metal and unconventional materials, and set up a brand that creates contemporary jewellery, accessories and home decor that celebrate individuality. Advaeita also lets us in on some marketing strategies, her secrets of brand building, and maintainin...

On this episode of  Voices For Local , Monisha Singh Katial talks to celebrity designer and stylist Nafisa Rachel William. Nafisa tells us about her journey from draping her friends in saris when she was younger, to creating her own label. We also talk to her about her native Dogra design, her love of Bollywood, and how her passion for the sari as a garment came together to make what Label Nafisa...

All aboard! The Voices For Local express will be departing shortly. It’s going to be an exciting ride, and we’ll be stopping at a number of stations along the length and breadth of the country. Pack light, because we guarantee you’ll be picking up some beautiful goodies at every stop. Here we go!