“A Company Secretary and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, I chose to work in development at the age of 22, straight out of B-School and spent 16 years in various roles with non-profits, social enterprises and the Government. A lot of my work has been on livelihoods, with a special focus on creative/artisanal livelihoods, and women owned grassroots enterprises. My last full-time role was with the AP Government, working on bringing online products from the women’s self-help groups of Andhra Pradesh. This truly reaffirmed my belief that the most sustainable way to impact artisanal livelihoods was to build a fair, transparent, sustainable enterprise around them.
Having always enjoyed draping sarees to work, I was increasingly concerned that the number of women in sarees around me was dwindling. It seemed to me that there was a gap in the market to be filled- by a no nonsense, authentic saree brand that made the experience fun, affordable and enjoyable, while building a sustainable supply chain of artisanal sarees. So, I did a mid-career pivot to enter the world of entrepreneurship, and started Six Yards Plus.
I have invested all my earnings into the business and typically work more than 16 hours a day to give shape to this dream. But I’m passionate about everything to do with sarees and handlooms, and hope to channel a lifelong love of sarees into a business with ambition and gumption. I live in Hyderabad with my husband, Surya and my two teenagers, Abhimanyu and Anagha and practice Kathak because it keeps the madness of life in perspective.

Something at Six Yards Plus I’m really proud about is SaRevive. Sarees with memories, inheritances from loved ones, treasured buys from travels- there are so many sarees in our wardrobe which have lived a long life, and have much more joy to give us. But they don’t get their time in the sun because they are stained, faded or bear signs of their age and hard work. We give them a renewed life & look, and you can wear them with love again. We embellish them with authentic GI tagged, hand painted traditions – vibrant Pattachitra from Odisha, stunning Kalamkari from Andhra Pradesh and vivid Cheriyal from Telangana. Whatever you choose, it is hand painted by award winning artisans onto your own saree. This way we are keeping our planet and our memories safe.”