The India Story: Creative entrepreneurs take Indian designs to the world

For all its heritage and craftsmanship, the country has produced only a handful of global brands. But a new generation of creative entrepreneurs is changing that

Just before the turn of the century, in 1999, a young designer named Sabyasachi Mukherjee launched his eponymous label. Working out of his hometown, Kolkata, he set out to revive Indian textiles, weaves and techniques – all with a staff strength of three. It wouldn’t be long before he would debut at Milan Fashion Week, the first Indian designer to do so.

 

Twenty-five years on, Sabyasachi is one of the most recognisable brands from India, having displayed his jewellery at Bergdorf Goodman in Manhattan, and collaborated with names such as Estee Lauder, Christian Louboutin and Pottery Barn, and with presence