Kaelir: Going Bananas in the Textile World!
Kaelir is where fashion meets eco consciousness, where passion to make a difference meets cool, where fiber from the discarded banana tree is transformed into clothes, home furnishings, and even sanitary pads. “Yaadhum oore yaavarm kaelir” wrote a poet two millennia ago. Among those that have taken it to heart and walk the talk is […]
Kreeda: Passion for the Games People Played
“Imagine balancing a coconut on a stick while dancing around a circle, trying not to drop it!” This playful story is just one of many that inspired Vinita Sidhartha to create Kreeda. Reviving Traditional Gaming Skills “It wasn’t easy convincing people that traditional games could still be relevant in today’s digital age,” smiles Vinita Sidhartha, […]
Comorin Coconuts – A Classy Collection from Kanyakumari
Jennith Churchill, the founder of Comorin Coconuts has come a long way from fielding questions like “You expect me to pay so much for a coconut shell?!” to making Kanyakumari proud of its stylish homegrown brand of elegant lifestyle products. It all started when Jennith returned to his roots in Kanyakumari, breaking free from […]
BOCS Pizza – A Growing Chain of Square Pizzas
“We don’t cut corners,” says Arun Kumar Vishveshwaran, the founder of the BOCS Pizza chain, that serves square and rectangular pizzas. Walk into any of their franchisee outlets in South India and you’ll get 22% more pizza than a round one. No matter how fast paced the world gets or how data-driven we are […]
auLinen: Love Story with Linen
Fashion designer Preethi’s romance with the fabric has brought to life au Linen, a fresh brand that embodies the essence of a coastal lifestyle. “I fell in love with linen while working on a spring-summer collection for a global brand,” confesses Preethi. Her very personal connection with the fabric is obvious as she enthuses, “Linen […]
Thaariniya – Earth’s Goodness For Your Skin
This is the story of how Dr. Mangala Vadivu, a Chennai-based academic with a PhD in media studies and head of a visual communications department, turned her quest for safe skincare for her newborn daughter into Thaarinya a brand blending safety, tradition, and personal care into a blossoming startup. The Birth Of Thaariniya Dr. Mangala […]
Frelish Foods – A Smooth, Refreshing Take on Cool Beverages
Four committed founders with one common purpose – to offer tasty, cafe-style beverages to grab and go. With new brands in the fresh foods category sprouting almost everyday, it takes a lot more than just resolve to hold one’s own in such a competitive market. Presenting Frelish, a brand that has not one, or two, […]
Iniya Organics – Flavouring Curries with Natural Nutrition
A gritty tale of how a failing student from a penurious background found a toehold in the business world, delivering health benefits of local, indigenous greens in convenient powder packs. Here’s a heartwarming story of a food-related startup, Iniya Organics, inspired by a kindergarten experience! When Vengarai Periyasamy Sudha joined as a teacher to work […]
Thy Chocolates – Indulgence fit for the gods
Artisanal chocolates for the conscious consumer from a Chennai business founded by an engineer Archana Vijayaraman, whose vision is to put Indian cacao on the world map Some brand names just steal your heart and Thy Chocolates did just that for us. We wonder if the name’s derived from Theobroma, the cacao tree. Not so […]
Plantegg – The tasty protein supplement that’s not an egg
Plantegg is a vegan food product created by Harini Rangarajan, a food technologist, after extensive research. This protein supplement in the familiar form of an egg is garnering attention and awards for innovation Protein in a familiar form Plantegg is a vegan product that looks like an egg, tastes like an egg and is packed […]
Q49 Flavours: Wholesome Curries in a Jiffy for Busy Dreamchasers
Q49 Flavours, curated and managed by Renu Kurian from Chennai with ample support from her family, is a story of how a mother’s love has been packaged into convenience curries with the taste of home food. A boon for busy families looking for quick, nutritious meals. In-a-hurry Malabar Egg Curry, Easy-peasy Channa Masala and No-sweat […]
Miracletree – Marketing the Moringa
Saravanakumaran from Miracletree is popularising the amazing properties of the humble Moringa, a tree common in south Indian states, through a range of diverse products. What does Sangam literature, an Engineer-agriculturist, and the moringa tree have in common? At first glance, nothing, methinks. Talking to Saravanakumaran Rajendran of Miracletree, it all fell into place. As […]
Juicy Chemistry – Personal Care and Cosmetics Range with the Lush Goodness of Nature.
Presenting Juicy Chemistry, co-founded by the dynamic duo Pritesh and Megha Asher. They started by formulating soaps in a makeshift kitchen lab and went on to create certified products with the right market fit, attracting marquee investors. Purpose and perseverance We’ve covered over a hundred of stories of start ups and mid sized businesses […]
Madurai Eco Tourism & Arola Bamboo – A Call for Sustainability from the Nilgiris
Presenting two enterprises that draw attention to Nilgiri’s rich ecosystem – Madurai Eco Tourism focusing on biodiversity & native culture and Arola Bamboo promoting sustainability. Both ventures were founded by the indomitable Suthagar Selvaraj from Madurai. Story of a curious mind It was an especially hot day in the Nilgiris forest when Suthagar Selvaraj, tired […]
7MPS – Rising Power of Research in Election Campaigning
Meet Samuel Mathew of 7MPS working on research driven election campaigns for multiple parties in Tamil Nadu for the upcoming elections. Let’s start with the name With elections around the corner we caught up with a party-agnostic media house that works on election campaigns apart from brand-related work for products and services. The agency is […]
Putchi – A Maternity Superstore is Born
Just after she had delivered her baby in 2020, Deepika Thiyagarajan realised that there were not enough fashion choices for young mothers. This was a pain-point that irked her so much she convinced her husband, Thiyagarajan and together they started a brand focussing solely on maternity needs in their hometown, Coimbatore. They named it Putchi. […]
Authentic, No-Fuss Indian Girl Friendly Makeup
Sonali Kuruvilla and Preneetha Balachander have launched a fresh approach to cosmetics through Sommer Beauty. In a segment crowded with brands jostling for space and attention, they’ve introduced a fuss-free range especially curated for Indian skin tones. Just 8 months since its release, the brand is already garnering spots in reputed retail outlets. But the […]
Crazy Coconut – Possibility of circular economy using coconut shells.
This is the story of a 25-year old engineer from Tirunelvi who has clawed his way to entrepreneurship through self-learning. From painstakingly handcrafting products such as cups and spoons from coconut shells, Arjun has today gained the expertise to use machines, SOPs and unit economics to fulfil orders from around the world. Coming from a […]
Yellow Bag — The Ubiquitous Yet Unique Venture From Madurai
A newly wed Krishnan Subramanian and his wife, Gowri, had just relocated from a small town near Madurai to Bangalore. “I had just started with Amazon and my wife was with IBM,” Krishnan recalls. “It wasn’t as though we had started seeking to be environmentally friendly then, but we could notice quite a few aspects […]
Queen Bee – The Determined Doll-maker of Queen Bee Crafts
When she was around six years old, Radhika was playing outside and fell, hurting her leg. She limped home and everybody thought it was a regular wound that would cure and go away. Soon, the pain persisted and the parents brought her to the hospital where they found it was a bone fracture, and the […]
Slowthreads – Growing the Market for Slow Fashion
Scores of entrepreneurs set up stalls and do brisk business in pop-up events. But rarely does one make an instant connect with the founder, so much so you end up not only becoming a loyal customer but also see a potential friendship blooming. Well, this happened with Archana Ravi, the owner of Slowthreads, a […]
Madras Mandi – From Harvest to Stores Within 12 Hours
Chennai’s enduring love for vegetables and fruits is well-known. Though we love handpicking fresh produce, the city has gracefully embraced the shift toward online purchase in recent years. Madras Mandi has been harnessing this potential since 2020. Beyond delivering quality, the venture also seeks to reduce wastage in the fresh produce supply chain making the […]
WEDO – A Resource Hub For Women Entrepreneurs
Moving on from two successful businesses, Kadambari Umapathy is now spearheading the third one, Women’s Entrepreneurship Development Organisation (wedo.org.in). Her challenge-riddled story is the stuff of movies and the fact that she’s still so full of plans for her organisation and the empowerment of women, speaks volumes about her zest for action and never-say-die spirit. […]
Imaginethat – Designing Holistic Retail Shopping Experiences
Breaking into the retail visual merchandising scene in Tamil Nadu through their startup Imaginethat, duo Dhurgha and Ashok are channeling their creativity and overcoming challenges to grow at a steady clip. When it comes to fashion and style Tamil Nadu is seen as being conservative and lagging a step behind the rest. The popular perception […]
Athma Laya – Fulfilling Women’s Aspiration to Dance
The chatter of excited women in their forties, fifties and some older, livened up this one salon in Alwarpet, as they went about getting their makeup and hair done. The scene reminded one of restless, eager children preparing for their school annual day celebrations. It came as a pleasant surprise that they were dressing up […]
Games Anchoring Families to Indian Culture and Values
“I asked a group of school children where their source of drinking water was. Many responded with answers like, “our RO machine,” and “the water tanker,” and so on. Not one could name the lake or river from which their water was captured. I was not shocked, but very disappointed that these children have absolutely […]
The Madras Trunk – Redefining Kolhapuris, a Fashion Classic
Nithila Arun of The Madras Trunk has managed to redesign the classic to create a vibrant range of kolhapuris, attracting reapeat buyers from all over the country. Kolhapuris. They were a rage in the 80s when coolly casual folks paired them with blue jeans and a breezy kurta while extolling Satyajit Ray’s genius. Cut to […]
Empowering the Elderly
‘Old is Gold’ The ‘Old is Gold’ store is located in a traditional home with easy access on the ground floor, making it comfortabe for the elderly to browse and shop at their own pace. As the name suggests, the brand serves the elderly, offering products that put them more in control of their lives. […]
Coffee Meets Carnatic Music
Carnatic musician Akshay Vaidyanathan orchestrates a harmonious blend of coffee and music with his homegrown brand, Kāpi Kottai. Picture this. You are sitting in your favorite corner of your space, and the mellifluous notes of the raag Khamās fills the air, making your private world an entrancing space. You take a sip from the […]
Rebelle with a Cause
Promoting better vaginal health through cloth-based menstrual pads IMalinee Saravanan was chatting with her friends at one of their casual monthly meet-ups in Salem, when their talk turned to vaginal health. One of them revealed that she had been suffering from a vaginal rash that she thought was chronic, but found relief in just a […]
Quirky Creativity in Daily Life
MASH COLLECTIONZ – A curated artsy lifestyle collection No two things at the Mash Collectionz store are the same. Each piece from her collection of quaint handmade artifacts, block-print dresses, mosaic bowls to repurposed furniture and quirky quote boards, is a unique slice-of-life art. The range is also a reflection of the founder—Mahalakshmi Rajendran’s personality […]
SANAL: Finding sustainable replacements for plastics
“Don’t use plastics is probably the most useless statement or advice,” begins Dakshnamoorthy Durairaj, founder at SANAL (Sustainable Alternative for Non-polluting Acclimate Living), who promotes a positive adoption to plastic alternatives. “SaNal” is derived from the Tamil phrase Samudhaya Nalanil (for the benefit of the community.) Dakshnamoorthy runs SANAL as both physical and online stores, […]
Where cultures collide and empathy abounds in children’s tales
The Little Dipper Publishing, led by independent publisher Anusha Veluswamy, is dedicated to producing children’s literature that celebrates diverse cultures, fosters empathy, and offers diverse representation In a world where big publishing houses dominate the literary scene, it’s easy to overlook the growing number of indie publishers quietly revolutionising the industry. These small but mighty […]
No teachers, textbooks or school bell…
The sound of pencils scratching away on ruled paper filled the room. The ninth grade at Bombay Welfare Society High School was tasked with writing an essay titled ‘My School’ during the English period. “In my school, there will be no teachers, textbooks or school bell. It will have a lot of trees, a library […]
Don’t Mess with Madras
“The first ever toothbrush you used is still on Earth,” Divya states as the small gathering around her stall stares back dumb-struck in the realisation of that statement. “I’ll buy one bamboo toothbrush for me and one as a gift for my friend,” a voice from the group breaks the silence. At that instant, Pradeep […]
What Goes into Pure Unadulterated Cow Milk?
“I look at the market in two segments—Pre-Jallikattu and Post-Jallikattu,” reveals Vetrivel Palani, founder of UzhavarBumi. The founder was a part of the historic protest at Marina Beach in January 2017. “During the protest, several farmers’ issues came up,” he reveals. Vetrivel did not have a background in agriculture or farming. For someone like him, […]
Learning from the Land
“I recall being at my mother’s friend’s office when I was young—seventh grade perhaps,” recalls Yuvan Aves, “Someone asked me what I wanted to become when I grew up.” “A naturalist!” the boy responded with enthusiasm only to hear jokes about the lack of financial stability that such professions would lead to. Amidst the roaring […]
The Roots of a Growing Healthcare Ecosystem
Along the banks of the Kaveri, in the Temple city of Trichy, Dr. Manivannan Selvaraj recalls his childhood where his brother, cousins and friends would spend hours of euphoria splashing around or simply hanging out on its soft sandy banks. The warm nostalgic feeling of comfort and familiarity along the clear bobbling waters stuck to […]
