Voices for Local with Monisha Singh Katial

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 fascinating production process of Malai’s material made from coconut water, the experience of working with coconut processing units, and what it’s like working in the sustainability space at international platforms vs in the Indian market. Check out Malai at malai.eco, and follow their journey on Instagram @malai.eco. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 episodes and listen to what our favourite brands have been up to since they featured on the show?And we had to include you in our celebrations, of course! So, keep an eye out on our Instagram handle @voicesforlocal, for some special offers that these brands have got exclusively for our loyal listeners. Use the coupon code on our Instagram to avail some awesome discounts with these brands! On this episode:Nafisa Rachel William Studio Metallurgy (Advaeita Mathur) Studio Beej (Arundhati Kumar) Veedaa (Dhruv Kohli) Caught Craft Handed (Yukti & Sheela Bajaj) Bombay Shirt Company (Akshay Narvekar) Rouka (Sreejith Jeevan) Pinklay (Daisy Tanwani) Quirksmith (Divya & Pragya Batra) Subko (Rahul Reddy) To keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineers: Kartik Kulkarni & Lakshman Parsuram Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 her designs. Saarus also explains the difference between original and Tiffany style stained glass, and the challenges of working with expensive, breakable raw materials like stained glass. Check out Glasshopper at www.glasshopper.in, and follow their journey on Instagram @glasshopperindia. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 sibling relationship has improved due to the brand.  Check out Tappa at tappa.in, and follow their journey on Instagram @tappa.india. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 Meadery, joins Monisha on the show to chat about the challenges of setting up India (and Asia)’s first meadery, what’s is like working with your best friend, how they support local farmers all across the country, how wild they can get while coming up with new flavours, and their plans for their newly raised capital of $2 million. Check out Moonshine Meadery at www.moonshinemeadery.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @moonshinemeadery. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 studying abroad, being very loyal to her thoughts, and her commitment to work with Indian farmers despite the challenges. Check out La Folie at lafolie.in, and follow their journey on Instagram @lafolierealchocolate. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala Recording Engineer: Aria NanjiRecorded at Island City Studios

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 batches of cheese gone wrong, making Bombay versions of Camembert, Brie and Tomme de Savoie, and how the pandemic turned out to be good for business. Check The Spotted Cow Fromagerie out at www.thespottedcow.in, and follow their journey on Instagram @spottedcowfromagerie. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala Recording Engineer: Aria NanjiRecorded at Island City Studios

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, adapting her father’s traditional sweet treats for Bruijn, getting inspired by global cuisine such as Iran’s ranginak while supporting local farmers, and the impact of sociopolitical and environmental issues on business. Check Bruijn out at bruijn.in, and follow their journey on Instagram @bruijn.in. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 be a bigger movement than just a business for him, he shares the story behind the name Subko, how he travelled to Auroville to find his co-founder Daniel Trulson, the challenges of starting in Bombay, falling in love with an old Goan-Portuguese house in Bandra, and he give Monisha an exclusive hint at a new line of Subko delicacies coming soon. Check Subko out at www.subko.coffee, and follow their journey on Instagram @subkocoffee. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram.   CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 natural artisan cheese from fresh Himalayan milk. It’s a story of a Dutchman who combines Dutch and local cheesemaking traditions to empower communities with their own skill-sets. Chris gives us a background on the kinds of cheese he makes, the lessons he learnt while setting up a business as a foreigner in India, and how the pandemic impacted his business in the mountains. To check out Himalayan Products’ work, log onto their website himalayancheese.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @himalayancheese. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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. Samriddh gives us a background on jute and how they use it, how they involve customers in the creative process, how their artisans are like family to them, and how “sustainable”, “organic”, “fair trade”, “biodegradable”, and “green” are not just buzzword for them, as they learn and improve their eco-friendly journey every day. To check out The Burlap People’s work, log onto their website www.theburlappeople.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @theburlappeople. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Lakshman Parsuram Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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, having a collaborative working relationship with weavers, and how Maku fabric found its way onto Game of Thrones. To check out Maku Textiles’ work, follow their journey on Instagram @makutextiles. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 experiences travelling across the country, encouraging the value of handmade products in India’s price sensitive market, the journey of taking her products international, the importance of celebrities supporting local brands, and a lesson she learnt the hard way. To check out House of Ekam’s work, log onto their website www.houseofekam.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @houseofekam. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 Home Neera as a brand, convincing the women of Punjab to weave dhurries professionally, and a turning point in her life as a mother. To check out Home Neera’s work, log onto their website www.homeneera.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @home.neera. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Aditya Arya Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 jacket made out of condoms. Monisha asks her how her artisans adapt to new, unfamiliar materials, why she loves collaborating, and how to be truly sustainable while running a viable business.  To check out Cancelled Plans’ work, log onto their website www.cancelledplans.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @cancelledplans.club. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Yash Hirave Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 connected to nature by using the four elements in her ceramics production process. To check out Studio Wildflower’s work, log onto their website www.studiowildflowerbydhruva.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @studiowildflowerbydhruva. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Yash Hirave Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 weaver women have to go through, and how she aims to make traditional weaves reach a wider market. To check out Lapâr’s work, follow them on Instagram @laparclothing. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Yash Hirave Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 world to home decor, gives us a look into Nagaland’s handicrafts, reveals one thing interior design borrowed from the automobile industry, and shares her appeal for people to appreciate the amount of effort behind the loin loom. To check out Woven Threads’ work, log onto their website woventhreads.in, and follow their journey on Instagram @woventhreads.in. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Yash Hirave Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 the state, how they reinvented the traditional Kerala thorthu by going back to its properties, and the importance of finding a global market for local products. To check out Kara Weaves work, log onto their website www.karaweaves.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @karaweaves. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Yash Hirave Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala

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 advice for art-oriented and creative entrepreneurs. To check out Quirksmith’s work, log onto their website quirksmith.com, and follow their journey on Instagram @quirksmithjewelry. And to keep up with Monisha Singh Katial, follow her on Instagram @monishasinghkatial. We would love to hear from you and your recommendations for homegrown brands that you think we should feature on our lineup of Voices For Local, so reach out to us @voicesforlocal on Instagram. CREDITS: Host: Monisha Singh Katial (Twitter & Instagram) This is a Maed in India production. Audio Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni Audio Editor: Yash Hirave Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome Producer: Husein Haveliwala