Our Story
LoomKatha is a play on the Hindi word "Lok Katha" meaning "Folk Tale"
~a story of the people, by the people and for the people of India.
We travel to remote parts of the country to discover the finest and rarest handloom weaves and bring them to you, directly from the weavers.
Our Mission
Gandhi ji famously said: " I see God in every thread I draw on the spinning wheel."
India is home to over 11 million handloom weavers. We have over 200 different types of indigenous weaves, higher than any country in the world and we produce 95% of the world's handloom fabric.
Yet, sadly, the harsh reality is that most of our weavers live Below Poverty Line.
LoomKatha aims to change this.
Our mission is to re-vitalise the handloom industry of India to one that is sustainable and economically viable for the weavers. We create contemporary, fashionable and smart apparel for today's woman of substance using heritage weaving techniques.
We are presently working with close to a 100 weavers in W. Bengal, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. We have been instrumental in reviving the rare Himroo weave of Aurangabad. And next on our list is the Challapalli weave of Andhra.
When you buy a LoomKatha product you are buying not just a beautiful piece of clothing but also contributing to writing a new success story for the talented, skilled and amazing weavers of our country!
Heritage Weaves | Modern Styles
Meet The Team
"LoomKatha began in late 2016 when I landed up at my best friend Sidhika's door carrying 2 gunny bags filled with fabrics I had brought back from the artisans of Churu, saying we HAVE to do something with these. Ever-ready for a new adventure, Sidhika instantly agreed. And over 2 cups of strong coffee, the first LoomKatha collection was created! " ~Arushi
Arushi Chowdhury Khanna
Founder
Arushi has been working towards the revival of indigenous textile traditions for the past 12 years. Prior to setting up LoomKatha, she led the Enterprise Support Program at the All India Artisans and Craftworkers Welfare Association where her revival of the traditional technique of Mubarakpur handloom weaving was recognized as a UNESCO case study in 2016. Arushi is a self-taught natural dyer and her product developments in this area are today carried by brands like Dosa and Eileen Fisher. She has been visiting faculty at the STF, Zurich and Ashoka University, Delhi. She is an Acumen India Fellow and the winner of the Woman Social Entrepreneur Award at We Deliver, Vancouver 2019
Sidhika Lillaney
Head, Product Design
Sidhika is a qualified fashion designer with over 10 years experience in the export and retail of luxury Indian apparel. She has worked with leading designer like Abu Jani as well as commercial export houses like Impulse Exports. Under her own label "Sidhika" she creates bespoke bridalwear for a select clientele overseas. She has always worked with the finest embroidery craftsmen, hand-dyers and weavers to create beautiful garments for women.
Mandar Shahane
Project Manager, Himroo Revival Project
Prior to joining us, Mandar was handling textile-based and other skills training programs for an implementing agency under National Skills Development Council (NSDC) at Sholapur. Today, he is the solid anchor of our Himroo centre in Aurangabad, Maharashtra and works tirelessly to grow and develop this project that presents new challenges to us everyday. Under his leadership, we have been able to stabilise production, add a small tailoring unit for finished products and increase the number of active looms to 5.
