KANAK HIRANI NAUTIYAL, KARIGAR

“My biggest achievement till date has been learning how to ride a bicycle at the age of 30”. Meet Kanak Hirani Nautiyal, Co-founder of Karigar who, with this candid statement, will help you realize that it is indeed never too late to do anything – if you set your mind to it.

Kanak lives in Amstelveen in Netherlands. She and two like-minded partners established Karigar as a sustainable fashion brand that combines Dutch design with Indian handcraft.

Kanak has spent a lot of time with Indian artisans. She did this to fully understand their techniques, skills and more importantly their struggles to keep the crafting tradition alive. Through Karigar, Kanak and her team have taken on the responsibility to sustain tradition and, at the same time, innovate by means of design. Their focus is on building contemporary and distinctive products, thereby making a lasting impact on not only the world of fashion but also on the lives of the karigars.

With a background in Journalism, Kanak never imagined she would be dabbling in the world of textiles, but her penchant for learning new things drove her to venture into entrepreneurship and she is determined to make it successful for all those involved.

From managing a multi-cultural team, to taking the hard call to quit work and raise her two children, to making a bold move and entering the business world – Kanak has experienced a host of emotions and successfully balanced the voices in her heart and head. Through it all she has emerged as a stronger, more fulfilled woman who has the desire to make a difference and contribute to an evolving and growing eco-system.

Currently enjoying a perfect work-life balance and excited about the future prospects of Karigar, Kanak shares a practical message to all the women reading this, “Surround yourself with people that have complementary skills. It’s not always possible to achieve everything alone and that’s why you need a team that you can rely on and work together with.” 

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