What inspired you to start Sundar?
It was the first time I went to the fabric markets in North India with my mother and saw and touched the richness of artisan craftsmanship – the rich embroideries and the soft woven silks that women would source and stitch to make saris. I was instantly hooked. Not so much by the product, but by the process: the handwork, the skills, the history and the story of the artisan that created it.
Why does this issue matter to you?
Fusing technology with traditional, antiquated industries is a hard and fascinating juxtaposition. From the family-owned mill in Como, Italy, to the Indian block printing workshop in Jaipur, the preservation of skill, process and creativity in the fashion supply chain is what makes it magical for me. Critically, the apparel industry is one of the largest employers across the world, and the apparel supply chain is the most fragmented, distributed and opaque – and ripe for disruption and impact for sustainability.
Why is your solution unique?
It’s the combination of empathy for our users and the user-centered approach with which we have created our solution, combined with our flair for technology development and our scalability in hard-to-reach markets.
What has been your company’s proudest moment been to date?
Being invited and selected for Unreasonable Impact Asia. I was so proud that our company stood for so much more than for-profit success and that impact and sustainability are embedded in our DNA.
What do you hope the world will look like as a result of your work?
The apparel supply chain becomes democratized, transparent and more sustainable – for both workers and consumers alike.
This company participated in Unreasonable Impact created with Barclays, the world’s first multi-year partnership focused on scaling up entrepreneurial solutions that will help employ thousands while solving some of our most pressing societal challenges.