Women-Led ScrapShala Promotes Sustainability and Indian Craftsmanship

"Accelerate Action" is the theme of International Women's Day this year. It's a message that goads society into taking swift and decisive steps to achieve gender equality.

- Shikha Shah

Following this mandate for the last few years is Varanasi-based Shikha Shah, the founder of ScrapShala.

This women-led Indian brand makes premium environment-friendly products which are upcycled from discarded wares, by reviving traditional Indian handicraft methods. Their products promote sustainability by using pre-existing raw material. Most importantly, they employ women artisans to create handicrafts, in turn helping them earn a respectable livelihood.

Shah is a serial entrepreneur working on reshaping the textile industry with a focus on sustainability and social responsibility. Apart from helming ScrapShala, she is also the founder and CEO of AltMat which transforms agricultural waste into innovative materials, primarily for textiles.

As someone deeply committed to social causes, she founded the ScrapShala India Social Foundation – a Varanasi-based organization that spearheads CSR initiatives to empower artisans. Her initiatives have led to the creation of a diverse product line spanning 12 categories of waste material, innovative product designs that minimize non-biodegradable waste, upcycling of over one lakh kg of waste into functional products and the empowerment of more than 100 local Indian artisans. Shah's products are delivered to over 20 countries worldwide.

On the occasion of International Women's Day, Sunday Guardian speaks to Shah about her unique idea and the progress of her startup, ScrapShala. Excerpts from an edited interview:

Q. When and why did you begin ScrapShala?