Pride of INDIA

Drawing inspiration from India's rich heritage, these entrepreneurs are driving innovation in our design industry and supporting under-resourced communities.

- MARTINA POLLEY

Ananta Design Studio

VIVEKA AND RUCITA VASSEN

START-UP COSTS: 'We selffunded our venture with R80000 from our personal savings. All our pieces are craft-based, and with high manufacturing costs the bulk of our capital went into product development.'

TURNOVER: 'About 70% of our revenue is generated in the hospitality sector. Since we recently completed a mentorship and incubation programme, we've been looking at expanding our product offering and increasing our turnover."

Sisters Viveka and Rucita Vassen combined their fashion and graphic design skills to open a design studio in Cape Town, creating interior pieces that marry an Indian aesthetic with African craft techniques.

What sparked the idea?

There have been so many moments, nudges from the universe and even curveballs that led us to start Ananta, but the defining moment came during lockdown. Just before the pandemic we started a business sourcing handcrafted decor and fashion accessories from various places. A few months after our first buying trip to India, lockdown and travel restrictions brought everything to a halt. We took this as a sign to reassess our plans. It struck us that we were both designers, that our first love had always been designing, and that we needed to develop our own products. What felt like a sudden brainwave had been staring us in the face all along!

The first step was to find craft communities that shared our energy and values. From there, one beaded table design turned into a collection of lights, vases and pieces that we're proud to call our own.

You're an impact business - what does that mean?