Industry Icons: Leadership Spotlight Series

Sarita Handa on Craft, Culture, and Building an Indian Luxury Legacy

Preserving craftsmanship. Honouring heritage. Redefining Indian luxury.

July 2nd 2026

Before Sarita Handa became one of India’s most recognised luxury home décor brands, it began with years of quiet observation.

Travelling across India as an army officer’s wife, Sarita Handa spent years experiencing the country through its textiles, people, and craft traditions, meeting artisans, collecting sarees, and understanding the extraordinary depth of Indian craftsmanship long before she formally built a brand of her own.

What started as curiosity slowly evolved into conviction.

In 1992, she founded Sarita Handa Exports from the backroom of her mother’s home in Delhi, with a small team of tailors, family savings, and a belief that Indian craftsmanship deserved to be seen and valued globally.

More than three decades later, that belief has grown into a globally respected design house known for its refined textiles, handcrafted detail, and timeless approach to luxury, while continuing to support and preserve generations of artisanal skill.

In this exclusive conversation, Sarita Handa reflects on building an Indian luxury brand rooted in craftsmanship, preserving heritage techniques, empowering artisan communities, and the values that continue to shape the brand today.

From Observation to Opportunity

For Sarita Handa, the brand was never built around commercial ambition alone. It emerged through lived experience.

Years of travelling across India exposed her to the richness of regional textiles, embroidery traditions, and the discipline behind handcrafted work.

“I spent many years travelling across the country, experiencing India through its textiles and its people,” she reflects. “Over time, I knew I wanted to build something of my own.”

One of the earliest moments that strengthened that instinct came in Wellington, Tamil Nadu, where she discovered beautifully hand-embroidered table linen created by nuns in Nagercoil.

Bringing those pieces back to Delhi and sharing them with friends resulted in an encouraging response, one that gave her confidence that handcrafted Indian textiles could resonate far beyond local markets.

That confidence eventually became the foundation of Sarita Handa Exports.

Building Global Credibility from a Small Delhi Backroom

The early years were far from glamorous.

Working with a small team from her mother’s home in South Extension, Delhi, Sarita Handa built the business gradually through trunk shows, relationships, and consistency in quality and delivery.

Before launching formally in 1992, she spent nearly two years deeply understanding textiles, craftsmanship, and production through practical, hands-on experience.

“It was not structured learning, but it was very real,” she says. “Those years shaped my thinking far more than any formal training could.”

That instinctive understanding became one of the company’s greatest strengths.

Within just a few years, Sarita Handa Exports entered international markets and went on to work with globally respected retailers, including Bloomingdale’s, steadily building credibility through quality, trust, and long-term relationships.

Reflecting on that growth, she credits discipline, integrity, and consistency as the principles that helped the brand evolve from a small backroom operation into a trusted global partner.

Beyond Business: Preserving Craft and Culture

Over time, the business evolved into something larger than commerce.

What began as a textile and home décor company gradually became a platform for preserving Indian craftsmanship, artisanal techniques, and generational knowledge that risked fading with time.

“Sustainability and preservation were never strategies for us,” she says. “They were instinctive.”

Today, thousands of artisans, many of them women, form part of the Sarita Handa ecosystem. For many families, the work represents far more than livelihood; it represents identity, independence, continuity, and opportunity.

One story that remains deeply meaningful to her is of an artisan who once sought support for his daughters’ education. Years later, one became a chartered accountant and the other a doctor.

“It showed me what consistent work and opportunity can do for a family.”

Redefining the Meaning of Luxury

Long before Indian craftsmanship became globally recognised within luxury interiors, Sarita Handa believed it belonged there.

“I always believed that an Indian brand could stand alongside the finest international luxury brands,” she says.

That belief shaped not just the products, but the philosophy of the brand itself, one rooted in craftsmanship, quiet luxury, and timelessness rather than excess.

Her understanding of luxury has also evolved over the decades.

“When I started, luxury was often seen in terms of finish and presentation,” she reflects. “Today, luxury lies in the depth of Indian craftsmanship, in the skill of the artisan and the standards with which the work is carried out.”

That same philosophy continues to guide the evolution of the brand today, including newer concepts such as Sarita Handa NOW, which explores more contemporary and minimal design directions while remaining rooted in craftsmanship and integrity.

“For me, what has always been non-negotiable is quality, craftsmanship and the integrity of how the work is done.”

Women, Leadership, and Responsibility

Across decades of building the business, one of the most profound influences on Sarita Handa has been the women artisans she has worked alongside.

Their ability to balance work, family, resilience, and craft has continually reinforced her belief in the transformative power of opportunity and independence.

“What is needed is continuity of opportunity and the right support,” she says. “When that is in place, they carry both the work and the people around them forward.”

This belief has also shaped how she views leadership and legacy, not simply in terms of growth or recognition, but through consistency, relationships, and responsibility toward the people connected to the work.

Carrying the Legacy Forward

As the brand continues to evolve with a new generation of leadership and design perspectives, the foundation on which it was built remains unchanged.

Her daughter, Suparna, who grew up around the business, now brings a more contemporary lens to the brand while continuing to preserve its original values and craftsmanship.

“It is important for a brand to evolve with time,” Sarita Handa says. “What matters is that the foundation remains intact.”

Looking ahead, her vision remains deeply clear.

“It was my dream to build an Indian brand that embodies the finest in global luxury,” she reflects. “Fifty years from now, I hope it is seen as a brand that remained true to that vision, carrying forward heritage techniques with care.”

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Industry Icons: Leadership Spotlight Series – Sarita Handa