[100 Emerging Women Leaders] Arati Bandal weaves in Paithani sarees, one yard at a time

An electronics engineer with seven years of experience in sales decides to shift to a saree-making business. While this career shift might seem odd for many, Arati Bandal knew what she was doing. 

“I knew I had a creative side that was not flourishing with the constant deadlines and sales targets. So, in 2008, I gave in to the entrepreneurial bug that bit me and took the plunge,” says Arati, Founder of Maharashtra-based OnlyPaithani.

OnlyPaithani was born from the concern that Paithani sarees were not receiving the much-needed recognition as other Indian handloom sarees. Characterised by borders on an oblique square design and a padar/pallu with a peacock design, Paithani sarees were named after Paithan town in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, where they were first woven.

“Paithani was not on anyone’s radar. Women were talking about Kanjeevarams and Banarsis, but outside Maharashtra, the conversations about saree never included Paithani, an art form that has existed for over 2,000 years,” Arati says.

She adds that despite living in Maharashtra, it was very hard for her to find good Paithani sarees. 

Observing the spread of the internet and the scope of ecommerce in the country, Arati launched OnlyPaithani — an online store for Paithani sarees in 2009. 

However, leading a textile business, where the majority of weavers are men, came as a challenge for the entrepreneur. 

“Understanding and accepting the mindset of men in rural areas and working around it was a tough nut to crack. But this also became a conscious agenda for me to onboard women in the weaving business. On a personal level, I educated myself about weaving and textiles. Slowly, the male weavers took cognisance of my seriousness about the business and started accepting my input,” recalls Arati.  

Advising women leaders, she says, “Be persistent and consistent. Keep up with the trends, but remain true to yourself. Also, find a supportive partner — be it a spouse, friend or business partner — who brings something new to the table and complements your efforts.”