Rapid Fire with YS Life: Aparajit Sangotra, Co-founder, Paaduks
Aparajit Sangotra, Co-founder of Paaduks, the D2C brand that makes handcrafted vegan footwear brand, spills the secrets!
In a world obsessed with sustainability and veganism, entrepreneur Aparajit Sangotra has cracked a niche segment well ahead of its time. The co-founder of makes handcrafted eco-friendly footwear from discarded rubber tyres.
Founded in 2013, the Mumbai-based direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand claims to have recycled over 25,85,788 kgs of tyres, preventing 60,33,560 kgs of CO2 emissions. It has partnered with over 20 ecommerce platforms, including giants like , , , and Ajio.
With a background in design from the MIT Institute of Design, Sangotra heads the product design team at Paaduks, marrying innovative designs and sustainability.
Recently, YS Life caught up with Sangotra to ask her quirky and fun questions about her life and brand to get an insight into the entrepreneur’s life beyond her business.
Edited excerpts from the conversation:
YS Life [YSL]: What are the three words that best describe you?
Aparajit Sangotra [AS]: Detail-oriented, strong-willed, and a colourist.
YSL: Describe what Paaduks mean to you in one sentence.
AS: Paaduks is my blood, sweat, and tears—all poured into footwear that represents our ethos.
YSL: If not an entrepreneur, what would you be?
AS: I'd likely be a packaging designer and curator at a gifting company, channelling my creativity in a different form.
YSL: A footwear brand that you look up to for inspiration?
AS: Manolo Blahnik.
YSL: A footwear that you pick for your special occasions?
AS: I opt for our Autumn Fall collection.
YSL: A footwear that you pick for your everyday wear?
AS: I find Rive Eco-kicks to be great for everyday use.
YSL: If you had the chance to dress up your favourite celebrity in Paaduks, who would it be, and which footwear would you pick for them?
AS: I'd love to see Cillian Murphy in our Nas Black footwear.
YSL: Three things that you never leave your house without?
AS: A water bottle, my pocket diary, and a pen.
YSL: Your dream holiday destination?
AS: Japan has always been a dream destination for me.
YSL: Money or fame?
AS: Money. It is essential for growth and stability.
YSL: Consistency or creativity—what matters the most at Paaduks?
AS: Both hold equal importance.
YSL: Your mantra in life?
AS: ‘We are the decisions.’ It's about embracing the journey and focusing on mastery, inspired by the wisdom of James Clear and Albert Einstein.
YSL: What do you love the most about your job?
AS: I absolutely love finalising the colour, material, and finish of our products.
YSL: What do you hate about your job?
AS: I'm not a sample size (for Paaduks’ trials), so that makes product testing a bit complicated.
YSL: If you could go invisible for a day, what would you do?
AS: There's so much I would love to explore and experience, but one day is so little time!
Edited by Suman Singh