India: The Manufacturing Muscle of the Globe.

India is estimated to become the most populous country in 2023, and its population is projected to increase by around 240 million over the next 25 years. On this International Population Day, as the founder of MasterG and Daughters , I am proud to reflect on India's remarkable journey as a manufacturing powerhouse. With its vast population and abundant talent, India has emerged as a global leader in various industries. Fena, a homegrown manufacturing brand founded by my father and uncle has become a major contributor to India's manufacturing muscle with units across the country. I had the privilege of working at Fena for two years, learning invaluable insights, before pursuing my fashion education at Parsons. That training helps me as I am running my independent business today enabling over 150 global sustainability focussed fashion brands to manufacture through our ecosystem of women run units across India. Each such unit has a female patternmaker which was unheard of prior to us starting the MasterG and Daughters skilling program in 2015. 

India's greatest strength lies in its demographic advantage. With a population of over 1.3 billion, our nation possesses a large workforce brimming with potential. This provides a significant advantage in terms of labor availability and diversity, making India an attractive manufacturing destination for companies worldwide.

While celebrating our manufacturing prowess, it is crucial to address the challenges faced by women, especially those working as pattern makers in the apparel industry. Despite their immense talent and willingness to learn, women in this field encounter various hurdles. Gender bias, lack of safe public transport, limited access to training and resources, and lack of safe working environments are some of the challenges that need urgent attention. As we strive for inclusive growth, it is essential to empower and uplift our women workforce, enabling them to fully contribute to India's manufacturing success story by providing them support structures at home and safe social spaces.

MasterG and Daughters have undertaken the critical task of addressing the prevailing Khandaani Darzi system, which has traditionally excluded women from decision-making roles and livelihood opportunities. This system, while renowned for producing highly skilled and respected male pattern makers across generations, has perpetuated patterns of disparity for women. Empowering over 2500 marginalized women since 2015, with 29 Training Centers, they are breaking patterns of disparity, enabling women to reclaim decision-making power and building resilient communities across 13 states.