3 Women Create 50 Jobs From Textile Waste in Mumbai

When Beverly Louis, Dilshad Mehershahi and Geetanjali Gaur worked as disability educators in Mumbai, they noticed something heartbreaking. Their students graduated with skills and dreams, but the world offered them nowhere to go.

The question haunted them: why should disability define someone's future? In 2011, they founded Mann, a program designed to help young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities rebuild confidence and prepare for independent living.

But preparation wasn't enough. When graduates started assisting teachers at Mann, something shifted. Families began seeing their children differently. The young adults themselves stood taller, spoke with more conviction, found purpose.

Beverly realized employment wasn't just about paychecks. It was about identity and dignity.

Then COVID-19 hit. Jobs disappeared overnight, and years of progress evaporated. Many people with disabilities found themselves back where they started, proving how fragile workplace inclusion really was.

A mentor asked them a simple question: why wait for inclusive employers when you could become one? That conversation sparked Karmann, a social enterprise launched in 2022 that transforms discarded textiles into everyday products like bags, aprons and home goods.

Every artisan at Karmann trains first at Mann, creating a seamless path from skill-building to paid employment. The model works because it doesn't rush people into jobs they're not ready for or workplaces that aren't ready for them.

Why This Inspires

Master artisan Akanksha Mhatre stitches meaning into every product she creates. "Knowing that something I made from waste will be used by someone every day gives me pride," she says. That pride radiates through Karmann's workshop, where 50 artisans now earn steady incomes doing work that matters.

The numbers tell part of the story. Karmann has diverted over 10,000 kg of textile waste from landfills and generated Rs 2 crore in revenue. But the real transformation happens in how these artisans see themselves and how society sees them.

Together, Mann and Karmann prove that inclusion isn't about charity or lowered expectations. It's about creating systems that trust people to build their own futures, one stitch at a time.