A fleeting meeting at the New Delhi airport left the designer Sabiachi Mukeridge deeply moved. The young woman stopped him and said, “Mr. Mukeridge, you can’t die.” Surprised, he asked why. Her response was deep: “Your brand denotes something more. What will be with us if you are gone?” At this moment, the realization was anchor: the Sabbath was no longer just a label; It became a cultural movement.
For 25 years Sabyasachi was synonymous Fashion, rich in heritageBut his ambitions go beyond personal property. In 2021 he made a decision that changes the game – sold 51% of his company’s shares Group Aditya Birla. It was not about control over the refusal; It was about ensuring the longevity of his brand.
“Entrepreneurs often allow personal ego to dictate their decisions. They are held too long, and when they disappear, so are their brand,” he said in an interview with CNBC-TV18. “I was sure – Sabiyachi was supposed to survive me.”
Instead of tying his brand to one identity, he sought to create an institution that could prosper for his presence. “I said to Mr. Birla – this company does not belong to me. It belongs to the country and we must build it in view of it,” he said.
Rethink Indian luxury
When Sabiachi started his journey to Calcutta, the fashion in India greatly reflected Western aesthetics. But it provided for another path – one that is rooted in indigenous textiles, complex embroidery and unfiltered wealth. His maximalist prudence rejected the Eurocentric definitions of luxury, instead of accepting the rich skill of India.
“I have never seen India as a third world country,” he said. “I have always viewed it as a civilization of the First World.” He attributes icons such as Ray, Ritwick Gatak and Rabindranate Tagore for the formation of his worldview, pushing him to the presentation of India on the world stage.
“The luxury is not about the presentation; It’s about self-confidence, “he explained.” Our biggest obstacle has always been our unwillingness to believe in our own skill. “
A brand built for the last
In 51, the focus of Sabiachi moved from his personal heritage to the institutional table. Unlike traditional family companies, he does not believe in the transition of the torch based on heritage.
“Even if I had children, they would not inherit the brand if they were not qualified,” he sincerely says. Its purpose is to turn Sabyasachi into a “corporate sob” – a brand that is strong enough to exist regardless of it.
His journey is more than a fashion success story; This is a barrier violation lesson. “If a middle-class boy from Calcutta can dispute the status quo, just as anyone else,” he muses.
For Sabyasachi, the future is not to be at the helm forever – it is about its brand, like Craft It Champions, is on the time test.
