Mumbai Brand Turns Textile Waste Into Rs 2 Cr Revenue, Employing Artists With Disability

“For the longest time, I wanted the same things everyone else wants — to wake up each morning with purpose, to earn my own money, to be trusted with responsibility, and to be known for my work rather than my diagnosis. I was not asking for sympathy. I was asking for a chance to belong,” says Akanksha Mhatre, a master artisan at Karmann. When school ended, the silence was louder than ever for many young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Structure disappeared. So did opportunity. Jobs were scarce, and independence felt distant. “I wanted to work, to support my mot...