Many contemporary labels in recent years have emerged as natural extensions of textile legacies, handed down through generations. For Udit Khanna too, a legacy in a thriving Banarasi textile spanning over five decades and an inherent entrepreneurial spirit, seemed like a natural recipe for carrying the vision forward. His sights, however, were set on a different path initially. “The family business was something we’d occasionally advise on during our visits to India, because we definitely had a lot of bookish knowledge to offer—but that was it,”says Aditi Chand, Udit’s partner of over twenty years. While she built her career in investment banking, specialising in derivatives, M&A, and growth financing, Udit focused on founding an education company, later acquiring an international English-language school and expanding it to Mexico and Kazakhstan. Eventually, the two joined forces to prepare the company for sale and went on to pursue their MBAs at INSEAD in France.
