Aditi Chand, the co-founder and CEO of Tilfi and its sister label Terra, calls herself an ‘accidental entrepreneur’. Inclined towards academics, she never envisioned opening up a fashion label without any technical knowledge or experience in the industry. Climbing the ladder in the world of finance was Aditi’s goal, but the entrepreneur gravitated towards design instantly after being exposed to the brilliant craftsmanship of the artists. Frequent visits to her husband’s hometown Banaras, acquainted her with a plethora of talented artisans. She was equal parts in awe of the work they did and disappointed by the state of traditional handloom in the country. ‘Conversations often centred around the heydays of the business, steeped in nostalgia of a time when every Indian bride wanted a Banarasi — a reality no longer familiar to the new generation,’ she tells me.
