EcoKaari™ - Humanising Fashion

What EcoKaari™ - Humanising Fashion does

EcoKaari™ - Humanising Fashion is a Pune-based social enterprise that upcycles waste plastic — including carry bags, multilayered packaging, glittery gift wrappers, and obsolete audio/video cassette tapes — into handcrafted fabric using traditional Charkha (spindle) and handloom techniques. The resulting fabric, lined with cotton canvas or muslin, is converted into a catalog of 649+ products spanning totes, handbags, backpacks, laptop bags, wallets, fanny packs, beach bags, gym/duffle bags, clutches, home décor accessories, cutlery kits, and plantable seed stationery. Production is carried out by a network of 317+ artisans drawn from less privileged backgrounds, with a lean core team of 6 employees managing operations from a headquarters and workshop in Warje Malwadi, Pune.

The company's commercial model is primarily direct-to-consumer through its Shopify-powered e-commerce store (ecokaari.org), supplemented by social media sales, exhibitions and events, and an experiential upcycling workshop program at the Pune location. A secondary B2B stream is served through a dedicated corporate gifting and CSR initiative program offering bulk pricing and customization for corporate, wedding, and event clients. Products are priced from ₹187.50 (seed pencils) to ₹2,875 (designer beach bags), with gift vouchers available up to ₹10,000 and free pan-India shipping on orders above ₹1,500. International shipping is available on request, with stated reach into the USA, UK, Germany, and France.

EcoKaari is incorporated as EcoKaari Private Limited in Maharashtra, India, and operates as a privately held, founder-led enterprise (founded by Nandan Bhat) with no disclosed external venture capital or private equity investment. The company has secured support through institutional incubators — NSRCEL at IIM Bangalore, IRMA, and InFED at IIM Nagpur — and an international partnership with NEST Artisan Guild (USA). National brand recognition has been built through featured appearances on Prime Minister Modi's Mann Ki Baat radio program, Shark Tank India, and a celebrity association with Bollywood actor Ayushman Khurrana. The company reports cumulative impact metrics of 5 million+ waste plastic items upcycled, 1,400+ tons of carbon emissions avoided, and 52,000+ customers served worldwide.

Name

EcoKaari™ - Humanising Fashion

Legal name

EcoKaari Private Limited

Website

https://ecokaari.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EcoKaari is a Pune-based social enterprise that upcycles waste plastic into handcrafted fabric using traditional Charkha and handloom techniques, producing bags, accessories, and plantable stationery through a network of 317+ artisans, sold direct-to-consumer and via corporate gifting programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Upcycled Handbags & Accessories

NAICS

Textile Bag and Canvas Mills (314910)

SIC

Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)

akta.pro primary industry

Film & Flexible Plastics Recycling (LDPE/LLDPE, Multilayer) (EUAIAKAE)

Keywords

• Upcycled handwoven bags
• Sustainable fashion accessories
• Plantable seed stationery
• Corporate sustainable gifting
• Plastic waste upcycling

Headquarters

HQ city

Pune

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: E-commerce sales of upcycled handwoven products including totes, handbags, backpacks, wallets, accessories, and home décor items directly to consumers through ecokaari.org. One-time purchase model with products ranging from ₹187.50 to ₹2,875.
2. Corporate Gifting: Bulk orders and customization services for corporate clients including corporate gifting, CSR initiatives, and event/wedding gifting. Special bulk pricing offered with customization options.
3. Gift Vouchers: Gift voucher sales in denominations of ₹500, ₹1000, ₹2000, ₹3000, ₹5000, and ₹10000 for gifting occasions.
4. Workshop and Experience Tours: Upcycling experience tours and workshops offered at their Pune location for customer engagement and education.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

EcoKaari upcycles single-use plastic waste into handcrafted, handwoven, eco-friendly, vegan, durable, washable plastic-yarn handbags, totes, accessories, and plantable stationery. The proprietary process converts discarded plastic bags into strong, durable yarn that is handwoven on traditional Charkha and handlooms. The company also produces plantable seed-embedded stationery and offers bulk corporate gifting and educational workshops from its Pune facility.

Product overview

EcoKaari™ is a social enterprise that upcycles waste plastic (carry bags, multilayered packaging, glittery gift wrappers, and old audio/video cassette tapes) into beautiful handcrafted fabric using traditional Charkha (spindle) and Handloom techniques. The product portfolio consists of multiple core product categories including Totes and Hand Bags, Beach Bags, Fanny Packs, Laptop Bags/Sleeves, Gaia Handbags, Envelope Clutch Slings, Gym/Duffle Bags, Wallets, Keychains, Cutlery Kits, D-Pouch Sets, Passport Holders, Backpacks, and Plantable Stationery (Seed Pencils, Crayons, Pens). Products are organized into sub-brand collections including Yipee Collection (playful colorful designs), Seed Collection (plantable stationery), Limited Edition Artisan Luxe (premium pieces), and Men's Collection. The company also offers Gift Vouchers and Corporate Gifting programs. All products are handcrafted by artisans from less privileged backgrounds, with the core value proposition being sustainable fashion that supports artisan livelihoods while reducing plastic waste.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Totes and Hand Bags Handcrafted tote bags and hand bags made from upcycled plastic yarn, suitable for everyday use by individual consumers.
• Beach Bags Spacious, durable beach bags handwoven from upcycled plastic yarn, designed for water resistance and outdoor use.
• Fanny Packs Compact, hands-free fanny packs handcrafted from upcycled plastic yarn for everyday casual use.
• Laptop Bags and Sleeves Padded laptop bags and sleeves handwoven from upcycled plastic yarn, designed to protect electronics.
• Gaia Handbags Earth-themed handcrafted handbags made from upcycled plastic yarn in Gaia-inspired designs.
• Envelope Clutch Slings Envelope-style clutch slings handcrafted from upcycled plastic yarn for evening and casual wear.
• Gym/Duffle Bags Spacious, durable gym and duffle bags handcrafted from upcycled plastic yarn, suitable for sports and travel.
• Backpacks Handcrafted backpacks made from upcycled plastic yarn for daily use, school, or travel.
• Wallets Wallets handcrafted from upcycled plastic yarn in multiple styles for men and women.
• Keychains Decorative keychains handcrafted from upcycled plastic yarn as small everyday accessories.
• Plantable Seed Pencils Plantable pencils containing seed capsules that germinate into plants when planted after the pencil is too short to use.
• Plantable Seed Crayons Plantable crayons with seed capsules that germinate into plants when planted after use, designed for children and eco-conscious gifting.
• Plantable Seed Pens Plantable pens with seed capsules that germinate into plants when planted after use, offering an eco-friendly end-of-life for stationery.
• Cutlery Kits Reusable cutlery kits positioned as eco-friendly alternatives to single-use disposable cutlery.
• D-Pouch Sets Sets of multi-purpose pouches made from upcycled plastic yarn for storage and organization.
• Passport Holders Passport holders and travel accessories handcrafted from upcycled plastic yarn.
• Gift Vouchers Gift vouchers redeemable against EcoKaari products, available for personal gifting.
• Corporate Gifting Program Bulk sustainable gifting service for corporations offering custom branding and packaging options on EcoKaari upcycled products.
• Workshops and Studio Tours Educational workshops and studio tours in Pune that demonstrate the plastic-to-fabric upcycling process and traditional Charkha weaving.

Quantifiable outcome

• Each product prevents 10-70+ plastic bags and wrappers from entering oceans and landfills
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitute providing management education and research in rural development, supporting EcoKaari's mission of livelihood generation in rural communities.
• InFED, Indian Institute of Management Nagpur (IIM Nagpur)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership supporting sustainable business development and research initiatives.
• NEST Artisan Guild, USAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational artisan guild partnership connecting EcoKaari with global artisan networks and markets in the USA.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Baggu: Well-known reusable-bags and accessories brand with a sustainability focus. Comparable product category (totes, bags, pouches) but uses virgin or recycled-nylon fabrics rather than upcycled multilayer plastic, and operates at significantly larger scale.
• MATT & NAT: Established Canadian brand producing vegan bags, wallets, and accessories with recycled and sustainable materials. Overlaps with EcoKaari in the bags/accessories category and sustainability positioning, but operates at much larger scale and broader retail distribution.

Direct peers

• Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise that collects ocean-bound plastic waste and converts it into social and economic value for collectors. Comparable to EcoKaari in combining plastic-waste upcycling with a social-impact mission and measurable ESG outcomes.
• Bureo: Brand that recycles ocean plastic (primarily fishing nets) into consumer products such as sunglasses, skateboards, and apparel. Directly comparable to EcoKaari for converting collected plastic waste into branded consumer goods with an environmental-impact narrative.
• Elvis & Kresse: UK-based luxury brand that upcycles decommissioned materials (notably fire hoses) into handcrafted bags, wallets, and home accessories. Closely comparable to EcoKaari's model of turning waste materials into premium handcrafted fashion accessories with a strong sustainability story.
• Tonlé: Zero-waste fashion brand that makes clothing and accessories from reclaimed and recycled fabrics using artisan production. Comparable to EcoKaari in combining sustainable materials, artisan-driven manufacturing, and a circular-fashion value proposition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ecokaari
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/EcoKaariHumanisingFashion
• Facebookfacebook.com/ecokaari
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecokaari
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecokaari
• Pinterestpinterest.com/ecokaarihumanisingfashion

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EcoKaari™ - Humanising Fashion