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THIS WOMAN STARTED INDIA’S LARGEST EXPORT HOUSE THAT SUPPLIES TO WALMART & MORE - SARLA AHUJA

India’s largest apparel manufacturer, began from a makeshift unit in the home of its founder, Sarla Ahuja, in the early 1970s. Today, Shahi Exports boasts of a 115,000-employee workforce, with Rs 8,244 crore in revenue this year from 51 factories across India. It has a customer base that includes Walmart, Gap Inc, Abercrombie & Fitch, PVH, Kohl’s, H&M, Target, and other big brands, with a current MoQ of 10,000 per order.

Sarla Ahuja is now 86 years old, and though she retired from her position two years ago due to ill health is up-to-date with the company’s expansion, growth, and new initiatives. In a conversation with HerStory, she recalls Shahi’s humble beginnings from her home in Delhi.

She is joined by her grandson Anant Ahuja, Head of Organisational Development at Shahi, who pitches in wherever her memory fails her (which is not often) and outlines Shahi’s plans for building a women-strong workforce and working towards a sustainable future. Married at 16, Sarla decided, at the age of 22, to supplement her family’s income by working as a sewing machine operator in a factory. She decided to quit after a year because she was finding it difficult to manage both work and home.

I was, however, fortunate to be given orders that helped me to work from home. Soon, I was able to employ around 15 people for export orders to the US, she says.

Anant explains, “My father took over the business in India in the 90s to expand it further and my uncle moved to the US, to run the import side of it. When the export quotas were removed, Shahi started to grow and receive bigger orders.”

I used to go to houses in the slums nearby and encourage the women to work for me. There were women living in the streets without a roof over their heads. I told them ‘come work with me’, and ensure a good education and life for your children, she says.

Inspired by Sarla’s vision for Shahi’s women workforce, in 2007, Shahi became the first company to pilot Personal Advancement and Career Enhancement (P.A.C.E.), a proprietary life skills programme by Gap Inc. It teaches communication, time management, decision-making, problem-solving, and financial literacy through weekly group sessions in the workplace and has trained over 75,000 women so far.

Shahi Exports has always been committed to sustainability and ethical practices. The company has implemented various initiatives to reduce its carbon footprint and promote sustainable practices, such as using renewable energy sources and reducing water consumption.

In conclusion, Shahi Exports is a leading textile manufacturer in India that has made a name for itself through its commitment to sustainability, ethical practices, and innovation. The company's success is a testament to its founders' vision and their dedication to creating a world-class textile manufacturing company.

Seems her life story is an inspiration to film Pichaikkaran - I