M3M Foundation’s ‘Threads of India – Bharat Ka Taana Baana’ Brings India’s Textile Heritage, Fashion and Purpose Together
New Delhi [India], October 2: From learning directly from traditional weavers and artisans across India to translating those experiences into contemporary fashion, M3M Foundation’s Threads of India – Bharat Ka Taana Baana brought together craft, culture, sustainability and women’s empowerment at an exclusive ‘Evening of Patronage & Purpose’ at Roseate House, New Delhi. At the heart of the initiative were 32 unique dresses, created by four young women artisans from M3M Foundation’s iMpower Academy for Skills. The collection, titled ‘Ada-e-Hind’, represents a journey that took the young artisans beyond the classroom and into the heart of India’s textile traditions. The evening brought together a glamorous gathering of Delhi’s fashion and social circuit, including Ramola Bachchan, Rina Dhaka, Sunit Verma, Sonal Mansingh, a host of eminent fashion designers, corporate leaders and prominent names from Delhi’s Page 3 fraternity.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Payal Bansal Kanodia, Chairperson and Trustee, M3M Foundation, said, “Threads of India is, at its heart, a journey of discovery, learning and opportunity. We wanted our young artisans to experience India’s rich craft traditions not merely through a classroom, but by meeting the people who have preserved them across generations and understanding the knowledge, skill and stories behind them. What they have created from that experience is a beautiful reflection of our heritage, interpreted through their own imagination and contemporary sensibilities. For us, sustainability goes beyond what we create; it is equally about sustaining skills, livelihoods and the communities that keep India’s extraordinary craft traditions alive and carry them forward”.
Under the ‘Threads of India 1.0’ initiative, the artisans travelled across different regions of the country, meeting local weavers and craftsmen and gaining a first-hand understanding of the techniques, materials, motifs and cultural narratives that shape India’s diverse textile heritage. Their exposure to these traditional practices became the foundation for developing the 32 contemporary creations, bringing together traditional knowledge with modern design sensibilities. This collection was first showcased this year at Times Fashion Week 2026, following the success of ‘Dream Weavers 1.0’. Each of the 32 dresses was uniquely designed, with no replicas, reflecting the learning and creative interpretation developed through the artisans’ journey across India.
Threads of India is an extension of M3M Foundation’s work through iMpower Academy for Skills, which has trained 12,000+ youth, with 76%+ youth placed, including 2,000+ young people trained in fashion, stitching and tailoring. The initiative demonstrates how skill development can move beyond training to provide exposure, creative expression, and pathways towards sustainable livelihoods. The larger vision behind the initiative is to create a more meaningful connection between craft preservation and contemporary opportunity. By enabling young women to learn directly from traditional practitioners and reinterpret that knowledge through their own work, the initiative seeks to contribute not only to the continuity of India’s craft traditions but also to the economic empowerment of the next generation of skilled artisans.
