Growing up in West Bengal in the 1980s, Sunita Ramegowda’s childhood was filled with memories of her grandmother’s warm hugs and the lovingly crafted dolls made from old clothes.

“I remember my grandmother used to sew the long fall cloth onto the hem of her sarees. She would then remove the fall and upcycle it into a doll for me,” she reminisces.

These memories played a significant role in shaping her entrepreneurial journey with ‘The Good Gifts’ — a startup that manufactures fabric dolls upcycled from pre-owned textile waste.

Sunita, along with her husband Suhas Ramegowda, decided to revive the age-old concept of making dolls from old clothes and give it a modern twist.

“There is a growing segment which is moving away from plastic, and parents do not want their children playing with plastic toys anymore as they are not only hazardous to the environment but also to our health,” says Sunita.

By designing dolls with changeable garments, detailed features, and diverse skin tones, the couple aimed to provide children with a more engaging and realistic play experience while also fostering a sense of cultural connection.

“With different skin tones and facial expressions, children look at dolls and dress them up like their ajja-ajji (grandparents), mama (maternal uncle) and more,” shares Suhas.

By steering away from the conventional beauty standards perpetuated by plastic Barbie dolls, they offer a diverse range of colours, skin tones, and body shapes, encouraging children to embrace individuality and diversity from a young age.

By sourcing off-cuts and excess materials from garment factories, they not only reduce textile waste but also provide employment opportunities to tribal women artisans from the Nilgiris in Tamil Nadu.

With a monthly sale of 3,000 fabric dolls and a revenue of Rs 75 lakh in the last financial year, Sunita and Suhas have created a customer base across cities like Chennai, Bengaluru, and Goa.