Founders

Anupriya Mridha: Co-Founder & Head Designer

“To raise a nature-bonded child is to raise a rebel, a dreamer, an innovator... someone who will walk

their own verdant, winding path.” ~Nicolette Sowder

Anu’s friends, family & loved ones know her as nature’s child.

To think that the planting & growing of her being in the lush hills of the Eastern Ghats was by chance and circumstance would be shortsighted. It happens to be pure destiny. The beauty of Koraput called her from her mother’s womb. She was right where she was supposed to be.

While teachers taught her mathematics, science & art, nature taught her fluidity. Growing up in Koraput also made her an empirical witness to the vibrant Adivasi culture. To this day, she maintains deep reverence for their artistic style, skill & their way of living in harmony with nature. As the lead dreamer at Vani Vrtti, her unique designs have strong impressions of these influences. Often, she takes inspiration from Odisha’s culture, traditions & history and pays homage to them in her designs. As a ferocious nature devotee & protector, she finds great joy in taking up guardianship of the Odisha handloom art form and designing a weaver-buyer ecosystem that is both profitable and sustainable. After graduating from NIFT, Delhi, in 2015, Anu worked as a textile consultant & handloom specialist with Fabindia before starting Vani Vrtti. Through these years in the handloom industry, she has amassed immense fieldwork experience in Odisha, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and West Bengal.

Amlan Mandal: Co-founder & CEO

Who is a good friend?

The one who says all the right things & is there to celebrate you during good times. Or, the one who

whispers words of encouragement when you need it & tells you like it is while building you up.

Friends do come in all shapes and forms but Amlan definitely belongs to the latter category. A one-on-one with him will fill you with a sense of calm & self-worth. He is well read, well-travelled & can talk at breadth on any subject with ease. It’s this dynamism that makes him a great entrepreneur. His vision, faith in humanity & mastery in the art of common sense has taken Vani Vrtti to new frontiers; a modern-day luxury label in its true sense.

After graduating with a Bachelor's degree in EEE, Amlan worked as an IT professional with Infosys. Although he thoroughly enjoyed coding, he realized that heartwarming success comes when you do something for greater mankind. His love for handloom grew right from his college days when he travelled for site visits to support Anupriya. He witnessed the hard work & dedication artisans and designers put into each saree. He took a leap of faith in 2019 and joined Vani Vrtti as its co-founder.

His contribution to VaniVrtti's social platform, supply chain & guest relations made the brand what it is now. He remains guest-focused & looks for ways to enhance the brand's connections with its valuable patrons. To this day, he remains a loyal friend to many & Anu’s greatest cheerleader.