Zishta is a brand which has a vision to revive traditional crafts from authentic clusters and to bring back as many of such crafts from rural artisans, back into the mainstream, as these products have immense value in terms of culture, health and utility value and contribute immensely to sustainable living.

Zishta has been catering to over 75,000+ customers across India and globally with presence in 21+ countries through their online platform and exclusive retail store in Bangalore. Zishta is expanding through retail to get closer to customers to provide deeper information and knowledge. Zishta is excited to launch their first retail presence in Chennai.

Zishta was started in July 2016 by three passionate people whose vision was to revive traditional wisdom from the roots. The vision is to revive traditional crafts from where it originated centuries earlier.

Zishta is authentic to the traditions by working directly with the same cluster of rural artisans who have been handcrafting these products using traditional techniques mastered by their ancestors and passed along.

There is a wealth of traditional wisdom in these places which is documented and made sure such knowledge is available for everyone. They do this by travelling to nook and corner of the country, spend time with the artisans and the community around, understand the traditional value and authenticity and document the same. The founders have travelled the length and breadth of many states interacting with several artisan clusters in rural areas.

Zishta also aims at creating sustainable living through revival of these ancient products. They take the authentic traditions to the next level by testing the products for its purity in the modern world. They test all the products in an independent NABL accredited lab and the traditional products comply with RoHS standards (Restriction of Hazardous Substances).

In the last 4+ years, Zishta has revived over 250+ products from around 50+ clusters working with 500+ artisans from across 14 states in the country: Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Orissa, West Bengal, Assam, Manipur, Kashmir, Chattisgarh, Punjab. Their customer base spreads across India and in International markets. So far internationally, Zishta has catered to over 21+ countries.

A brief about the founders:

Meera Ramakrishnan has 26 years of experience with 22 years’ in corporate, and has held senior leadership positions in leading MNCs including GE, Honeywell, Infosys in marketing and strategy positions. The trigger to bring back traditions was born while on a trip with her parents to villages near her hometown, when her father told her stories about villages, their culture and how the traditions were getting lost over time.

Archish Mathe Madhavan has over 10 years of experience as a marketing professional working with large Multinational giants in key leadership roles. His passion for sustainable living got him hooked to the idea of reviving traditions for the future generations.

Varishta Sampathi’s an avid sportswomen who dreamt of being an entrepreneur and Zishta gave her the right impetus. Fresh out of college, she was very clear that she wanted to do something meaningful in her life. Her passion for customer delight has been instrumental in her leading the entire Operations of Zishta.

Do visit Zishta at Weddings & Marigolds Studio, 18/12, Lakshmanan Street, T Nagar, Chennai. Mathangi Srinivasamurti of Weddings & Marigolds Studio has more than 20 odd years of experience in the retail industry and being a pioneer of sorts in bringing the best of Indian crafts and weaves to Chennai, her retail studio caters to a large audience.