Weaving vibes, specializing in various fields of textiles, and high-quality fabric checking stations. Checking all parameters at every stage, from procuring raw materials to dispatching them. The best quality of Hemp for textile is made into yarn and they source it directly from the yarn makers.
Incubees: Tell us about yourself and your journey as an Entrepreneur.
Shripat Jagidar: My name is Shripat Jagirdar and I am a third generation in the textile business. Born and brought up in South Bombay, have an immense love for travel and animals. Innovating and Experimenting is my passion. For me, being an entrepreneur is all about having the freedom to make/sell what you believe in and enjoy doing. So I unknowingly started my journey into entrepreneurship by selling Sunburn (Music event) tickets to college students while being in college myself. From there I got into the business of trading/selling forex for a bit only to realize that my passion lies in textiles. While growing up, there was a lot of textile talk at the dining table that always had half my attention. After graduating, In 2014 I joined my family business, which is into the manufacturing of traditional textiles by starting on the shop floor and studying all the difficulties and issues at the root. Then, in 2018, I started working on my own venture, Weaving Vibes, which, after two years of R&D, officially launched commercial production in 2020.
Incubees: What made you choose hemp fibres for clothing and not the basic old traditional raw material? Tell us about the role Hemp plays in today’s environment.
Shripat Jagidar: As mentioned earlier, I am a third-generation in the textile industry and hence when I joined my family business we were into the manufacturing of traditional raw material textile fabrics, for example, cotton and its blends, I believe that I did not choose hemp fabrics but hemp fabrics chose me, as while working in the family business, I was looking out for other business opportunity and sustainable options, is when I happen to come across Hemp. On learning about Hemp and its properties and the possibilities of hemp fibres I immediately dived right into the hemp fibres.
Hemp plays a very important role in the environment and here’s how: – From the agricultural point of view – hemp absorbs more carbon dioxide from the environment compared to any other plant. Hemp is one of the few crops that replenishes the nutrients in the soil where it is grown, hemp requires 1/3 amount of water as compared to cotton and grows 3x faster than cotton and hence gives the farmers the benefit of faster crop rotation alongside financial savings as hemp requires no pesticides, fertilizers and very little water to grow. Now on the fashion end – hemp is one of the strongest natural fibres in the world, which means products made from Hemp fabrics have a longer and healthier lifespan than other regular fabrics. Hemp fabrics are also inherently anti-microbial and UV resistant. Hemp fabrics not only get stronger and softer with every wash but also naturally biodegrade and decompose in the environment.
Incubees: Do you outsource Hemp or is it indigenous?
Shripat Jagidar: Currently we are importing hemp fibres/yarns from several countries as the cultivation of textile grade hemp crops is not being grown in India, The Indian government needs to on an urgent basis legalize the growing of industrial hemp crops pan India to help us build the picture of fibre to fashion in such sustainable fabrics. This will not only help the Farmers and the Environment but also the future of further generations
Incubees: Hemp is slowly starting to take its place in India commercially. Why do you think people should start moving toward a hemp-based clothing industry?
Shripat Jagida: The world is burning, fast fashion is one of the largest contributors to fuelling the pollution on earth, and most of the garments made from fast fashion are non-sustainable composition based fabrics. Hemp has definitely picked up pace commercially In India. I feel that more brands/labels/people will take an environmentally conscious decision and will start moving towards hemp-based clothing, as this is the greenest option we have. I feel people should start moving towards hemp-based clothing, as this would be one of the fastest ways to help nature heal.
Incubees: Tell us about your team and what keeps them going?
Shripat Jagidar: Our team is a group of enthusiastic, creative young adults who are innovating every day, trying to make the world of natural textiles, fabrics, weaves, yarns and clothing more sustainable and affordable. What keeps them going is the passion and determination to bring about awareness and education about the ways we can contribute to making sure the future generations do not have to face harsh climatic changes or extreme global warming.
Incubees: Tell us about the machinery and tech involved in hemp-based clothing.
Shripat Jagidar: Hemp-based clothing is no rocket science. The machinery and tech involved are very similar to regular cotton-based clothing. However, there are a few tweaks in the manufacturing process that are needed to produce great quality premium hemp-based clothing. Tech behind hemp is still building as it’s still a new subject for us in terms of manufacturing and applications.
Incubees: What would you like to say to the budding Entrepreneurs?
Shripat Jagidar: Do something that makes you Happy, in business and in life. There are 3 basic needs of humans – Wealth, Health & Happiness. Wealth can be earned and enjoyed, but what good is it if you’re not healthy and happy? Health can be earned and enjoyed, but again, what good is it if you’re not happy. Happiness is not earned, it’s a state of mind, it’s free, regardless of being wealthy or healthy, you can still be happy. Whatever you do, as long as it wakes you up with a smile and puts you back in bed with a smile, it’s worth it!
To know more, visit: https://www.weavingvibes.com/?v=c86ee0d9d7ed
