Made In Pune: Check Out These Local Brands Worth Being Proud Of

You may have come across this brand when they went viral on Instagram. EcoKaari is worth taking note! The brand collects plastic everything and recycles it to create handwoven bags. Everything is made in the handlooms and everything is made from recycled plastic or food wrappers. You'll find totes, pouches, satchels, and a variety of designs that come alive thanks to the colourful plastic it's all been woven with. 

Handcrafted and super cozy, Baani Quilting Studio offers custom-designed quilts. Working out of a home-studio in NIBM, the brand offers quality craftsmanship and designs. You can visit the studio to choose fabric, quilt style/size, and place an order. You can even get old clothes and ask them to upcycle those into beautiful quilts. They even sell fat quarters (small fabric pieces) starting at INR 60, which you can purchase to get accessories like bags, and holders made.

Chef Niket Drego has been running India's first single batch artisanal charcuterie from Pune. Every week, The Daily Cut features a new cold cut. Cehf Niket enhances the flavours with experiments and offers cold cuts unlike what you'll find on supermarket shelves. The best bit? It's all made without additives, and is completely chemical free! You'll find cuts like Caper-Churri Pork Salami,  Nürnberger German Bratwurst, Louisiana Hot Links, Pork Mortadella, and more! These cold cuts are perfect to bring home and arrange on your grazing boards, especially if you're hosting guests. 

A no-BS brand, Rootivate offers health and wellness products and is gradually expanding its range. They begin with granola and superfood bars  in six flavours as well as the floral tea blends. Each bar is specific to a wellness issue such as hormonal imbalance, stress, cleansing, etc. The choco-almond granola and the blue pea-mint tea are popular choices. All the products are manufactured locally by rural ladies from self-help groups.

A homegrown brand, Ruisa has redefined the art of Kantha embroidery, handloom cotton stitching, and tie & dye. The name Ruisa means soft like rui (cotton) and true to its name, the brand offers cotton sarees, stoles, and kurtis. You'll find Kantha patchwork dupatta, handcrafted shibori dupatta, and sarees. The best part is that they work with artisans all over India to create best of the handloom pieces.

Steezy.in sells premium, stylish and affordable activewear. The brand offers a wide variety of sports bras, leggings, shorts, crop tops, tank tops, two-piece sets, and workout jackets. The designs are trendy and the GenZ will totally vibe with them. Steezy is known for its one-shoulder sports bra and ribbed knit crop top.

Why By Abira is a jewellery brand made by women and for women. Their sustainable and ethically-made jewellery is design driven and everything is made by women artisans. Their latest collection features designs that are crafted with wood and an Indian handloom. You'll see Ikkat fabric weaved into a wooden frame and many such variations; it's all upcycled fabric waste! You can shop through their website or via Project Eve stores. 

While jewellery is the main highlight of the brand, they also have eco-friendly and handwoven home decor items, stoles and scarves, and handmade masks.

We've had several baby-friendly tips passed down the generations. Backing up every grandma's advice with science and intense R&D, Citta has established itself as a premium baby bath and skincare essentials brand. This homegrown brand has so many amazing products that are free of suphates, parabens, silicons, and toxins. Their range includes baby wash, no-tears shampoo, massage oil, balm, powder and more. All of Citta's products are clean, gentle, and cruelty-free.

Chappers is responsible for making Kolhapuri chappals cool again. Taking the traditional chappal, Chappers has transformed its average designs into something more contemporary and vibrant. Their range for men and women is extremely vast, and you've got to check the brand out for its use of details on the footwear. 

Founded in Pune, Nurserylive may be popular all over India, but this homegrown brand deserves a shoutout for encouraging those with a green thumb. The website offers a wide range of gardening equipment along with garden supplies like seeds, plants, planters, and more. You can have it all shipped to your doorstep with just a few clicks!

Kombucha is a delicious beverage and several brands across India have been making batches and bottling them up. But there's none like Pune's Umami Brew. A brand that consistently keeps experimenting with flavours, Umami Brew's kombucha hits differently. Try flavours like Kokum Ginger, Pineapple Spice, Coffee Nutmeg, and more. 

While it seems like coffee has taken over the world, there's no denying that it's fun to see a new brand brewing out of Pune. Aeka Coffee runs out of the co-work The Dartar in Baner. The brand is introducing brewing methods and educating people about roasts, beans and all things coffee through workshops at the co-working space too. You can stop by the co-work to get a whiff and sip of their coffee, and pick up one of their grinds to brew at home too.

Tree-free handmade papers are a rare find, but Pune Handmade Papers has been creating paper items for a while now. Run and owned by Studio Mars, a design firm in Pune, Pune Handmade Papers creates papers, diaries, and several other paper items. Their cotton rag papers are a hit, along with their stationery items like calendars, recyclable pencils, files, folders; and lifestyle items like card games, and lanterns.

Sustainable fashion is the way forward, and Darjja gets that. Currently selling only via their website, Darjja offers collections crafted put of organic khadi cotton. Their colours are vibrant, and every design blends traditional sensibilities with modern aesthetics. Their Indianwear collection Rus Shringar has lehenga sets for womena dn kurta sets for men, all crafted in vibrant colours with simplistic designs. You can also brows through Chiraiya, a collection that's inspired by the birds of West Bengal. The best bit about the brand is that their designs can be worn from 9 to 9, as everything is comfortable and breathable!

Aara_ish is a bespoke fashion label by Divya Matai and houses the most exquisite collection of designer clothing, footwear and accessories. This cutesy studio customises lehengas, suits, anarkalis and party wear. Their footwear collection is quite stunning too. You'll find handcrafted juttis with kalamkari prints or coin chappals, leather juttis with cutwork, and more.