Maisha is a homegrown startup, set to revolutionize the Indian retail industry with the perfect blend between eco-friendly handbags and coveted bohemian designs. The company is created with a vision to become the market leader in the cotton fabric-based handbag industry in India.
Maisha derives its name from a Swahili colloquialism that translates to ‘life’. This aligns with what the brand has to offer in terms of joy and a lifestyle that is reflective of bohemianism.
At Maisha’s forefront is a father-daughter-husband trio, Nayan Shah, Esha Shah, and Neel Vora, who ensure the skillful combination of sustainable and bohemian aesthetics wrapped in Maisha packaging. A dynamic team that brings the perfect amount of balance with each one’s expertise in their own field – creativity, finance, and marketing. A perfect combination of a young, energetic & creative couple and an experienced businessman that brings synergy to Maisha’s journey. This team brings together a balance of spontaneity & experimentation along with experience and risk-taking.
Esha Shah was pursuing a lucrative career in Chartered Accountancy when she decided to give in to her inner calling of creative pursuit. She became an Ahmedabad-based Entrepreneur with a creative mindset, an eye for detail, and a vision to take over the bags industry made sure that every step she walks is taken towards turning her passion into her career with utmost thoughtfulness. Her fascination with the rich textile heritage the country homed inspired her to tread the path less traveled and test the waters with a startup, Maisha.
Nayan Shah instilled belief in his daughter’s venture and invested in the startup while providing Maisha with wings for growth. Along with the support from her husband, Neel Vora’s packaging business, Maisha was now ready to take flight.
What started from a pop-up stall in 2018, Maisha is now a full-fledged D2C brand with its own website, one physical outlet-the studio, a warehouse, and the products on various e-commerce platforms. Their website garners over 4.5 lakh monthly visitors. There is no looking back for them now.
Maisha grew threefold with the recognition of an Instagram family of 270k followers that fell in love with the woven jacquard fabrics– ranging from handbags such as the Three Pocket Jacquard bags that are a preferred choice amongst customers, to a wide variety in crossbody slings, satchels, tote bags, and baguettes, Maisha expanded its product lines to footwear and apparel as well.
The people of Maisha are the raison d’etre of the brand. This is a brand that transcends products and sales and caters to its customer’s aspirational value – it goes the extra mile to ensure a holistic experience for its customers by interacting with them and embracing change. Maisha takes its customers behind the scenes and walks them through the hurdles and joys of building a startup. Esha Shah’s entrepreneurship skills are an inspiration to women and startups across the globe.
Maisha recently reached the platforms of the Shark Tank India Season 2 finale. The brand received appreciation from all the sharks, leaving them impressed by its marketing strategies, product quality, and affordable pricing. They secured a deal from Shark Amit Jain of 10 lakhs for 1% equity and 65 lakhs debt.
One of the biggest challenges faced by Esha Shah, which was also addressed during the shark tank episode was having to leave a career path to follow her passion. But with her father’s belief and husband’s support, their collective vision came to reality and their mission became to see a Maisha bag in every wardrobe.
