After losing his 42-store brand, Nagmani Roy empowered 1,700 Bihar women

Nagmani Roy, founder of Earthomadic Foundation, left his 42-store fashion brand during the COVID-19 pandemic to return to his ancestral village in Bihar. There, he witnessed the untapped potential of rural women with traditional skills and limited market access. Earthomadic Foundation and Project Anuswaar were established to connect these skilled women with the modern market, providing sustainable livelihood opportunities.

Nagmani's journey began in a lower-middle-class family in Bihar, where his grandfather's teaching instilled the value of hard work and making the most of limited resources. After completing his fashion design degree from NIFT Hyderabad, he started a women's clothing retail brand called Kazari, which grew to 42 stores in 11 years.

However, the brand was forced to shut down due to the pandemic. Returning to his village, Roy realized that while women possessed skills, they lacked access to markets, design knowledge, and regular income. To address this, Earthomadic Foundation developed Project Anuswaar, which focuses on training women in various crafts and equipping them with design, production, and market knowledge.

The foundation has trained around 1,700 rural women, with about 300 artisans currently active in different clusters and groups, such as water hyacinth, sikki, sujini, terracotta, appliqué, leather, crochet, jute, and banana fibre. By focusing on sustainable livelihoods and turning skills into income opportunities, Earthomadic Foundation aims to create a lasting impact beyond simply increasing the number of trained individuals.