The unreasonable hero of Hydrabad-Sudha Rani Mullapudi

“The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable man"

George Bernard Shaw

In the grand tapestry of the handcraft ecosystem, many threads—both big and small—are woven together by an intricate supply chain. From artists who sell their creations directly to those whose work reaches buyers through various intermediaries, the stakeholders are as varied as the crafts themselves. In Karnataka and Bengaluru, I have chronicled the lives of many such heroes—those who embody the spirit of a singular or multiple roles within the craft world. Some are creators, some are sellers, others are enablers, and a few take on the mantle of nurturers. Among them, rare are the super designers who harmonize all roles to preserve, promote, and add new dimensions to these ancient arts.

Yet there are a few—unreasonable in the best sense of the word—who go beyond mere passion. They possess an unwavering knowledge, skill, and dedication to handlooms and crafts. They not only preserve these traditions but also breathe new life into them, transforming themselves into artful custodians and savvy promoters. One such enabler is Sudha Rani Mullapudi.

Sudha is someone with whom I share the honor of having worked with at Oxfam, though our paths had not crossed in person until one fateful Sunday when I, along with Sivaramakrishna, finally met her. I had followed her career trajectory for years, admiring her journey from afar, but meeting her in person was something else entirely. Rarely does one encounter a person who has transitioned from a career in development aid to dedicating their life to the revival, promotion, and sale of handloom and handicraft products. Sudha’s story is extraordinary because she herself is singular, incomparable—a true original at every stage of her life.

One of the earliest women graduates in horticulture, and likely the first female postgraduate from the National School of Agribusiness, Sudha’s journey began with her foray into rural development, where she spent two decades learning, building, innovating, and contributing. From her varied responsibilities in development to her later passion for handlooms, Sudha has always moved with purpose. So, when she dived into the world of handlooms 15 years ago—leading programs on market access, heading Tradecraft, and eventually founding her own social enterprise, Abhihara—it was a natural extension of her lifelong commitment to fairness, sustainability, and innovation.

Abhihara, which means “the ability to rise against difficult odds,” is an enterprise that nurtures cotton, handloom, and crafts from Telangana. Here, the stories of cotton, craft, and handloom intersect to breathe new life into ancient traditions, painting them in the vivid hues of magic, justice, and audacity. To Sudha, this audacity is second nature. "Though we struggle with unfair competition from mill products, unregistered players on social media, rising raw material costs, high overheads like stall rents, transport costs, and the burden of GST squeezing our margins, I never felt like giving up. I believe we will sail through," she said with a spark of defiance.

https://www.abhihaara.com/

And sail through she did. When the pandemic crushed small businesses, Sudha’s ability to build a network of supporters became her armor. With the goodwill she had nurtured over the years, Sudha not only survived but flourished, innovating her way forward. That’s the thing about Sudha—her mind is always at work, inventing.

On that Sunday, despite her many responsibilities, she made time to meet us. She was late, but that delay worked in our favor, as it gave us time to locate her office, nestled on the first floor of a nondescript building on a street filled with the humdrum architecture of squeezed apartments. Sudhakar Bandaru, her gentle but formidable deputy, spotted us wandering and guided us inside with a smile and a call from the window. A glass of water, a cup of tea, and we were welcomed into an atmosphere filled with slow, thoughtful conversations.

Sudha arrived, radiating energy and joy, wrapped in a magnificent red handloom saree. Apologizing for her tardiness, she launched into her story—an incredible journey marked by personal loss, professional obstacles, and the unique struggles of a first-generation woman entrepreneur who was determined to go beyond profit, to share revenue fairly, support heritage, and sustain an entire ecosystem. She smiled while recounting moments that would have left others in tears. When she spoke of her latest innovations—"We’ve started making Gollabhama khadi sarees using natural dyes and also zero-zari Gadwal cotton sarees using three shuttles"—her face lit up, and it was as if the stacked sarees and displayed crafts around us had come alive, dancing in vivid colors and joyful rhythms.

For over three hours, we listened to her stories, asked questions, and shared in her anguish and triumphs. I asked her if there was a single moment that made her rethink, reimagine, and bounce back from the bruises life had dealt her. She paused, reflective. "There are so many," she said, "but if I had to pick one, it would be when I was one of five women entrepreneurs invited to the Global Entrepreneur Summit in 2017." Her eyes glistened with pride.

Dr. Sivaramakrishna, who normally would have added many thoughtful observations, was uncharacteristically quiet, simply smiling with a happy admiration. "What a story," he murmured.

Before we said our goodbyes, I was thrilled when Sudha agreed to apply for the innovation competition at the Kula Conclave. She had also graciously arranged for us to meet handloom weavers and metalcraft artisans in Pochampally the following day. As we left, Bernard Shaw’s famous quote about the "unreasonable person" bringing about real change came to mind. Sudha is the embodiment of that energy—authentic, innovative, and full of integrity. She is not just reviving a precious heritage; she is shimmering it with newfound magic.

When I asked her what does all this stuggle and breakthroughs means

"Though we are struggling with unfair competition from mill products too many unregistered players on social media etc increasing raw material costs high over heads like stall rents stock transportGST which is a burden and squeezing our margins never felt like giving up and has the belief that we will sail through"

She has more than sailed through- a true inspiration and nurturer.

Her story, and the stories of those like her, prove that the vast potential of India’s handloom and handicraft industries—often touted as a trillion-dollar economy with enormous employment potential—can only be realized with the vision and courage of individuals like Sudha Rani Mullapudi.

Priya Krishnamoorthy Simon Ticehurst @kula2024 @200million artisans @climatejustice Anil Annaiah @s

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