Yosha Gupta on her journey to date:
I began my career over twenty years ago by first joining a global bank and then joining an early-stage startup at a time when the team was small, resources were limited, and roles were fluid. Starting out in a startup environment early on shaped my comfort with ambiguity and responsibility. It taught me how to build from scratch, make decisions with incomplete information, and take ownership beyond job titles — lessons that continue to guide how I work today. As I moved into technology and fintech roles across the Asia-Pacific region, I transitioned into product management, a role that fundamentally shaped how I think. As a product manager, I was always the bridge between engineering, design, business, and users. That experience trained me to think in systems — balancing user needs, commercial realities, and technical constraints — and instilled a deep appreciation for scale.
Midway through my career, I joined the World Bank Group, where my understanding of scale took on a different dimension. At the World Bank, I worked across countries, cultures, and institutions, focusing on projects that engaged underserved and often invisible populations. This experience reshaped my definition of impact. I saw firsthand that inclusive solutions are not only morally necessary but can also make strong business sense when built thoughtfully and sustainably. Working closely with governments, multilaterals, and private-sector stakeholders also sharpened my ability to navigate complexity, align diverse interests, and operate in environments where long-term outcomes mattered more than short-term wins. Exposure to cross-cultural teams reinforced the importance of listening deeply, designing with context, and remaining adaptable. Across these phases — startup, tech, fintech, and global development — I gradually built a worldview that combines execution with empathy, and ambition with patience. When I eventually chose to build MeMeraki, I wasn’t leaving one career behind; I was bringing together everything I had learned. My approach to scale is deeply influenced by technology, my commitment to impact is grounded in lived experience, and my leadership style reflects years of working at the intersection of systems, people, and purpose.
Beyond income, impact is also about visibility and validation. Many of the artists we work with come from craft traditions that are either endangered or poorly documented. Through structured research, filming, and storytelling, we have helped preserve techniques, narratives, and cultural context that might otherwise have been lost. Seeing master artists watch themselves teach or speak about their work on a digital platform for the first time is often as powerful as any sales milestone.
Globally, the response to Indian craft has been incredibly affirming. Whether through digital workshops attended by participants across continents, installations in international public spaces, or collaborations with global institutions and companies, we’ve seen how craft becomes a shared language. In these settings, craft is not viewed as “ethnic” or niche — it is understood as design, skill, and cultural intelligence. That shift in perception is one of the most meaningful outcomes of our work.
Ultimately, the impact we’re working toward is long-term. It’s about building systems that allow traditional knowledge to survive in a modern economy — not as nostalgia, but as living, evolving practice. If, years from now, more master artists can earn sustainably, be recognised globally, and pass on their skills with pride, then we will have done what we set out to do.
A significant portion has gone into creating systems that make craft work at scale: digitising art forms, building our technology platform, investing in high-quality content and documentation, and setting up fair, transparent processes for working with master artisans. These investments were critical in allowing us to move beyond one-off projects and toward a repeatable, sustainable ecosystem.
Importantly, our approach to growth remains measured. We are focused on scaling responsibly, without compromising on artistic integrity or fair compensation. Funding, for us, is a means to build durable systems that outlast any one product or trend — systems that allow India’s living craft traditions to thrive in a modern, global economy.
For me, being a Global Indian has come from living with one foot outside India and my heart very firmly rooted here. I spent nearly 15 years living and working abroad, building a career across technology, fintech, and global institutions, and I moved back to India two years ago to build MeMeraki from here. That choice was intentional. I didn’t want to represent Indian culture from a distance anymore — I wanted to be physically present, accountable, and invested in the ecosystem I was working with. Being a Global Indian, for me, means bringing global exposure and discipline back home. My years abroad shaped how I think about scale, systems, and execution, but they also made me acutely aware of how Indian culture is often misunderstood or flattened internationally. Through MeMeraki, I see my role as ensuring that when Indian craft enters global spaces — whether through international workshops, installations, or collaborations — it does so with depth, accuracy, and respect for the people behind it. It also means living across worlds on a very personal level. I’ve built my adult life away from India, yet remained deeply connected to my family, my friendships, and my cultural roots. Moving back to Mumbai has felt like a homecoming, but with a global lens — one that allows me to translate between artisan communities, global institutions, designers, and audiences across countries.
One of the biggest challenges has been building a scalable business in a space that is, by nature, slow, fragmented, and deeply human. Craft does not move at the pace of technology or traditional commerce — it is seasonal, process-heavy, and often unpredictable. The question for us was never how to “speed it up,” but how to build systems that respect this reality while still enabling growth. Early on, we realised that scale in craft cannot come from volume alone. It has to come from structure. A lot of our work has gone into creating processes around documentation, pricing, timelines, quality control, and communication — areas that are often informal or inconsistent in the craft ecosystem. Bringing efficiency into this chaos has required patience, iteration, and a willingness to design infrastructure from scratch rather than borrow models that don’t fit. Another challenge has been balancing authenticity with commercial viability. There is always pressure to simplify craft to make it more marketable, but we’ve been intentional about resisting that. Instead, we invest in context, storytelling, and education — trusting that informed audiences will value depth over speed. This approach may take longer, but it builds trust and long-term demand. What I’ve learned through this journey is that meaningful scale doesn’t always look fast. Sometimes it looks like doing the unglamorous work of building systems, training teams, and aligning incentives — so that when growth does come, it’s sustainable.
I draw the most motivation from the people around me — across generations, roles, and life stages. My team, many of whom are much younger than me, constantly inspire me with their energy, curiosity, and willingness to learn. Watching them take ownership, ask better questions, and grow into their roles reminds me why building organisations — not just products — really matters. At the other end of the spectrum are the master artists we work with. People like Shehzad ji, whose discipline, humility, and lifelong commitment to their craft are deeply grounding. These artists have spent decades perfecting a skill with very little external validation, yet they continue to show up every day with integrity and quiet pride. Being around that kind of dedication reshapes how you think about success, patience, and purpose. What ties both these worlds together is effort. Whether it’s a young team member figuring things out for the first time or a master artist who has spent a lifetime honing their work, effort is what I respect and value the most. The life philosophy that guides me is simple: be useful, and create real value. Titles, recognition, and outcomes are secondary. What matters is whether your work makes something clearer, fairer, or better for someone else. I’ve found that when you focus consistently on being useful — to your team, to your collaborators, to the communities you work with — everything else tends to follow.
We will continue to scale thoughtfully across three areas. The first is strengthening our digital platform and content ecosystem, using technology to improve discovery, storytelling, and access without compromising artistic integrity. The second is expanding our institutional and global work — collaborating with museums, public spaces, hospitality, and international platforms to place Indian craft in contemporary, high-visibility contexts. The third is investing in people — building a strong, values-aligned team that can steward this work over the long term.
Personally, having moved back to India, I’m committed to building from here and contributing to a broader ecosystem around craft — one that goes beyond any single company. If, in the years ahead, MeMeraki can help shift how Indian craft is perceived, valued, and supported — both at home and globally — that will be the most meaningful outcome.
Read the full story that first appeared in The Global Indian here:
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