From Malay Mail · Malay Mail · · 1m 30s
Sentul Sisters Build Pattushastra
Three Sentul sisters created Malaysia’s first Kanjivaram silk saree brand with no industry background, shop, or plan.
In brief
Three Sentul sisters created Malaysia’s first Kanjivaram silk saree brand with no industry background, shop, or plan. Sisters Suvitha, Jeevitha, and Kavitha Rajasingam founded Pattushastra in 2012 to make authentic Kanjivaram silk sarees accessible without compromising quality. Originally reported by Malay Mail.
No business plan
Three Sentul sisters started Pattushastra with no industry contacts, no shop, and no capital.
“We are sisters from Sentul, born and bred there, with absolutely no connection to the textile industry and no family background in business”
Founding in 2012
Sisters registered Pattushastra on August 23, 2012, with elder sister Kavitha as advisor.
“We are sisters from Sentul, born and bred there, with absolutely no connection to the textile industry and no family background in business”
Consumer frustration
Sisters struggled to find affordable authentic Kanjivaram silk sarees for their elder sister’s wedding.
“When we were shopping for our elder sister’s wedding, we just couldn’t find genuine Kanjivaram sarees at a fair price, not here, and not even in Singapore”
Bootstrapped from home
Sisters ran Pattushastra from home for over a year before securing their first rented shop lot in 2014.
“We could not afford a shop, so Pattushastra began from home”
Boutique expansion
Sisters moved to their own boutique in Petaling Jaya in 2021 during the pandemic.
“It was a significant bet to make during one of the most volatile periods for retail in recent memory”
Artisan partnerships
Sisters work directly with master weavers in India to maintain authentic Kanjivaram silk craftsmanship.
“Weavers in Kanchipuram, India, work a pure silk saree thread by thread on a traditional wooden handloom”
Social impact
Pattushastra’s Artisan Room supports single mothers and women from low-income communities in Kolkata.
“Pattushastra’s Artisan Room, which holds a special place in the sisters’ hearts, features hand-painted and handloom cotton sarees made by single mothers and unemployed women from low-income communities in Kolkata”
No mass production
Sisters chose not to follow cheaper, faster mass-produced sarees despite market pressures.
“We even tried to follow the direction of the market, but we gave up, because we simply could not do it”
Global reach
Pattushastra now serves customers in Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, and Canada.
“What has scaled more visibly is the customer base itself. It began as a niche, local Indian clientele and now reaches Malay and Chinese customers domestically, as well as buyers as far afield as Singapore, Australia and Canada”
Long-term vision
Sisters aim to make Pattushastra synonymous with significant occasions globally.
“We aspire to take Pattushastra into the global market, carrying our artisans’ stories with us”
14 years of growth
Pattushastra has grown from home-based business to a global brand in 14 years.
“Fourteen years on, the numbers the sisters are willing to put on the business remain deliberately vague”
Global aspirations
Sisters want Pattushastra to be the name for significant occasions worldwide.
“We aspire to take Pattushastra into the global market, carrying our artisans’ stories with us”
The short version
Sisters Suvitha, Jeevitha, and Kavitha Rajasingam founded Pattushastra in 2012 to make authentic Kanjivaram silk sarees accessible without compromising quality.
