26-Jan-2026: Ananya Ishani Singh, Founder of Kalaa (The Kalaa Store), has been conferred the Governor's Award of Excellence - Vande Mataram Puraskar 2026 by the Governor of West Bengal, Dr. C. V. Ananda Bose.
Reflecting on this milestone, Ananya shared:
"This recognition truly belongs to Kalaa Sakhi, the incredible artisans behind Kalaa. Seeing the women in our communities gain financial independence, reclaim their dignity, and share their craft with homes across the world is the greatest reward. We are honoured to walk this path of grassroots empowerment together."
The award was presented at Lok Bhavan, West Bengal, as part of the 77th Republic Day State Awards Ceremony. The recognition comes alongside a distinguished group of awardees from across business, culture, public life and social impact, including Chandra Shekhar Ghosh, Rani Mukerji, Shoojit Sircar, and Jyotsna Suri.
Empowering Communities Through Craft
Ananya's journey to this moment bridges diverse worlds. She began her career in mergers and acquisitions investment banking before moving into public health, where she contributed to India's National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme and was recognised at the national level. She eventually brought these experiences together to build Kalaa.
At the centre of the award is Kalaa's work with women who have historically had limited access to formal employment. Highlighting the impact of this mission, the official award citation by the Governor of West Bengal notes:
"Ms. Ananya Singh stands as an inspiring social entrepreneur whose visionary leadership has transformed India's rich handcraft heritage into a powerful engine of women's economic empowerment. Through Kalaa's pioneering Kalaa Sakhi Livelihood Programme, more than a thousand women across urban slums, semi-urban settlements, and rural districts have gained home-based, dignified livelihoods in crochet craft, generating cumulative earnings running into crores of rupees and raising monthly incomes from near subsistence to sustainable levels."
The citation further recognises Kalaa's decentralised production model connecting village artisans to domestic and global consumers across Europe and North America, alongside its work in QR-enabled traceability and financial inclusion—including helping open hundreds of first-time bank accounts for women previously excluded from formal financial systems.
About Ananya Singh and Kalaa (The Kalaa Store)
Founded by Ananya Singh, Kalaa is an inspiring social enterprise whose visionary leadership has transformed contemporary craft into a powerful engine of women's economic empowerment, sustainable enterprise, and India's creative economy
To learn more: www.thekalaastore.com
