In 2025, Mumbai’s UNIREC launched Project Sundri, a circular‐fashion initiative rooted in sustainable upcycling. Working with self‑help groups (SHGs), the project empowers women—many first‑time earners—to transform industrial and post‑consumer textile waste into high‑quality utility products. Each item is crafted through careful stitching and labeled with a QR code that tells the artisan’s personal story, forging a direct bond between maker and customer.

The project began in 2024 in collaboration with SHGs across Mumbai suburbs, starting with just 10 women. Today, it has grown to include over 30 artisans, each trained to deliver market‑ready goods that rival mass‑manufactured alternatives. Fabric is sourced through UNIREC’s closed‑loop model: gently used clothes are collected, quality‑checked, laundered, and upcycled into durable items that meet Global Recycled Standard (GRS) certification.

Project Sundri emphasizes dignity, financial independence, and creative agency. Artisans like Komal now help support their families, while Sarita proudly sees her name on each product she crafts. The initiative rejects charity focusing instead on fair wages, skilled craftsmanship, and pride in production.