Our Speakers

Anirudh KankatalaDirector, Kankatala Textiles Pvt Ltd.

Anirudh Kankatala is the 3rd generation member of the Kankatala family, who has played an integral role in taking the homegrown brand digital & global. With his passion for exclusive Indian handlooms and intricately handcrafted textiles, Anirudh had decided to join the family business quite early on in life. Anirudh envisioned a digital transformation for Kankatala and has successfully managed to revamp it as a brand with traditional ethos, at par with the changing times. Armed with a Bachelor's degree in Finance from Penn State University, Anirudh worked as a consultant at PwC in New York before returning to India to join his family business. His aim to venture into the digital space was fulfilled with the support of his brothers Arvind and Bharat and his extremely efficient and undeterred team members, under the guidance of his father Mr. Mallik Kankatala (CMD). They succeeded in achieving the goal despite the hurdles they were challenged with. Anirudh initiated the process of taking this 7-decade old traditional handloom brand digital by launching the brand on social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram to raise the popularity of the brand online and introducing the brand to Millennial consumers. Post that, he launched Kankatala’s E-commerce store showcasing an exquisite range of exclusive handloom sarees. Today, under his leadership, the brand has grown from a traditional family business & diversified into an E-Commerce store with a strong digital presence & a global reach. Anirudh was also instrumental in launching Kankatala’s flagship store in Hyderabad. He introduced the ‘Queens of Andhra’ Campaign where a piece of intricately woven saree was designed as an ode to some of the brave and noteworthy women in history and organized exhibitions in Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore, Pune, and Mumbai, intending to expand the reach of the brand. Anirudh believes that one should be passionate about the dreams they want to achieve. Over the last few years, he has aimed to bridge the gap between the online and physical store, while maintaining the essence of the decades of hard work and perseverance that is associated with the brand. In his endeavor to transform Kankatala, he has made sure that the brand’s online transactions are backed by great service to build lasting customer loyalty, ensuring that the customers will want to continue shopping with Kankatala for generations to come.