Jyoti Jahnavi Saxena: Designing with Purpose, Healing with Craft

A designer and an Entrepreneur Jyoti Jahanavi Saxena design has never been about outer beauty, instead it has always been about the hands that create, the stories that endure hardwork and resilience. With over a decade of experience as a founder of Prayasa, a conscious luxury brand rooted deeply in Indian craftsmanship and slow design. This journey is not just about entrepreneurship, but rather or survival, restructuring and healing thread by deliberate thread.

As she expresses “I have always been drawn to design that carries cultural depth,”. “Objects should not only be beautiful, but meaningful that connects people to its culture, tradition and values”

Personal Insight: When Design Became a Lifeline

Jyoti started her design journey by formal training in Hong Kong and United Kingdom, where she started developing a global design sensibility and a recognition for refined aesthetics.

But still her finest creative awakening came not from classroom but from journey itself. With a sudden loss of her husband got her shattered in her personal world which became a turning point and placed her into unexpected challenges into role of single mother.

In 2024, this deeply personal journey curated in the founding of Prayasa which is not just a brand born not out of ambition alone, but out of lived experience, resilience, and reverence for India’s artisanal heritage.

A Role Model Rooted in Wisdom

When asked about her role model Jyoti didn’t named a person instead she reflects her guidance towards Bhagavad Geeta, expressing its teachings on dharma shastra along with inner strength have shaped how she navigates leadership, patience and responsibility. All these philosophies is engraved into Prayasa's DNA where patience meets intentions leading towards growth rooted in values rather than speed.

Achievements Measured in Dignity, Not Just Scale

Speaking of her most significant accomplishments, where she speaks not of revenue, but of people. Today Prayasa supports over 40 artisans, many of whom were once daily wage labourers. Along with stable job, long term collaboration and skill development, the brand has helped artisans regain financial stability, dignity and confidence in their craft.

For her, true success lies in creating a system where craftsmanship is respected and those behind it are valued, not invisible. “Building a luxury brand while creating a sustainable livelihood ecosystem is something I take immense pride in,” she says.

Challenges That Tested Both Spirit and Strength

However the path throughout has been very challenging, balancing grief while managing single motherhood and pressing financial pressure with responsibility of leading others demanded immense emotional support. While navigating PTSD with building business tested her deeply, forcing her to confront her own limits while continuing to show up for team.

She firmly admits “There were days when simply standing up felt like an achievement”. Yet, even in those moments, Jyoti chose determination not as a grand gesture, but as a daily practice.

Values Anchored in Slow Luxury and Authenticity

Her Work reflects her authenticity towards her craft, customer where beauty emerges in slow luxury through patience, heritage and global creation.

Prayasa stands apart celebrating handwoven textiles In a world driven by speed and instant gratification, traditional dyeing techniques, and crafts that take time. “When creativity is rooted in intention,” she believes, “it carries a different kind of energy.”

Recognition That Reflects Purpose

Prayasa’s  considerate  approach has not gone unnoticed. The brand has been awarded by the Ministry of Textiles, New Delhi, recognised as Legacy Brand of the Year by My Goa Lifestyle, and featured by Vogue and GQ India as one of the most sound and popular brands of the year. Contributing to broader conversations around craft, sustainability, and luxury Jyoti also works closely with CII, New Delhi,

Finding Balance Through Intention and Rest

Balance, for Jyoti, comes from being intentional with time and energy. After months of sleeplessness, she has rediscovered the importance of rest and self-care. Designing remains meditative, but motherhood has reshaped her priorities.

“I no longer build my work in competition with my personal life,” she says. Instead, she designs a life—and a business—that aligns with what truly matters.

Impact and Vision: Carrying Indian Craft to the World

While expressing of her future plans she focuses on expanding Prayasa as a contemporary Indian luxury house with global appeal. The brand collaborates with artisans across Varanasi, Bareilly, Aligarh, Saharanpur, Coimbatore, and Goa, curating handcrafted collections for weddings, festive gifting, home décor, and corporate luxury hampers. Global expansion into the UK and the US is underway, alongside her efforts to revive the age-old tradition of silk tapestry art in India.

Her vision is clear: to take Indian craftsmanship to global audiences without diluting its soul.

A Quiet Truth to Leave With

Jyoti leaves readers with a simple yet powerful line:
“The most exquisite designs often emerge from the most unexpected place.”

Her advice to young women echoes the life she has lived:
Trust your journey, even when it unfolds differently than planned. Build resilience, honour your values, and don’t be afraid to rebuild—again and again. The strength you’re searching for often reveals itself when you think you’re breaking.

In Jyoti Jahnavi Saxena’s world, creation is not just about design—it is about courage, continuity, and choosing meaning, every single day.