Hello

In 2008, I made one of the most defining decisions of my life  to leave India and move to Spain. At the time, it was simply a pursuit of opportunity, but looking back, it became the beginning of a journey that shaped not only my career, but also my purpose in life.

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Spain welcomed me with its culture of creativity, where fashion, jewellery, and art are woven into the rhythm of everyday living. I immersed myself in the world of design, working within the fashion and jewellery industries for more than a decade. These were industries of beauty, glamour, and craft — but also industries of scale, pressure, and compromise. I had the privilege to learn from some of the best minds and artisans, to witness firsthand how a simple material could be transformed into a symbol of expression, status, or belonging.

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But behind the polished runways and glittering stores, I saw the hidden cost of beauty. I saw how traditional leather, admired for centuries, came with devastating consequences for animals, for the environment, and often for the communities involved in its production. I saw how plastic-based alternatives, marketed as “solutions,” were no better  cheap, polluting, and unsustainable in the long run. It became impossible to ignore. I began asking myself a question that never left me: Could there be a better way? Could design and sustainability coexist without compromise?

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That question became my compass. For years, while building my career in Spain, I carried this thought with me, quietly observing how consumer awareness was changing. People wanted beauty, but they also wanted responsibility. They wanted products that made them feel good  not just in design, but in values. The world was shifting, and I realized that industries like fashion, automotive, and interiors would one day be forced to reimagine themselves. I wanted to be part of that reimagination.

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The turning point came when I began exploring alternative materials  not just as a designer or a professional, but as someone determined to make a difference. My roots pulled me back to India, where innovation and tradition intersect in powerful ways. India had the scientific talent, the creativity, and the resources to bring new ideas to life. This is when OPUNE® was born  a vision to create materials for the future, starting with cactus leather.

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Why cactus? Because cactus is not just a plant; it’s a symbol of resilience. It thrives where other plants fail. It requires minimal water, no fertilizers, and grows naturally in abundance. In cactus, I saw the perfect bridge between nature and technology  a plant that could inspire a material strong enough for the industries I knew so well, yet sustainable enough for the planet we need to protect.

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Partnering with India’s most respected scientific institution, CSIR–CLRI (Council of Scientific and Industrial Research – Central Leather Research Institute), I began the process of turning vision into reality. This collaboration gave OPUNE® the scientific foundation and credibility to truly innovate, not just replicate. Together, we set out to engineer cactus leather that could meet the highest standards — luxury-grade texture, durability, flexibility, and scalability  without the environmental and ethical burdens of animal leather or synthetics.

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Today, OPUNE® represents not just an alternative, but a new path forward. We are not here to compete with traditional materials; we are here to redefine them. From fashion to automotive, from interiors to accessories, our cactus leather offers industries the chance to evolve — to embrace sustainability not as a compromise, but as a strength.

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For me personally, this is more than business. It is a story of coming full circle — from India to Spain, and back to India again, carrying knowledge, experience, and a renewed sense of purpose. It is about taking everything I learned from the world of fashion and jewellery, and channelling it into creating something bigger than myself something that can outlast trends, generations, and even industries.

The journey of OPUNE® is still unfolding. We are only at the beginning, but we are clear about our mission: to transform the way the world thinks about materials, to build responsibly, and to inspire innovation rooted in sustainability.

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When I look at OPUNE®, I see more than a brand. I see a movement. A promise. And above all, a responsibility to prove that the future can be designed differently.

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 This is a long-form founder’s story — emotional, detailed, personal, yet professional. It emphasizes:

• Your international experience in Spain

• Your background in fashion/jewellery

• The turning point of recognizing environmental costs

• The decision to innovate with cactus leather

• Collaboration with CSIR–CLRI for credibility

• The future mission of OPUNE®