Suket Dhir partners with Seva Bharati to distribute food during lockdown

By

Isabelle Crossley

Published
Apr 22, 2020

Clothing designer Suket Dhir has partnered with NGO Seva Bharati to distribute food during lockdown by setting up a food packaging unit.

 
Suket Dhir has closed down his menswear atelier and turned his focus to packaging food rations to be distributed to those in need, the designer announced on his personal Instagram account. Dhir has joined forces with Seva Bharati which works with sections of Indian society experiencing economic hardship including tribal and indigenous communities.
 
“The NGO wanted me to create a food packaging unit that could be replicated all over India,” Dhir told Elle India. “So we took a place as big as 1,200 square feet in Okhla, which can package up to 2,000 boxes in a day, while ensuring hygiene, cleanliness and social distancing. So there’s a firewall between the packagers and the distributors and the distributors only pick up the packages once the packagers have left.” 

The food packages are distributed in the nearby slums and are designed to feed a family of six for a week, said Dhir.  
 
“I honestly feel like a child in this situation because I do not know what will follow,” said Dhir about his clothing brand. “Our sales have stopped 100%. And, we’re still paying our salaries for the next two months along with all other expenses. But, we’re taking it one step at a time. We’re trying to do positive stories on our digital platform but other than that not much is in my control.” 
 
Suket Dhir launched his eponymous brand in 2010 and won the International Woolmark Prize in 2016. The brand retails from its flagship store in New Delhi and dedicated e-commerce store.