Fashion · New Delhi, Delhi
Needledust
Handcrafted designer juttis reinventing traditional Indian footwear.
Founded by Shirin Mann Sangha
Snapshot
- Founded
- 2014
- Headquarters
- New Delhi, Delhi
- Industry
- Fashion
- Business model
- D2C
- Funding stage
- Bootstrapped
- Markets
- India, Global
- Last updated
- 26 June 2026
About Needledust
Needledust makes handcrafted leather juttis in New Delhi, pairing traditional royal moulds with contemporary embroidery. Shirin Mann Sangha, then a journalist, designed her own wedding juttis with ghungroos in 2014, and the response persuaded her to leave newsrooms and build a brand around the craft. Its juttis are made by some of India's finest artisans and have been worn by Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The label later added a men's line and a sister resortwear brand, SAND by Shirin.
Founder
Shirin Mann Sangha
Woman FounderFounder
Shirin Mann Sangha worked as a journalist before founding Needledust in May 2014, after the juttis she designed for her own wedding took off. She also runs the resortwear label SAND by Shirin.
Industry classification
Fashion Footwear
Ideal customers
Typical customer segments for a fashion company.
Media coverage
Website, social
Related women-led startups
More in Fashion.
More women-led startups in New Delhi
Other Bootstrapped women-led companies
Featured in collections
Frequently asked questions
- What does Needledust do?
- Needledust makes handcrafted leather juttis in New Delhi, pairing traditional royal moulds with contemporary embroidery. Shirin Mann Sangha, then a journalist, designed her own wedding juttis with ghungroos in 2014, and the response persuaded her to leave newsrooms and build a brand around the craft. Its juttis are made by some of India's finest artisans and have been worn by Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Sonam Kapoor and Alia Bhatt. The label later added a men's line and a sister resortwear brand, SAND by Shirin.
- Who founded Needledust?
- Needledust was founded by Shirin Mann Sangha.
- Where is Needledust headquartered?
- Needledust is headquartered in New Delhi, Delhi, India.
- Is Needledust funded?
- Needledust is bootstrapped — self-funded rather than venture-backed.
- When was Needledust founded?
- Needledust was founded in 2014.
