A social initiative of Powai Bengali Welfare Association · since 2007
The world is now her oyster
Mission Swayam Siddha empowers disadvantaged women in and around Powai, Mumbai, to become Swayam Siddhas: self-reliant women who build sustainable livelihoods, economic resilience and social capital with their own hands, through vocational training in needles, scissors and brushes.
Empowering women through self-reliance
Mission & vision
Not passive recipients of help, but dynamic promoters of social transformation
The belief
MSS is built on a simple belief: empowered women are dynamic promoters of social transformation. The most marginalised and destitute women haven’t lost their capabilities. What they have lacked is a platform, a suitable opportunity to use them.
The mission
MSS builds social capital through three interlocking levers: vocational training that turns dormant skill into income; brand-backed marketing that turns a woman’s handcrafted work into lasting economic resilience; and training in marketing, production and governance, so trainees can one day own and run MSS themselves.
Who we serve
Trainees come from the chawls around Powai. Most were homebound before joining, with no exposure to crafts, banking or formal schooling. There is only one criterion to join: the motivation to become economically empowered and the commitment to learn. No prior skill is needed.
How we work
Training is timed for 3 to 6 pm, five days a week, when children are at school and the day's chores are done.
Batches are small. As trainees advance, the most senior among them become trainers themselves, teaching the very basics they once learned.
Journey till date
Two decades, one transformative journey
2007 to 2010
The foundation years
Volunteers went door to door in Powai’s chawls, convincing families that letting their women train and earn was worth the risk. The first batch of twenty learned from the very basics: inches and centimetres, threading a needle, personal hygiene, and signing a salary slip to receive their own pay.
2011 to 2019
The take-off years
MSS’s first corporate exhibition in 2011 opened the floodgates: folk-art workshops by reputed artistes, DIY workshops for corporate employees and the first corporate orders. In 2016, jewellery brand Isharya worked with MSS on its Arinna line, shown at Paris Fashion Week.
2020 to 2026
Dreaming big
MSS bounced back from Covid with big dreams: Gen Next volunteers took MSS to Instagram, a spacious workshop-cum-gallery arrived, product design kept innovating, and in August 2025 MSS’s first in-house Pop-Up stall was a runaway success.
Markers of self-reliance
Financial autonomy
Every trainee opens and operates her own bank account, where all MSS payments are made, giving her control over how her income is spent.
Employment
Once homebound, many trainees go on to work outside MSS, as service staff in schools, boutiques and retail outlets.
Enterprise
Small ventures alongside MSS work: a food outlet, a home-based business built on skills learned here.
Soft skills
Women with no exposure to the corporate world now run exhibitions, billing, customer interaction and DIY workshops on their own.
The next generation
Knowing what formal education unlocks, MSS women are determined to see their children through college and out of the poverty trap.
Agency
A quiet but significant advance: self-worth, backed by encouragement from parents, in-laws, spouses and children.
Their work
Needles, scissors and brushes
Every product is made by hand in the MSS workshop. Each craft began as a training module and grew into a line the women are proud to sell.
Needles
“All the stream that’s roaring by, came out of a Needle’s eye.” W.B. Yeats
From threading a needle and many pricks along the way, trainees moved on to embroidery, machine stitching, hand-crafted bags and home décor, and even costume jewellery in Turkish gold thread for an international brand.
Focus and tenacity turn the mundane into a thing of beauty.
Scissors
“Crafting is a way to make the ordinary extraordinary.”
Where it all started: paper bags and stationery, with ruler and pencil the biggest hurdles. Newspaper became sturdy bags of every size, then cloth and jute: fancy bags, cushion covers, table runners and more.
Measuring what matters, and cutting through one’s problems.
Brushes
“I dream my painting, and I paint my dreams.” Vincent Van Gogh
None of the women had held a brush before. Learning from the best folk artistes, painting on paper, jute and cloth became a journey of self-discovery, each piece capturing something of their own lives.
Life is a plethora of colours.
Crafts taught
What MSS makes
MSS products
From the workshop, made by hand
A selection from the MSS Lookbook 2026: hand-painted jute, hand embroidery, costume jewellery and festival specials, each made by hand by MSS trainees. Pick a category to browse.
Download the catalogue
MSS Lookbook 2026
Needles, Scissors and Brushes
Hand-painted jute, embroidered bags and pouches, home decor, costume jewellery and festival specials, all in one catalogue. Browse it for corporate gifting, bulk orders or your next exhibition.
In their words
Faces of empowerment, 2007 to 2026
Kiran
On personal transformation
Before joining MSS seventeen years ago, her life was confined by traditional roles. MSS helped her discover, and use, her skills far more effectively.
Manju
On freedom of expression
Corporate exhibitions let her engage with all kinds of people, building the confidence to voice her own opinions and ideas.
Archana
On financial independence
Managing her own household expenses and supporting her son, she now makes her life’s choices on her own terms.
Asha
On practical empowerment
Learning to manage banking and savings gave her a sense of control over her own finances.
Rekha
On pursuing her own interests
Supported by her husband, MSS lets her explore and learn at her own pace.
Manisha
On learning and self-improvement
A proactive approach to learning built her confidence and led her to join the Bhachat Ghat Community for Women Enterprise.
Kismati
On independence, in her own signature
Basic English sessions at MSS gave her the independence to sign her own name. The income she earns is hers alone to spend.
Recognition
Milestones worth naming
2016 · International collaboration
Isharya × MSS
Trainees crafted the Arinna jewellery line in Turkish golden thread for Isharya, shown at Paris Fashion Week and carried by international department stores.
2024 · Commissioned installation
Swadheen, honouring Jankidevi Bajaj
MSS created an embroidered wall installation on Khadi for “Swadheen”, a retrospective honouring Padma Vibhushan Shrimati Jankidevi Bajaj, freedom fighter, social reformer and proponent of Gandhian values.
Proud moments
- Meena speaks at the CEO Power Walk at Durgotsav, 2015
- Kiran receives her certificate of training, 2018
- Pushpa teaches bag-making at HDFC Ergo, 2024
- Manisha serves customers at the American Club International Women's Charity Mela, 2024
In the press
“More power to women, say CEOs on Durga Puja”
Hindustan Times, Mumbai. Clippings from the MSS archive. Click any clipping to read it full size.
Market integration
Bringing MSS products to the world
Needles, scissors and brushes are the means. Reaching real buyers is what turns craft into a livelihood, so MSS sells through four connected channels, offline and online.
01
Corporate exhibitions
Sales on corporate premises, since the first in 2011.
02
Public exhibitions
Community shows, including MSS’s own gallery pop-up.
03
Corporate orders
Customised gifting and bulk orders for corporate partners.
04
Retail sales
Direct purchases, offline and online, under the MSS label.
DIY workshops on the corporate floor
On International Women’s Day 2024, MSS trainees ran DIY bag-making workshops at HDFC Ergo’s Mumbai offices, as facilitators, not just makers.
Mission Swayam Siddha
Exhibitions, new products and workshop moments, shared by the MSS team.
At the exhibition table
Trainees run the stalls themselves, from display to billing. Swipe or tap a photo to see it larger.
Customer voices
What our customers say
Swipe or scroll sideways to read more
“Thank you so much, your Event of Warli Art was very well planned and perfectly executed. It has been a pleasure planning this event with you over the last few months, and the response from everyone has been super. This was by far the best ladies’ evening event they’ve ever attended. All the events were very well received. Thank you once again.”
Mr. Alinawaz Pardiwala
Vice Chairman of the Ladies Committee, Grand Festival
“I ordered this beautiful tea cosy set from Mission Swayam Siddha, Mumbai and I am really impressed with the embroidery quality and finishing of the products. I stay in Kolkata, however the order was received very quickly. I wish them all the best and highly recommend their handcrafted items.”
Anasuya Sengupta
Kolkata
“I’m highly satisfied with Mission Swayam Siddha’s products, which empower women through economic and social self-reliance. Their handmade items, such as runners, table mats, bags and pouches, showcase intricate work, unique designs and excellent quality. What impresses me most is the attention to detail and the fact that each product is one-of-a-kind. I wholeheartedly appreciate their mission and wish them all the best for their future endeavors.”
Shoma Sengupta
Customer
What's next
The road ahead
Near term · 2025 to 2026
- Grow trainee incomes and open new markets after Covid
- Upskill trainees toward high-end home décor and accessories
- Build MSS's voice on Instagram, led by Gen Next volunteers
- Make full use of the new workshop-cum-gallery
- Build on the success of MSS's first Pop-Up stall, August 2025
Long term
- Turn training into lasting income for more women from more chawls
- Deepen governance training so senior trainees lead MSS itself
- Widen every marker of self-reliance across each new batch
- Extend the benefit to the next generation, through trainees' investment in their children's health and education
I rise
“Just like moons and like suns, with the certainty of tides, just like hopes springing high…” Maya Angelou
The road to self-reliance has been paved with your love and support. Every kind of support helps a Swayam Siddha rise further.
Host an exhibition
At your office, housing society or community event.
Corporate gifting
Handcrafted MSS products, gifted with a story.
Individual gifting
For your own celebrations and occasions.
Adopt a trainee
Stand behind one Swayam Siddha’s journey.
Mission Swayam Siddha
A social initiative of Powai Bengali Welfare Association
Regn. No. F 31786 · 12A, 80G, CSR1 & Darpan registered
Visit
MSS Office / Workshop
1033 Heera Panna Mall,
Hiranandani Gardens, Powai, Mumbai