AGAATI Women Trailblazer Series | Arjita Sethi

We are proud to bring the AGAATI Women Trailblazer Series—a tete-a-tete conversation with women from across diverse sectors on fashion, beauty and wellness. What more? Watch them in some of our favorite designs and see the magic that unfurls when personal style infuses into the AGAATI aesthetics!

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Arjita Sethi is a serial entrepreneur on a mission to reach every child with the best learning tools. She started her entrepreneurial journey at 16 in India where she co-founded a vocational school that has reached over 10,000 kids and adults. She later went on to do Masters in Social Entrepreneurship. Currently, she is the founder and CEO of Equally, a universal platform that ignites the curiosity of kids globally by connecting them to the real world. She sits on the board of advisors of the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center and is a lecturer of business ethics, creativity, innovation and Entrepreneurship. In her free time, she coaches early-stage B2C founders on how to scale and grow digitally. 

Tell us about yourself, what do you do, why do you love it and what inspires you?

I am the founder and CEO of Equally. I am on a mission to give equal education to every kid in the world. Our first product is called Da Vinci Club. It is an Augmented Reality platform that helps kids ignite their curiosity, connect to the real world and actively move.
I have always been on the mission to give education that empowers kids and people. So after running my first business for 7 years and reaching over 10,000 people, I decided that I needed to use technology to scale. This is the time when I read a book called ‘The Diamond Age’ by Neal Stephenson. It’s a science fiction novel that highlights the story of this girl living in the slums and how she finds magic book that sets her for success.
My dream through Equally is to be that magic book for all the kids. The kids in the remotest parts of the world and the ones who have access to all the latest innovation. My aim to reach kids so they are able to find their passions early on and use that uniqueness to build their life. 

What inspires you outside of work? 

Music, reading, dancing, working out, a sustainable lifestyle! I mean I want to be a learner all my life as it keeps me curious, inspired and resilient. I help many founders launch their businesses and coach them on how to be successful in their missions.

We want women to look good, feel good, and do good, so tell us:
What is your fashion and beauty routine to look good? 

I am a renter! I rent my clothing and have been doing it since 2018. I really feel that to be fashionable, we don’t have to destroy the planet. Also, we need to start thinking of sustainable fashion. I know for the longest time, owning more, buying more and hoarding more has been seen as a sign of success. Sadly, it is highly unsustainable and I think being a successful founder has given me the power to change that narrative. So I believe in living the change. I want to set the trend of sustainable lifestyle in a fashionable way.

What habits do you practice to feel good?

Meditate, chant mantras, lift weights, create music, Ayurveda and spend time with my tribe. I do it all and it makes me refreshed, keeps me inspired and leaves me feeling energised.

There's so much going on today, is there anything you would like to mention on the role you play in this world?

I think a lot about this! I want to be the one who ignites and sets a path for others like me. I want to be able to sow the seeds of how you can be a founder, a creator and live a sustainable life at the same time. There is a lot of appreciation for the typical founder lifestyle where all you do it work on your company. I think this is when the problem of culture erupts. When you are in this race to the billion, you basically can’t have a life. And I want to share the legacy in a way that people remember me as a founder and a human being who contributed towards living a life that is full.  

And finally what does sustainability look like to you in your everyday life?

Buy less, use less, read more and change constantly. 

A few words on what you thought of AGAATI designs/ brand/ what we could do better

To be honest, I am so happy to see an Indian female founder building a sustainable clothing line from India. I see so much talent and sustainable practices in the Indian culture that I think we need to share it with the world especially at a time when we are going through the climate change crisis. I love AGAATI designs because they are REAL fashion. It is something that I would feel really proud to own and wear for a long time. I would like to see AGAATI more online and in stores. 

One inspirational thought you want to leave the readers with  - a life’s lesson, a mantra that could be useful to your sisters out in the world

If you want to make a difference, then remember it will take you time. So be patient, take it slow and be persistent. Looking back, you will be glad about the legacy you leave. 

 Follow Arjita on @arjitasethi