Aparna Thyagarajan has always been fascinated by the world of design since a young age. At just 12 years old, she stitched her first dress for her sister, Ambika. This early experience ignited her curiosity and passion for design, laying the foundation for her future endeavors. Aparna’s keen eye for detail, her talent for design, and her astute observations became the cornerstones of her company’s success.
EDUCATION
Aparna holds a Masters in Computer Applications from the University of Madras and a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Delhi University.
CAREER
With a strong technology background, Aparna enjoyed a fulfilling career at Microsoft before a serendipitous encounter with a Zardosi artist during a sabbatical altered the course of her professional life. This meeting inspired her to contemplate how she could showcase the best of Indian weaves on a global scale. With the support of her family and her sister Ambika, she took a bold step and founded Shobitam.
Aparna Thyagarajan serves as the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Shobitam, a startup dedicated to making Indian ethnic fashion accessible worldwide. Her journey in design began at the age of 12 when she created her first dress. In her own words, “It was during this time that I would do a lot of DIY stuff. I was fascinated by fabrics and different art forms. For my sister’s second birthday, I wanted to do something special for her, so I took some leftover fabric and made a dress for her. It turned out to be good. The feeling was very empowering, it was something that I could do with my hands, and most of my clothes would stand out,” says Thyagarajan.
Even as she pursued her engineering education and spent a decade at Microsoft, Aparna’s passion for design and fashion continued to follow her, even after moving to the United States after her marriage. Her deep connection to her roots and a desire to bond with her culture in a foreign land led to the birth of Shobitam, a platform for Indian ethnic fashion.
Aparna recognized the fragmented and crowded nature of the fashion space and understood that technology could be a crucial differentiator in this industry. Shobitam’s vision is to democratize ethnic fashion on a global scale by collaborating directly with weavers and artisans to create beautiful collections and deliver them worldwide through a direct-to-consumer (D2C) online platform, offering the best quality, prices, convenience, and exceptional service. As the Co-founder and Chief Product Officer, Aparna takes on the responsibility of overseeing the products and nurturing the Weavers/Artisans Community & Outreach. Their ultimate motto is to help people “Look Good, Feel Good, and Do Good.”
Join them on their journey to realize their vision and mission while making a substantial impact in the world of ethnic fashion. Aparna Thyagarajan’s career journey also includes significant roles at Microsoft, including her tenure as Tech Lead in Social Search, Bing, and as a Software Design Engineer in Test for Microsoft Dynamics AX, among others.
