Adaptive, Inclusive Clothing For The Disabled with Soumita Basu, India
- S11E11
- 51:22
- June 19th 2026
Indian entrepreneur Soumita Basu, founder of Zyenika, discusses adaptive clothing that fits real bodies and respects dignity.
In a candid conversation, Soumita reveals the passionate journey from chronic pain to launching a fashion line that centers empathy, accessibility, and user experience.
As a disabled entrepreneur, she shares the systemic barriers she’s faced—especially in banking and retail—and why inclusive design must begin with humility and care.
From the daily realities as a disabled entrepreneur in Asia to the broader opportunity of serving aging populations and diverse bodies, this episode offers incredible insights for designers, founders and investors who want to build real inclusive businesses with heart and impact.
Show Notes
- 00:00 Soumita’s mission for Zyenika Inclusive fashion
- 00:06 Empathy in design; avoiding homogenization of women
- 00:12 The origin of Zyenika and initial challenges in access and supply
- 00:20 The cost of dignity within systems that aren’t disable-friendly
- 00:26 Policy and human hurdles faced by disabled entrepreneurs
- 00:34 The shopping experience for the disabled
- 00:43 Hidden business opportunities if inclusivity was taken seriously
- 00:46 On incubator programs and practical pathways to support disability-led ventures
- 00:47 Business based on care, authenticity and empathy
3 Key Takeaways
- Lead with empathy: inclusive design must start from the user’s body and daily life.
- Accessibility is systemic: banking, retail environments and policy need practical changes, not just nice-to-have intentions.
- Inclusion is a trillion dollar business: serving underserved markets strengthens growth, loyalty and ESG outcomes.
This episode is sponsored by RedboxStudio.com
For the full show notes, visit WomenpreneurAsia.com
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Womenpreneur Asia
Womenpreneur Asia is a podcast featuring Asian women entrepreneurs across Asia. If you want to know how our Asian women entrepreneurs start, run and manage their businesses, this is the podcast for you!
What you can expect: honest, down-to-earth stories from women who open up about the gritty struggles, fears and challenges of running a business in Asia. We delve into their personal stories too and uncover the lessons they've learnt along the way.
These are delightful, inspiring and surprising conversations with women across Asia whose stories may inspire and encourage you on your own personal entrepreneurship path.
Womenpreneur Asia is a seasonal podcast created and hosted by Krista Goon, a Malaysian entrepreneur, author, communicator and marketer. All episodes are sponsored by Redbox Studio.
