Made in India- Why we manufacture our textile collections in India

Diwali is a celebration that originates in the whenua of the Indus River - an annual acknowledgment of the pūrākau of Ram and Sita, two atua tūpuna, and the triumph of light over darkness, good over evil. I can’t think of a message we need more urgently in these testing times.

It also feels like the right moment to highlight something we’ve wanted to share for a while. At Aho Creative, we’re on a mission to elevate the provenance and whakapapa of every piece we make. As a kaupapa-led business, we believe it’s vital to uphold transparency and ethics in everything we do.

Our textile products - the Pēpi Wraps and our growing range of home textiles — are made by our incredible manufacturing partners in India. As a whānau with whakapapa connections there, it made sense for us to prioritise manufacturing in a way that is sustainable, ethical, and aligned with our values for the future of both whānau and whenua.

To be fair, it hasn’t always been easy. But we chose India as a trading partner because we share foundational beliefs in democracy, labour rights, and self-determination. It’s one of the few places where we feel we can genuinely partner through shared philosophical frameworks, a belief in shaping positive change for future generations. We do not (contrary to some brand confusion) manufacture in China.

Over the last ten years, we’ve built strong and transparent relationships with our suppliers in Bengaluru, India. Finding them wasn’t easy, but when you connect with people who reflect your foundational values and kaupapa, it feels obvious. Our cotton is sourced through a cooperative of organic farmers under the Chetna Organic Cooperative and processed by manufacturing partners in the south of India. All of the factories and processing plants we work with are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified, uphold fair trade, and support workers’ rights to unionise and advocate for themselves.

We’ve had the privilege of visiting the social enterprises funded by fair trade premiums- initiatives that provide small business loans, schooling for girls, access to safe sanitary products, childcare, healthcare, and shared kai for workers in solar-powered factories.

While we can’t take credit for these inspiring initiatives, we can continue to support them by choosing better manufacturing partners. We can contribute to bringing light where there is darkness. We can walk in our kaupapa Māori values in ways that uplift others too.

And why not manufacture in Aotearoa? Simply put — cotton doesn’t grow here, and there’s no local industry to support. So, we look to the next best option: working in partnership with others who share our values and vision for a fairer, more sustainable future.