Speaking at CNBC-TV18’s Future.Female.Forward Season 3, Sabyasachi Mukherjee reflected on his brand’s 25-year journey, his vision for its future, and why he chose legacy over ownership.

“Mr Mukherjee, you cannot die,” he recalls words from a girl he met at the New Delhi airport a few years ago. Taken aback, he asked why. Her response? “You have so much idealism in your business. What will happen to us?”

It is this legacy that Sabyasachi hopes to take forward with the brand that he established 25 years ago, something that nudged him to sell 51% of the company’s stake to the Aditya Birla Group in 2021. For him, this was never about relinquishing control. It was about securing the legacy of a brand he had nurtured from a small Kolkata boutique into one of India’s most influential fashion houses.

“Often, personal hubris makes entrepreneurs hold on too long,” he reflects. “Then they grow old, and the brand dies with them. I was very clear—Sabya has to live on.”

“I told Mr Birla, this company does not belong to me, it does not belong to you. It belongs to the country at large, and we have to do it right,” he tells CNBC-TV18, realising that his brand represents more than just fashion—it symbolises possibility.

Unlike many entrepreneurs who hold onto their creations until they fade, Sabyasachi believes in transition. “When personal hubris takes over, you keep the baby just for yourself, you grow old, and the brand dies with you. That was never an option for me,” he says.

Sabyasachi is pragmatic about his role in the brand’s future. He has no biological children, but even if he did, he insists, “I would not give it to them if they were not qualified.” Instead, his mission now is to spend the next 20 years transitioning Sabyasachi into a “corporate Sabya” that will thrive long after he is gone.

At 51, Mukherjee is reflective yet forward-looking. “This brand does not belong to me. It does not belong to Mr Birla. It belongs to the country at large,” he says. “If a middle-class boy from Kolkata could break the glass ceiling, so can others.”

As he charts the next 25 years, his focus remains the same: to elevate Indian craftsmanship on a global stage. “It’s time we take back what was always ours,” he says. “India is going to the top—it’s just a matter of time.”

He mentioned why Deepika was his only Bollywood muse for this milestone show. “I have never really used Bollywood on my runway. Deepika was the only exception,” he admitted, adding that this would likely be the first and last time he made such an exception.

Actress Deepika Padukone expressed her love and admiration for Sabyasachi by reposting his story on Instagram and thanking him for his kind words and generosity.

The gripping conversation had the audience spellbound as it delved into the intersection of feminism, creativity, and identity where Sabyasachi said, “Gender inequality begins with perception. If we raise boys to see women as equals rather than competitors, true gender parity will follow. I grew up surrounded by strong women, and for me, equality was never in question—it was simply the way things were meant to be.”

Under the theme #PathToPeak, the third edition of Future.Female.Forward takes a decisive step in the journey toward greater representation, leadership, and opportunities for women in the workplace. More than just conversations, this year’s summit brings together influential voices and industry leaders to champion real progress and collective action.