Sabita Singh was only 17 when she got married and started her journey in the garment industry by joining her mother-in-law at Champa Kapada Udhyog. She worked for 28 years and along the way acquired key technical and business skills. Later, she decided to start her own company and established Sabita Kapada Udhyog in 2016.

The company is currently operating out of a newly built factory located in Siddhipur. Employing 12 local women in the business, the company is involved in the production of garments such as tops, trousers, shorts and coats that are made from handmade cotton and natural fibers. The garments produced by the company are durable and of high quality that does not fade even after multiple washes. Apart from garments, the company also produces handicraft items such as hemp bags, table mats, curtains, ties etc.

Sabita Kapada Udhyog sells its garments under the “SKU” brand and is currently being sold at SAARC Chamber Crafts Village, Sabah Nepal, S Fashion Collection in Lagankhel and in Sabita Kapada Udhyog’s outlet in Kupondole. Apart from this, the company also sells its products by participating in domestic and international exhibitions. Sabita Kapada Udhyog has a loyalcustomer base and is sustaining the business through word of mouth. They were planning to increase their production capacity and export its products to international market when it was abruptly halted by the COVID pandemic. Despite a sharp decline in sales, the company hasn’t laid off any of its employees.

Sabita Kapada Udhyog is one of the beneficiaries of the COVID-19 MSME Fund Nepal, supported by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation – SDC and FMO – Dutch Entrepreneurial Development Bank, managed by One to Watch (OTW). With the help of the fund, Sabita Kapada Udhyog was able to receive an interest-free and collateral-free loan from NMB Bank, which was utilized mainly for purchasing electric sewing machines and building their factory in Siddhipur. 

OTW also aims to provide tailored Business Development Services (BDS) to Sabita Kapada Udhyog and intends to help the company in creating a branding and marketing strategy and streamline the record keeping and accounting practices.