Rhea Poddar Loyalka on Building Deshya and Modern Heritage Jewellery
📝Interviews
Rhea Poddar Loyalka, founder of Deshya, is part of a new generation of women entrepreneurs redefining India’s luxury jewellery space by blending heritage craftsmanship with contemporary design. Drawing from her family’s gemstone carving legacy and her global education in gemology, she created Deshya to transform intricate gemstone artistry into modern, wearable jewellery. In this conversation with StartupTalky, Rhea shares her journey from finance aspirations to entrepreneurship, the challenges of building a heritage-driven brand, and her vision for the future of women-led luxury brands in India.
StartupTalky: What inspired you to found Deshya, and how does the brand reflect your vision of blending Indian heritage with modern design sensibilities?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: I come from a long-standing family business in gemstones. My parents started a gemstone carvings company back in 2001. I grew up around gemstones, and I knew how to identify them from a very young age. But I had no real plans to get into this business; I wanted to pursue a career in finance.
But, during COVID, I started helping out with the family business and realized that the world of gemstones is extremely beautiful and enriching. So, I decided to further my knowledge about the world of gems at the GIA in Carlsbad, California. My experience there inculcated in me, awe for the ancient geological processes that created gemstones and widened my knowledge about the global industry itself.
Over the course of my work, I deepened my understanding of the art of jewellery design. My desire to blend the heritage art of carving and the allure of jewellery gave birth to Deshya. It is a brand that makes the devoted intricacy of artisan craftsmanship wearable and contemporary.
StartupTalky: As a women-led jewellery brand, what unique challenges have you faced in the lifestyle and fashion industry, and how have you navigated them?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: Deshya is only four months old, but I have been working on conceptualization, design and production for 2 years now. My biggest challenge has been to communicate the uniqueness of my jewellery. At Deshya, we work with some of the most rare and exotic gemstones from all over the world, and sometimes it becomes challenging to effectively communicate the extent of the rarity in an industry that is saturated with ‘one-of-a-kind’ jewellery. The lifestyle and fashion industry has many sub-divisions, and many different customers. My hope for Deshya is to appeal to that customer who cares about the intrinsic value of what she wears, whether it is authentic zardozi from generational craftsmen to couture gemstone jewellery, set with gold and diamonds, that can be passed through generations. I hope to be consistent with my communication and find the ideal patrons for Deshya’s creations.
StartupTalky: Deshya represents a new generation of Indian women entrepreneurs who are building heritage-rooted brands with a contemporary outlook. What does this shift mean for the future of women in fashion entrepreneurship?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: I believe that heritage-rooted brands with a contemporary outlook represent an ideal balance of staying relevant to today’s time while holding on to our heritage roots. Indian culture is one of the richest cultures of the world, the art, the craftsmanship, and the vibrancy are all unparalleled. Even through history, women have been at the forefront of creating and preserving art traditions and now it is up to the women of today to carry their ancestral traditions forward and preserve them for posterity.
StartupTalky: As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2026, how do you see the role of women founders evolving in India’s lifestyle and luxury space?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: Women led brands are managing to dominate the lifestyle and luxury markets in India. Many new brands are coming with unique stories to tell. Women make up the majority of the consumer market in the lifestyle and luxury space so who better to give them what they want than the quintessential Indian woman founder. With more success in the space, I think many young women are going to get inspired to start their own brands and contribute to the growth of the Indian luxury markets.
StartupTalky: Can you share some key lessons and turning points from your entrepreneurial journey that have shaped Deshya into what it is today?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: One of the most important lessons I learned along the way was that nothing beats having a strong team. Even though my vision for Deshya was so strong, I was not able to do it all when it came to execution. I had to learn to transfer that vision to my team, and they truly supported me through the journey.
I also learned that sometimes being obsessed with details was not easy. But I realized that it was the little things that made the brand stand out. So, a little effort and patience with the details went a long way.
And lastly, of course, time management. Everyone talks about planning and managing your time effectively but it truly is very important. If I had not started production at the right time, my collection would not have been ready for the brand launch. Creating a piece of jewellery takes time and effort. It's making art, and you cannot always put a timer on it, so it's better to start as early as possible.
StartupTalky: How important is it for women-led brands to preserve cultural heritage while staying relevant in a fast-changing consumer market, and how does Deshya achieve this balance?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: As I mentioned before, women have been at the forefront of heritage and art traditions since forever. Many craftsmen communities in India are completely women-centric. So, women-led brands have a responsibility to carry on these traditions in the modern context and grow India's cultural heritage domestically and internationally. At Deshya, our gemstone carvings are carved by a kaarigar community from Rajasthan, that are all men. I hope that, through Deshya I can bring another perspective to the art form and promote the craftsmanship in a way that is adored by a larger audience.
StartupTalky: What advice would you give to young women entrepreneurs looking to build purpose-driven brands in the fashion and lifestyle industry?
Rhea Poddar Loyalka: Just start. I would push young entrepreneurs to stop overthinking and just commit to building their brands. Passion is the best motivation and if you're lucky enough to find your passion early, you should go for it without blinking an eye.
Sakshi Jadhav