Crafting brands from inherited legacies
Women of royal households have long been known as the carriers of tradition and custodians of heritage, culture and customs. Serving as a bridge between royalty and the common people, many of these women have quietly led from the front, reinventing their family’s legacy and transformed inherited heritage into thriving brands. Whether in the fields of hospitality, craftsmanship, folk art, textiles or food, they have turned their legacies into successful ventures that now promise employment and empower communities closely associated with them.
Celebrating such inspiring journeys, FICCI FLO Amritsar hosted Women of Legacy: A Conversation on Craftsmanship, Artisans & Empowering Communities — an event that brought together four such women from the erstwhile royal families of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and, Jammu & Kashmir. The event featured Ritu Singh of the Dogra royal family of Jammu and Kashmir; Jai Inder Kaur from the Patiala royal family; Preeti Singh from the Nabha royal family; and Shailja Katoch of the Kangra-Lambagraon royal family.
In conversation with Anshu Khanna of Royal Fables, these women shared their personal journeys of transitioning from royal family members to entrepreneurs, focusing on revival, preservation, cross-cultural collaboration and empowering local communities.
Revival of culinary traditions from royal kitchen
Shailja Katoch, a custodian of the Kangra-Lambagraon royal family, which is one of India’s oldest royal clans, has taken the lead in reviving heirloom culinary traditions through curated food festivals and guided tours at the Kangra Fort and Museum. Born into the Sailana royal family of Madhya Pradesh, she is the granddaughter of Digvijay Singh, author of the bestselling royal cookbook Cooking Delights of the Maharajas. Through her family’s heritage hotels and hospitality business, she also works to preserve the legacy of Kangra miniature paintings.
“The erstwhile Kangra royal family was one of the two states that patronised and played a significant role in promoting the Pahari style of painting. As founder patrons of Kangra Pahari miniature art, my goal is to gain recognition for the artists who have kept this inherited skill alive,” she said. She is also documenting traditional recipes and reimagining dham, a traditional Himachali cuisine.
From royalty to retail
Ritu Singh, daughter-in-law of the Jammu and Kashmir royal family, has been working to break cycles of patriarchy at the grassroots level. She focuses on empowering rural women through employment and skill development.
As founder-chairperson of The Runway Diaries, she partnered with Royal Fables as crafts collaborator, curating exhibition of traditional textile and design forms from Jammu’s traditional Dogra culture and Basohli art on national platforms.
“I wish to create an economic map including Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir, reviving trade and upscaling rural and urban entrepreneurs through mentorship. Just like the golden triangle of Delhi-Agra-Rajasthan, we want our shared cultural ethos to find recognition through collaboration,” she said. One of her key initiatives, Jammu Wapsi, encourages young skilled professionals from Jammu to return home and contribute to preserving their cultural roots.
Carrying forward a progressive legacy
Preeti Singh from the royal family of Nabha, is another example of a modern royal continuing a progressive legacy. She is known for hosting dowry-free Anand Karaj ceremonies at her ancestral home, Nabha Palace, and is also promoting eco-tourism through a farm-stay initiative across Nabha.
“Our ancestors broke the glass ceiling by establishing rules of widow remarriage and limiting wedding processions to just 11 baraatis at a time no one supported the idea of reformation. It is now my responsibility to carry that legacy forward,” she said.
These women are not just preserving their heritage but are actively using it as a platform to inspire social change, economic growth and cultural revival across the regions they represent.
Amritsar