When Identity Precedes Enterprise, Does the Market Follow? Seagull Advertising Launches Women Who Build, Anchored in the Story of Mumbai’s Koli Fisherwomen
PUNE, 27 JUNE 2026: On 26th June, Seagull Advertising hosted the first edition of Women Who Build, a new platform for conversations on women enterprise in India, at the Pune International Centre Auditorium, Panchavati Hills, Pashan. The evening, titled A Dialogue on Community Identity, Kolipreneurs and Women Enterprise in India, was anchored in the Koli Community Brand Book and the journey of the Koli fisherwomen of Mumbai.
The evening opened with a Seat of Honour for the women Directors of Daryavardi Producer Company Limited (DPCL), the producer company formed by the Koli fisherwomen’s union, Daryavardi Mahila Sangh, who were honoured and seated in the front row for the programme.
Sameer Desai, Founder and Managing Director of Seagull Advertising and author of the Koli Community Brand Book, read a section from the book and spoke on the journey behind it. V. Vivekanandan, Director of FishMARC at Vrutti, delivered the keynote address, drawing on over forty years of work building institutions for India’s fishing communities, including his role in transforming the South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies into one of the country’s most respected community-owned fisheries institutions.
The evening’s centrepiece was a panel discussion examining a single question: when identity precedes enterprise, does the market follow? The panel brought together Sonali Deshpande, Chairperson and Founder Trustee of Persistent Foundation and deAsra Foundation; Bhumika
Joshi, Deputy General Manager at SEWA Bank; Rashmi Mandloi, Co-Founder of Leadup Universe and lead of the SheBuildsAI initiative; Matthew Mattam, Founder of CYDA and Chairperson of YouthAid Foundation; and Raghini B., CEO of Vrutti. The discussion was moderated by Sameer Desai.
In a segment titled Voices from the Community, Ujjwala Patil, Founder and leader of Daryavardi Mahila Sangh, addressed the gathering, followed by women from DPCL’s self-help groups speaking on their own journey toward becoming an organised collective. Followed by Koli women singing ‘Mi Haay Koli’ with epitomised pride in their culture and identity.
The evening concluded with a heartwarming Vote of Thanks from Sonia Bedi Garcha, Project Lead at Vrutti, followed by a one-of-a-kind Koli Seafood Experience, an open public event where the Koli fisherwomen served fresh seafood hand prepared by the community alongside coastal pickles, dry fish, specialty Koli seafood masalas and more.
Quotes
[Insert final quote from Sameer Desai post-event, drawn from his address or a follow-up remark.] “We did not invent something. We organised something that was already real. The Koli fisherwomen always had what it takes. What they needed was a system around that identity strong enough to let it travel,” said Sameer Desai, Founder and MD, Seagull Advertising.
About the Koli Community Brand Book
The Koli Community Brand Book documents how the Koli fisherwomen of Mumbai, who have sustained one of India’s oldest coastal livelihoods for over 600 years, organised their identity into a modern, market-ready enterprise. Developed by Seagull Advertising in partnership with Koli Community, Daryavardi Producer Company Limited and enabled by Vrutti, the book served as the anchor for Women Who Build’s first edition. DPCL was formed in 2023 by Daryavardi Mahila Sangh, the Mumbai fisherwomen’s union, and has since grown into a community-owned enterprise with over 1,000 shareholders.
Pre-Book your copy: https://seagulladvertising.com/koli-community-brandbook/
About Seagull Advertising
Seagull Advertising is a Pune-based brand strategy and creative agency with 30 years of experience building brands for entrepreneurs, family businesses and communities across India. Its founder, Sameer Desai, is the author of published books Vietnam: A Nation of Memories and the Koli Community Brand Book.
About Vrutti
Vrutti is a livelihoods impact organisation that works with small producer communities across India to build market access, financial inclusion and organised enterprise. Vrutti enabled the Koli Community Brand Book and continues to support DPCL’s growth.
