The Pune ‘witch’ working magic with water hyacinth

Laxmi Behere has taken a river-choking weed and turned it into into comfortable footwear

3 min readPuneJul 21, 2026 10:46 PM IST

Behere's startup, Witch Craft Innovations LLP, transforms the notorious aquatic weed into comfortable, highly aesthetic, and affordable lifestyle products, from lampshades and table mats to footwear.

They are among a nature lover’s nightmare — green, suffocating, pervasive. Peer over the bridges of Pune’s Mutha river or stand on the edge of Pashan Lake and you see them cover the water’s surface. Water hyacinths block sunlight and oxygen from reaching aquatic plants, fish and other marine life, they breed mosquitoes and destroy the quality of the water body they occupy.

For Laxmi Behere, an industrial design professional who studied at Srishti Manipal Institute of Art, Design and Technology, water hyacinths are also a raw material that can solve its own problem. “When I was experimenting with water hyacinth, braiding it, breaking it down, making pulp, I realised its qualities. If more entrepreneurs started exploring its potential, the problem would vanish,” she says.

Behere’s startup, Witch Craft Innovations LLP, transforms the notorious aquatic weed into comfortable, highly aesthetic, and affordable lifestyle products, from lampshades and table mats to footwear.

“I was introduced to the potential of water hyancinth during a college project that took us to Guwahati, Assam, where the government was exploring water hyacinth crafting. We were challenged to design an intervention that could help local artisans earn more than a baseline of Rs 500 a day,” she says. She designed a cutting tool to speed up the processing of the raw material, freeing up time for artisans to focus on high-value weaving.

Then, she started conducting a market survey. “I realised that footwear had potential. Footwear is an everyday product. We could directly challenge the fast-fashion market,” she says. Returning to Pune after her studies, Behere found water hyacinth clogging the waterbodies here. She joined Jeevitnadi, a group that works for the rights of rivers, and began harvesting Pune’s water hyacinth. An onlooker might see her drying water hyacinth of riversides before Behere takes these to her workshop in Bibvewadi.

“It has a natural elasticity. If you keep it slightly moist, it bends without breaking, allowing for tight braids and intricate molds. And as the product ages, it develops a natural shine,” she says. The footwear hit the market this year and she has been approached for customised orders. The startup’s name, Witch craft, is a nod to literature and female empowerment. “Witches were the original wise women with healing powers,” says Behere.

“Water hyacinth has zero value in the water, but immense value outside it. We have only women staff. Many come from domestic spaces where their labour is often undervalued. In the studio, they become creators, artisans and makers,” she says.

Story continues below this ad

The startup was fueled by a Nidhi-EIR fellowship and crucial CSR grant funding through Pune’s Venture Center incubation hub, allowing Behere to purchase looms and machinery. Behere, who has a studio-cum-store on Prabhat Road (available by appointment), now aims to increase product sales this year and scale up the design range. “If we hit that, we can harvest more hyacinth, build a larger storage facility, and establish a new craft cluster in and around Pune,” she says.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Loading Recommendations...

Aug 01: Latest News

Live Blog