Chapter 39 - The VASTRA Revolution - When Dharma Transforms Commerce

The Next Morning after Dharma Soldiers went for Global Hunt

Anant stood before the floor-to-ceiling windows of his suite at the Taj Palace Hotel in Mumbai, watching the city awaken beneath him. The Arabian Sea stretched toward the horizon, its waters catching early morning sunlight in patterns that his enhanced perception could read like text—currents and temperatures and marine life all visible to consciousness that had learned to perceive reality at levels exceeding normal human sight.

But today he deliberately limited that perception, grounding himself in human experience rather than cosmic awareness. Today wasn't about wielding supernatural capabilities—it was about demonstrating that dharmic principles could serve commerce, that business could operate ethically while remaining profitable, that transformation didn't require destroying existing systems but rather proving superior alternatives that voluntary adoption would embrace.

He studied his reflection in the window's glass, barely recognizing the young man who looked back.

At nearly eighteen years old(His final age)—though his actual birth thirteen years ago had been preceded by lifetimes spanning four yugas—Anant's physical form had completed the transformation after his full awakening. Present was young man whose features combined classical Indian beauty with something ineffable that made even casual observers pause and stare.

His face had lost childhood roundness, now showing bone structure that suggested both strength and refinement. His body, while not heavily muscled, carried lean grace that implied capability beyond mere aesthetics. And his eyes—those purple-void depths that could contain infinity when he allowed their true nature to manifest—now appeared as perfectly normal dark brown, beautiful beyond ordinary but no longer advertising the cosmic consciousness looking through them.

He'd finally removed his glasses. The crutch he'd used to obscure eyes that revealed too much was no longer necessary now that he'd achieved perfect control over how much of his nature he allowed to be visible. The purple depths remained, but compressed, contained, hidden beneath surface that appeared human enough to avoid uncomfortable questions while retaining enough striking quality to make people remember him.

The media had already taken notice. Three separate magazines had approached him about modeling opportunities. A Bollywood producer had offered him a lead role despite zero acting experience. And yesterday, a major pageant organization had sent formal invitation to compete for "Most Handsome Man in Asia or World" title that they were certain he would win.

He'd declined them all. Not from false modesty or disdain for such pursuits, but because they weren't his purpose. Beauty was tool that made people listen, capability that opened doors—but what mattered was what he did once they were listening, once doors had opened, once attention had been captured.

A knock at the door pulled him from his reflection.

"Come in," Anant called, not turning from the window.

Ratan Tata entered, his presence carrying weight of decades spent building one of India's most respected business empires through combination of commercial acumen and genuine ethical commitment that had made Tata Group anomaly in landscape where corruption was normalized expectation.

"You're ready?" Ratan asked, his voice carrying avuncular warmth mixed with professional assessment of protégé who had exceeded even his considerable expectations.

"I am," Anant confirmed, finally turning from the window. "The teams have been working overnight to ensure everything is perfect. The demonstration models are prepared. The fabric samples are ready for immediate tactile examination. And the footage showing the dark side of leather, wool, and silk industries has been edited for maximum impact without becoming gratuitous trauma porn."

Ratan nodded approvingly. "The board was... concerned when you announced plans to acquire Raymond. A clothing company seemed tangential to Tata Group's core competencies. But when I showed them the financial projections you'd prepared, when I explained that this wasn't just about entering fashion industry but about transforming it—they understood. Or at least, they trusted me enough to suspend their objections."

He paused, his expression mixing pride and wonder. "You've made Tata Group more profitable in one year than the previous decade combined. At not-quite-eighteen years old, you've demonstrated business acumen that my forty years of experience struggles to match. The stakeholders don't question your decisions anymore—not after you've proven yourself repeatedly through results that speak louder than any credentials."

"The results serve purposes beyond profit," Anant replied quietly. "Everything I've done—the efficiency improvements, the ethical supply chain reforms, the technological innovations that increased productivity while improving worker conditions—all of it demonstrates that dharmic business isn't merely aspirational ideal but practical reality that outperforms corruption economically while serving righteousness morally."

"And today," Ratan said, "you will prove it publicly. Not just to Tata stakeholders, but to India and the world. You show that fashion can be ethical without sacrificing beauty, that commerce can serve compassion without becoming charity, that profit and purpose aren't contradictory but complementary when business is conducted correctly."

Anant smiled—expression mixing anticipation and determination that made him look simultaneously very young and impossibly ancient. "Today we launch VASTRA. And the fashion industry will never be the same."

The Tata Headquarters Auditorium

The auditorium at Tata Group headquarters had been transformed into venue that suggested high-end fashion show more than corporate product launch. A long runway extended from the main stage into the audience seating, lit with precision that made fabrics display their full visual potential. Screens surrounded the space, ready to show demonstrations and footage that would support Anant's presentation. And everywhere—absolutely everywhere—were samples of fabric that attendees could touch, examining quality that specifications alone couldn't convey.

The audience represented Indian fashion industry's elite alongside international observers whose presence indicated global interest in what Tata Group's youngest heir was about to unveil. Anant spotted Manish Malhotra in the third row, his legendary status as designer to Bollywood stars giving him instant recognition. Sabyasachi sat nearby, his revival of traditional Indian aesthetics having made him household name. Representatives from Manyavar, FabIndia, and dozens of other Indian brands filled premium seating. And scattered throughout were international journalists from Vogue, Elle, Harper's Bazaar, and fashion publications that could make or break brands through their coverage.

But most tellingly, representatives from Western luxury brands—Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Balenciaga—occupied back rows, their presence suggesting these fashion giants were taking seriously the possibility that Indian teenager might actually threaten their centuries-old dominance through innovation they couldn't have predicted from emerging market they'd long treated as secondary concern because this young prodigy Anant do many extraordinary things like solve Collatz Conjecture and he was even a part of BlockChain technology team which now become a new standard for Ethical Charity Transactions system.

Backstage, Anant reviewed final preparations with his team—young professionals he'd handpicked not just for their expertise but for their alignment with dharmic principles he intended to embed into every level of business operations.

"The models are ready," Priya Sharma reported—his head of marketing, a thirty-year-old who'd left lucrative position at multinational advertising agency because Anant's vision had convinced her that purpose mattered more than prestige. "Twenty-five demonstrators wearing VASTRA clothing in various styles. Children, teenagers, adults, elderly—representing full demographic range. Each prepared to showcase specific fabric properties through live demonstrations that will leave no doubt about capabilities you've claimed."

"The footage is cued," Rajesh Kumar added—his media director, former journalist who'd covered fashion industry long enough to become disgusted by exploitation he'd documented but felt powerless to oppose. "Five minutes showing leather, wool, and silk production realities that industry prefers consumers never witness. Graphic enough to create impact, restrained enough to avoid being dismissed as propaganda. And backed by statistics from UN, WHO, and environmental organizations that industry can't credibly dispute."

"And the fabric samples?" Anant asked, though he knew the answer—his consciousness maintained awareness of every element simultaneously, making such confirmation unnecessary except as gesture that honored his team's contributions rather than reducing them to mere extensions of his will.

"Distributed throughout the auditorium," Meera Patel confirmed—his head of product development, brilliant materials scientist who'd been recruited from MIT specifically because her research aligned perfectly with transforming Reed Richards' fictional unstable molecules into actual manufacturable fabric. "Every attendee can touch, examine, test within reason. A1, A2, and A3 variants all represented so people can directly compare quality differences across price points."

Anant nodded, satisfied. "Then let's begin. Today we don't just launch a product—we demonstrate that dharmic commerce is superior to exploitative capitalism in every metric that matters: profitability, sustainability, ethics, and consumer value. Today we prove that doing good and doing well aren't contradictory but complementary."

He took a deep breath—unnecessary for his enhanced biology but psychologically grounding—and stepped through the curtain onto the stage.

The Introduction

The audience fell silent as Anant walked to center stage with grace that wasn't quite normal human movement but which remained sufficiently natural to avoid triggering uncanny valley responses. His simple yet perfectly tailored kurta in deep blue suggested respect for Indian aesthetics without being costume-like. His presence carried authority that his youth should have undermined but which somehow made his age seem irrelevant compared to consciousness looking through those impossibly beautiful eyes.

"Namaste," Anant began, his voice carrying to every corner without need for microphone enhancement, though the audio system was active to ensure recording quality. "Thank you for attending today's launch. I know you're busy, that your time is valuable, that fashion industry faces countless product introductions every month that claim revolutionary innovation while delivering incremental improvement at best. So I appreciate that you've chosen to spend your morning here despite completely reasonable skepticism about whether eighteen-year-old industrialist who's been running Tata operations for barely a year could possibly have created something deserving your attention."

Gentle laughter rippled through the audience—his acknowledgment of their likely skepticism disarming defensive resistance while establishing rapport through honest recognition of power dynamics at play.

"Let me address that skepticism directly," Anant continued, his smile widening. "I am eighteen. I am relatively inexperienced in fashion industry specifically, though I've learned quickly through excellent mentorship"—he gestured toward where Ratan Tata sat in the front row—"and through recognizing that innovation often comes from outsiders who aren't constrained by industry's accumulated assumptions about what's possible or acceptable."

He paused, letting silence build anticipation. "But I didn't come here today to ask you to trust me based on my age or Tata Group's reputation or even my track record of profitable innovations over the past year. I came here to show you something that will speak for itself—fabric that will transform fashion industry not through clever marketing or mere incremental improvement, but through genuine technological breakthrough that makes current industry standards obsolete across every relevant metric: comfort, durability, sustainability, ethics, price, and performance."

The screens around the auditorium lit up, showing single word in elegant script: VASTRA

"VASTRA," Anant pronounced clearly. "Sanskrit word meaning 'clothing' or 'garment.' Simple name for product that embodies complex innovation synthesizing materials science, ethical manufacturing, sustainable production, and design philosophy that honors India's textile traditions while surpassing anything global market currently offers."

The Problem Statement

"But before I show you what VASTRA is," Anant said, his tone shifting to become more serious, "I need to show you why VASTRA is necessary. Why fashion industry as currently constituted violates ethical principles that should be non-negotiable. Why the pursuit of luxury has normalized cruelty that consumers either don't know about or have learned to ignore through cognitive dissonance that allows them to enjoy products while avoiding confronting how those products were created."

He pressed a remote, and the screens shifted to show footage that made several audience members immediately look away.

A cow being skinned while still breathing, its eyes showing agony that needed no translation.

Sheep being sheared so brutally that chunks of flesh came away with wool, blood staining the fleece that would become expensive sweaters.

Silkworms being boiled alive by the thousands, their cocoons harvested through mass killing that made silk production among the most death-intensive fabric manufacturing processes on the planet.

Crocodiles being killed for handbags, their skins becoming status symbols carried by celebrities who claimed to care about environmental sustainability while literally wearing products made from endangered species.

The footage continued for exactly five minutes—long enough to make the point undeniably clear, short enough to avoid desensitizing viewers through overexposure. And alongside the graphic imagery, statistics appeared:

"1 billion animals killed annually for leather production"

"Silk industry kills 6,600 silkworms to produce 1 kilogram of silk"

"Wool industry: 25% of sheep die from exposure after shearing injuries"

"Luxury leather market: driving endangered species toward extinction through demand for 'exotic' materials"

When the footage ended, the auditorium remained silent—not the anticipatory silence from before, but uncomfortable confrontation with realities that fashion industry preferred to keep hidden from consumers who might make different purchasing choices if they actually understood the costs of luxury goods they'd been taught to desire.

"This is what we're normalizing," Anant said quietly, his voice carrying grief that made even hardened industry professionals feel emotional response they typically suppressed when quarterly profits depended on not thinking too carefully about supply chain realities. "This is what we've decided is acceptable because fashion, because tradition, because luxury, because status symbols matter more than suffering we inflict on beings who cannot defend themselves from exploitation we've industrialized to meet demand we've artificially created through marketing that convinces consumers their worth is measured by products they can purchase."

He let that sink in for moment, then his expression shifted from grief to determination. "But it doesn't have to be this way. Fashion doesn't require cruelty. Luxury doesn't demand death. Status can be conveyed through innovation rather than exploitation. And today—right now, in this auditorium—we're going to prove it."

The Solution Revealed

The lights dimmed slightly, and from backstage emerged first model—a young girl perhaps eight years old, wearing simple dress in vibrant red that caught the specialized lighting to show fabric's qualities more clearly than normal illumination would allow.

"This is Anjali," Anant introduced, using name that made his voice catch slightly—reminders of his sister in previous life and never far from consciousness despite years having passed. "She's wearing VASTRA A1—our base tier product, designed to be affordable for average Indian families while providing quality exceeding fabrics costing ten times more."

The child walked down the runway with confidence suggesting she'd been well-prepared but wasn't actually professional model—authentic representation rather than industry standard that often used older models styled to appear younger.

"Look at the fabric's drape," Anant directed audience's attention. "Notice how it moves naturally, how it catches light to create depth, how color remains vivid without appearing artificial. This isn't achieved through chemical treatments that fade after washing. This is intrinsic property of VASTRA fabric's molecular structure—proprietary innovation that I'll explain shortly."

More models emerged—teenagers in casual wear, adults in business attire, elderly women in traditional sarees, men in kurtas and western suits, children in school uniforms. Twenty-five people wearing twenty-five different VASTRA garments, each demonstrating fabric's versatility across styles, across cultures, across age groups and fashion contexts.

"But fabric that merely looks good isn't revolutionary," Anant acknowledged. "Beauty without performance is aesthetic but not innovation. So let me show you what VASTRA actually does—capabilities that will sound impossible until you witness them demonstrated live, in this room, with results you can verify personally rather than trusting marketing claims."

The Live Demonstrations

Anant gestured to first model—young man in business suit. "Water resistance. Standard fabric is vulnerable to moisture, requiring chemical treatments that degrade over time and often contain environmentally harmful substances. VASTRA is intrinsically hydrophobic through molecular structure rather than surface coating."

An assistant appeared with a pitcher of water and, with model's permission clearly established, poured it directly over his suit jacket. The water rolled off the fabric like mercury off glass, not a drop absorbed, leaving the suit completely dry.

Gasps rippled through the audience. Several fashion designers leaned forward, clearly trying to identify trick that would explain impossible result.

"Stain resistance," Anant continued. The assistant produced common staining substances—tomato sauce, coffee, ink, oil. Each was applied to different model's clothing, left for thirty seconds, then wiped away with dry cloth. No trace remained. The fabrics looked untouched.

"Fire resistance." The assistant approached model wearing VASTRA scarf, holding blowtorch that made several audience members audibly gasp with concern. But when flame was applied directly to the fabric for five full seconds, the material showed no damage—no burn marks, no charring, not even discoloration. The model removed the scarf and passed it to audience members in front row so they could verify it remained room temperature despite just being exposed to flame that should have destroyed it instantly.

"Impact absorption." This demonstration made even skeptical observers sit up straight. A young man wearing VASTRA shirt stood at center of stage while assistant wheeled out device that looked disturbingly like weapon—pneumatic launcher that could project objects at specified velocities.

"This is rubber ball," Anant explained, showing the projectile to the audience. "We're going to fire it at our volunteer at velocity of fifty kilometers per hour—speed that would bruise or potentially crack ribs if someone was struck while wearing normal fabric. Our volunteer is not an actor. He's not stunt professional. He's engineering student who volunteered after being thoroughly briefed on risks and given opportunity to withdraw."

The audience held their breath as the launcher fired. The ball struck the volunteer's chest with audible impact that should have caused visible pain. But the young man merely smiled, showing no distress whatsoever. He lifted his shirt to show his torso—not even redness where impact had occurred.

"VASTRA fabric contains impact-dampening properties inspired by advanced materials science research," Anant explained. "The molecular structure temporarily redistributes kinetic energy across the fabric's entire surface area rather than allowing it to concentrate at point of impact. This won't stop bullet—that requires our A3 tier—but it will prevent injuries from falls, collisions, sports impacts, and countless other scenarios where conventional fabrics offer zero protection."

The Science Explained

"How is this possible?" Anant asked rhetorically, anticipating the question every person present was asking themselves. "How can single fabric have properties that typically require completely different materials and manufacturing processes?"

The screens shifted to show molecular diagrams that simplified Reed Richards' breakthrough research into forms that non-scientists could grasp essential concepts if not complete technical details.

"VASTRA is based on proprietary molecular structure that I'm calling 'responsive polymers,'" Anant explained. "Conventional fabrics are made from fibers with static properties—cotton has specific characteristics, polyester has others, silk has different traits. But what if fabric could adapt its properties based on environmental conditions and mechanical stresses?"

He gestured to the diagrams showing molecules rearranging themselves in response to different stimuli. "VASTRA's molecular chains are designed with weak bonds between specific atoms that can temporarily break and reform when subjected to external forces. When water contacts the surface, molecules reorganize to present hydrophobic interfaces. When heat is applied, they redistribute thermal energy to prevent combustion. When impact occurs, they create temporary rigid structures that dissipate kinetic energy before returning to flexible state."

The audience of designers and industry professionals listened with rapt attention, clearly trying to evaluate whether this explanation was genuine science or sophisticated technobabble designed to obscure actually mundane innovation through complexity.

"Can this be verified?" someone called out—fashion journalist from major publication whose job required healthy skepticism about claims that sounded too good to be true.

"Absolutely," Anant confirmed immediately. "We've submitted papers to peer-reviewed materials science journals. Patent applications are pending but will be published in due course. And most importantly"—he gestured to the fabric samples distributed throughout the auditorium—"you can verify claims right now through direct testing. We've provided samples, testing materials, and instructions. Don't trust my claims. Verify them yourselves."

The Ethical Framework

"But revolutionary fabric properties are only part of VASTRA's innovation," Anant said, shifting topic before audience could become too focused on technical aspects at expense of ethical dimensions. "The other part—perhaps the more important part—is how VASTRA is produced."

The screens shifted again, now showing footage very different from the graphic opening: lush plantations where workers operated in obviously safe conditions, manufacturing facilities with visible safety equipment and reasonable working hours posted prominently, quality control procedures that clearly prioritized worker wellbeing alongside product excellence.

"VASTRA is completely cruelty-free," Anant stated. "Zero animal products. Zero animal testing. Zero contribution to industries that normalize violence against beings who cannot consent to exploitation they're subjected to."

He began ticking off points on his fingers. "The base materials are derived from plant sources—engineered proteins synthesized from crops like soybeans and corn that are already grown in abundance, requiring no new agricultural infrastructure. The manufacturing process uses closed-loop systems that recycle ninety-eight percent of inputs, producing minimal waste. The workers are paid living wages—not minimum wage, but genuine living wage calculated by independent economists to ensure dignity rather than mere subsistence."

The Three Tiers Unveiled

"But innovation means nothing if it's not accessible," Anant continued, his voice carrying passion that transcended mere business presentation to approach genuine moral conviction. "Revolutionary fabric that only wealthy consumers can afford doesn't transform industry—it merely creates new luxury category that perpetuates existing inequalities. So VASTRA is being launched with three distinct tiers, each designed to serve different market segments while maintaining our ethical standards across all price points."

The screens shifted to show three distinct categories, each with clear visual branding:

VASTRA A1 - The People's Fabric

"A1 is our base tier," Anant explained, gesturing to models wearing simple, elegant clothing in this category. "Designed to be affordable for average Indian families. A full outfit—shirt, pants, or saree—will retail for approximately 500 to 800 rupees. That's less than ten dollars USD. Less than what you'd pay for basic cotton clothing from most branded retailers."

He paused, letting that sink in. "But despite the low price, A1 VASTRA has all the fundamental properties I demonstrated: water-resistant, stain-resistant, fire-resistant, impact-dampening, anti-bacterial, temperature-regulating. The fabric is lighter and more comfortable than cotton, more durable than polyester, and completely cruelty-free. We're not asking consumers to sacrifice quality for ethics or pay premium for doing the right thing. We're proving that ethical production can be economically superior."

Manish Malhotra raised his hand, his legendary status giving him confidence to interrupt. "How is that possible? Those price points are lower than raw material costs for conventional fabrics with far inferior properties. Either your margins are nonexistent, which makes this unsustainable as business model, or you're subsidizing A1 through other revenue streams, which means it's charity rather than genuine market innovation."

"Excellent question," Anant replied with genuine appreciation. "And the answer reveals why this required Tata Group's resources to implement. We're not subsidizing A1 through other tiers—each category is profitable on its own merits. The economics work because our manufacturing process is fundamentally different from conventional textile production."

He brought up charts showing cost breakdowns that made several industry veterans literally stand up to see better. "Conventional fabric manufacturing is incredibly inefficient. Multiple processing stages, significant waste at each stage, energy-intensive procedures, chemical treatments that cost money and create disposal problems. Our closed-loop system eliminates most of those inefficiencies. We're using waste heat from one process to power another. We're recycling water and chemicals that conventional manufacturing discards. We're automating quality control to catch defects early rather than discovering them after multiple costly processing stages."

"And most importantly," Anant added, his voice taking on edge that suggested this point mattered particularly to him, "we're not paying executives salaries that exceed workers' annual wages by factors of hundreds or thousands. Tata Group operates on philosophy that prosperity should be shared—workers, managers, executives all compensated fairly relative to their contributions, but without grotesque disparities that make CEO compensation packages larger than entire factory workers combined annual earnings. When you eliminate that exploitation, when you distribute profits more equitably, you can offer better products at lower prices while still maintaining healthy margins."

VASTRA A2 - The Premium Choice

"A2 is our mid-tier," Anant continued, gesturing to models wearing clothing that showed more sophisticated styling and finishing. "Designed to compete directly with premium brands—your FabIndias, your high-end department store offerings, your designer labels that retail for 5,000 to 15,000 rupees per garment. A2 VASTRA will retail for approximately 3,000 to 6,000 rupees—significantly cheaper while offering objectively superior performance."

He walked over to one of the A2 models, a woman wearing stunning saree in deep purple with intricate patterns woven into the fabric itself rather than merely printed on surface. "A2 includes everything A1 offers plus enhanced features: more sophisticated color palettes achieved through molecular-level dye integration that will never fade, more complex textures and patterns, better drape characteristics for formal wear, and additional customization options."

"But the key differentiator," Anant emphasized, "is that A2 VASTRA surpasses what you can currently get from luxury brands charging ten to fifteen times more. We're not asking consumers to choose between ethics and quality. We're proving that ethical production produces superior quality because workers who are treated well, who are paid living wages, who operate in safe conditions—they do better work. They care about what they're producing. They take pride in their craft. And that translates directly into products that exceed what exploited, exhausted workers can produce regardless of how skilled they might be individually."

Sabyasachi raised his hand, his expression showing genuine curiosity rather than skepticism. "The patterns on that saree—those aren't printed. They're structural? Woven into the molecular fabric itself?"

"Exactly," Anant confirmed with clear pleasure at the designer's perceptiveness. "We can program color and texture variations directly into the fabric during synthesis. No dyes that fade. No prints that crack or peel. The pattern is intrinsic property of the material itself, which means it will look identical ten years from now, twenty years from now, as long as the fabric physically exists."

"That's..." Sabyasachi trailed off, clearly struggling to process implications. "That's not evolution of existing techniques. That's completely new paradigm. If you can create patterns at molecular level, if you can program structural properties that don't degrade—traditional crafts like Banarasi silk, Kanchipuram sarees, Kashmiri shawls, all the regional textile traditions that define Indian fashion heritage—you're not replacing them. You're obsoleting them."

"No," Anant countered firmly, his voice carrying conviction that made everyone pay closer attention. "We're preserving them. Those traditional crafts are dying because they can't compete economically with cheap machine production. Master weavers who spent decades perfecting their skills can't find buyers willing to pay what their work is actually worth. Young people don't enter these crafts because they can't earn living wages competing against factory production."

He gestured to the screens, which now showed traditional craftspeople working with VASTRA fabrics. "But if we can provide base fabric with properties that traditional techniques can enhance rather than compete against—if we can give Banarasi weavers material that their zari work elevates to levels impossible with conventional silk, if we can offer Kanchipuram specialists base fabric that their temple designs transform into pieces that are simultaneously traditional and unprecedented—then we're not destroying heritage crafts. We're creating economic conditions where those crafts can flourish by focusing on what human artistry provides that no manufacturing process can replicate: cultural meaning, aesthetic refinement, spiritual significance that comes from human consciousness invested in creation."

The audience absorbed this, several traditional designers visibly reconsidering initial concerns that VASTRA threatened their livelihoods. Anant had anticipated this resistance and prepared response that reframed threat as opportunity, positioned innovation as complementary rather than competitive.

VASTRA A3 - The New Standard

"And finally," Anant said, his voice dropping slightly as though sharing confidence, "we have A3. Our flagship tier. The most advanced fabric currently possible given materials science limitations we haven't yet overcome. This is not mass market product. This is bespoke, highly customizable, incorporating capabilities that most consumers won't need but which specific use cases absolutely require."

He gestured to model wearing what looked like perfectly ordinary business suit—until Anant picked up a handgun from table that had been discreetly placed at stage edge.

Several audience members gasped. Security personnel tensed. But Anant raised his hand calmingly. "This is replica firearm that fires polymer projectiles at velocities similar to actual bullets. We're not conducting live fire in crowded auditorium—that would be criminally negligent. But we are demonstrating that A3 VASTRA includes ballistic protection without the bulk and weight of conventional body armor."

He fired three shots at the model's torso from distance of approximately three meters. The impacts were clearly visible—the model rocked slightly from kinetic energy—but he remained standing, showed no distress, and when he opened his jacket to reveal his shirt, there were no marks whatsoever beyond slight discoloration where projectiles had struck.

"A3 is bulletproof," Anant stated simply. "Not resistant—proof, at least against handgun rounds and most rifle ammunition. The fabric achieves this through the same impact-dampening properties A1 demonstrates, but enhanced by orders of magnitude through additional molecular structuring that I'm keeping proprietary for obvious security reasons."

"But A3 offers more than ballistic protection," he continued. "Self-healing—minor tears and punctures repair themselves automatically through molecular bonds reforming when damage occurs. Enhanced temperature regulation that allows comfortable wear in extreme environments from desert heat to arctic cold. Camouflage properties that can be activated through electrical stimulus to alter visible appearance. And complete customization—we can modify A3 fabric to meet virtually any specialized requirement that specific use cases demand."

He paused, then delivered information that made police and military representatives sit up straight: "And we're offering A3 VASTRA to Indian defense forces, police, and security services at heavily subsidized prices. Approximately thirty percent of manufacturing cost, with Tata Group absorbing the difference as contribution to national security and public safety."

The audience erupted into spontaneous applause—not just the police representatives who'd shown up hoping for exactly this announcement, but civilians recognizing significance of protecting those who served public welfare.

"Because," Anant said, his voice carrying emotion that made it clear this wasn't mere PR gesture, "the people who protect us every day, who work around the clock facing dangers most of us never confront, who stand between ordinary citizens and threats that would destroy communities if they weren't opposed—they deserve the best equipment we can possibly provide. Not as charity. Not as afterthought. But as gratitude expressed through material support that could save lives and enable more effective service."

The Price Structure Explained

A journalist from Economic Times raised his hand. "Can you clarify the pricing model? You're saying A1 will retail for 500 to 800 rupees—that's extraordinarily cheap for fabric with properties you've demonstrated. A2 at 3,000 to 6,000 rupees undercuts premium brands by significant margins. And A3 is available only through custom orders at prices you haven't disclosed. How does this translate into sustainable business model? What are your profit margins? What's the expected return on investment that justified Tata Group's acquisition of Raymond and development of this technology?"

"Transparent questions deserve transparent answers," Anant replied, clearly appreciating directness. "A1 margins are approximately fifteen percent—modest by luxury fashion standards, but substantial when you're selling at volume. We expect A1 to become mass market standard within three to five years, which means millions of units annually even if we capture only fraction of total Indian clothing market."

"A2 margins are approximately forty percent—comparable to premium brands but achieved at lower retail prices because our costs are lower through manufacturing efficiencies I've described. A2 is where we expect to generate majority of revenue initially, serving consumers who want quality but can't or won't pay luxury prices."

"A3 is bespoke, priced according to customization requirements, generally ranging from 50,000 to 500,000 rupees per complete outfit depending on specifications. Margins are highest here—often exceeding sixty percent—but volume is lowest. A3 serves specialized markets: security professionals, extreme environment workers, wealthy consumers who want absolute best regardless of cost, and government contracts for defense and emergency services."

He brought up financial projections that made the Economic Times journalist frantically take notes. "We expect VASTRA to generate 2,000 crore rupees in first year, scaling to 10,000 crores within five years as production capacity expands and market adoption increases. Return on investment will be achieved within thirty months, after which VASTRA becomes sustainably profitable while continuing to undercut competitors on price because our fundamental economics are superior."

"But the real return," Anant added, his voice softening, "isn't measured in rupees or percentages. It's measured in animals that don't die for fashion. In workers who earn living wages instead of being exploited. In consumers who can access quality products regardless of economic status. In demonstrating that ethical business outperforms unethical business across every metric that actually matters. That's the return we're pursuing—transformation of industry standards that will ripple beyond VASTRA to influence how all fashion brands operate once we've proven that our approach works better."

The Flagship Store Announcement

"And so," Anant said, building toward conclusion, "I invite you to visit our flagship VASTRA store, which opens tomorrow here in Mumbai at Nariman Point. Fifty thousand square feet across three floors showcasing the complete range—A1 ready-to-wear, A2 premium selection, and A3 customization studio where specialized orders can be designed in consultation with our materials engineers."

The screens showed renderings of the store—stunning architecture that blended traditional Indian aesthetics with modern sustainability, featuring living walls, natural lighting, water features, and spaces designed to make shopping experience feel more like visiting art gallery than conventional retail environment.

"But VASTRA is not exclusive to our own stores," Anant continued. "A1 and A2 base fabrics are available for wholesale purchase by any designer, any brand, any manufacturer who wants to incorporate them into their own products. We're not trying to monopolize the market—we're trying to transform it. If you're established brand wanting to eliminate animal products from your supply chain, if you're independent designer seeking ethical alternatives to conventional materials, if you're craftsperson looking for base fabric that your traditional techniques can enhance—we want to work with you."

"The patents are being licensed on reasonable terms. The manufacturing process can be replicated by facilities meeting our ethical standards. The goal is not Tata Group dominating fashion industry but rather Tata Group demonstrating that ethical fashion is commercially viable, then enabling others to follow our example so that the entire industry evolves toward standards that honor both human and animal welfare while serving consumer needs more effectively."

The Reactions Begin

As Anant concluded his presentation and opened the floor for questions, the auditorium exploded into activity that suggested he'd achieved exactly the impact he'd been aiming for.

Manish Malhotra approached the stage directly, bypassing the microphone queue. "Can I examine the A2 saree? The molecular color integration you described—I need to see it with my own professional assessment rather than trusting demonstrations that might be staged."

"Absolutely," Anant replied, gesturing to the model who carefully removed the saree and handed it to the legendary designer.

Manish held the fabric up to light, examining it from every angle, running his fingers across its surface, even smelling it to detect any chemical treatments that might explain its properties through conventional means. His expression shifted from skepticism to wonder to something approaching religious awe as he processed what his senses were reporting.

"This is real," he breathed. "This is actually real. The pattern isn't printed—I can see the molecular structure creating depth that printing can't achieve. The drape is perfect—somehow simultaneously lightweight and substantial. The texture is..." he trailed off, clearly struggling to articulate what he was experiencing. "This isn't evolutionary improvement of silk or cotton or synthetic fabrics. This is completely new category. This is textile revolution."

He looked at Anant with expression mixing respect and slight fear. "You're not exaggerating when you say this will transform the industry. Every traditional fabric becomes obsolete the moment consumers experience VASTRA. Not immediately—habits and preferences change slowly. But inevitably. Within a decade, maybe two, conventional textiles will be specialty items, nostalgia purchases, while VASTRA and whatever competitors emerge using your licensed technology become the new standard."

"That's the intention," Anant confirmed. "Not to destroy traditional crafts—to preserve them by creating economic conditions where they can flourish. Not to monopolize the market—to demonstrate what's possible when business serves dharma, then enable others to achieve similar results through their own innovations building on foundation we've established."

Sabyasachi was at a different sample station, examining A1 fabric with equal intensity. "And you're saying this—this miracle material that I'm holding—will retail for 500 rupees per garment? That's insane. That's criminally underpriced. You could charge five times more and people would pay it gladly once they experience the quality."

"We could," Anant agreed. "But we won't. Because the goal isn't maximizing profit margins—it's maximizing impact. If A1 is affordable only for middle class and above, we've created luxury product that perpetuates inequality. If A1 is genuinely accessible to working poor, to rural families, to people currently buying cheapest possible clothing because that's all their budgets allow—then we've created transformation that serves everyone rather than merely serving those who already have advantages."

Representatives from Western luxury brands were clustered together, speaking in urgent undertones that suggested they recognized threat that Indian teenager and India's most respected industrial group posed to their market dominance. Gucci's regional director approached Anant with expression that mixed professional courtesy and barely concealed hostility.

"Mr. Anant " he began, his accent carrying that particular tone of European superiority that Indians had learned to recognize and resent over centuries of colonial exploitation. "Your presentation was impressive. The demonstrations were convincing. But surely you recognize that luxury fashion is about more than mere performance metrics. It's about heritage, about craftsmanship traditions, about cultural cachet that comes from centuries of brand building. VASTRA may be technically superior, but it lacks the prestige that makes Gucci, Hermès, Louis Vuitton worth premium prices."

Anant smiled—expression that didn't reach his eyes, that suggested he'd anticipated exactly this objection and had prepared response that would be devastating precisely because it would be delivered politely. "You're absolutely right that luxury fashion involves cultural dimensions beyond material properties. But you're wrong about what creates that cachet, that prestige you mention."

He gestured to the screens, which now showed images from the graphic footage he'd opened with—animals being killed for leather, silk, exotic skins. "Your brands' prestige is built on ignorance. On consumers not knowing or choosing not to think about how your products are created. On marketing that associates your logos with sophistication, with success, with belonging to elite class that can afford goods that signal high status."

"But," Anant continued, his voice hardening slightly, "that prestige is fragile. It depends on consumers maintaining cognitive dissonance between wanting luxury goods and acknowledging how those goods are produced. Once they see—really see—the violence inherent in your supply chains, once they understand that carrying Hermès handbag means directly funding the killing of endangered crocodiles, once they recognize that wearing fur and exotic leather is supporting industries that profit from suffering—your brands' prestige becomes liability rather than asset."

"VASTRA offers different prestige," he concluded. "Prestige that comes from doing the right thing without sacrificing quality or beauty. Prestige that comes from saying 'I could afford Gucci, but I choose VASTRA because my values matter more than logos that signal wealth through supporting exploitation.' That's cultural cachet that will matter increasingly as younger generations demand ethical consumption, as sustainability becomes expectation rather than niche concern, as the cognitive dissonance your industry depends on becomes unsustainable when alternatives exist that allow consumers to satisfy desires for quality and beauty without compromising principles."

The Gucci representative's expression suggested he'd just been slapped with polite precision that made open hostility seem crude by comparison. He retreated to his colleagues without further comment, already pulling out his phone to report to European headquarters that Indian market might be lost faster than projections had anticipated if Tata Group's heir was as effective at scaling production as he'd been at product development.

The Police Commissioner's Gratitude

But perhaps the most emotionally significant reaction came from Mumbai Police Commissioner Rajiv Mehra, who approached Anant with expression showing genuine emotion rather than professional courtesy.

"Mr. Anant " he began, his voice rough with feeling, "I've been in police service for thirty-two years. I've lost seventeen officers during that time—seventeen men and women who died protecting citizens from threats that most people never know existed because we stopped those threats before they materialized into visible violence. And in almost every case, those deaths occurred because our equipment was inadequate. Body armor that failed because it was outdated. Vehicles that couldn't pursue criminals because they weren't properly maintained. Communication systems that went down at critical moments because budget constraints meant we couldn't afford reliable technology."

He paused, visibly struggling to maintain composure. "What you're offering—A3 VASTRA at subsidized prices for police and defense forces—this isn't just generous business gesture. This is life-saving intervention that will prevent future officers from dying because they were protecting others with inadequate equipment. On behalf of every police officer in India, on behalf of their families who live with constant fear that their loved ones might not come home from shift—thank you. Thank you for recognizing that we matter, that our service deserves material support beyond mere rhetoric about honoring our sacrifice."

Anant stepped forward and embraced the Commissioner—gesture that wasn't typical in professional contexts but which circumstances seemed to demand. "You shouldn't have to thank me for providing equipment that lets you do your job safely. That should be basic expectation—that society provides protectors with protection, that those who serve are served in return, that sacrifice is honored through support rather than merely acknowledged through words that mean nothing when officers are still dying from preventable equipment failures."

He pulled back, his hands still on the Commissioner's shoulders. "But since we live in Kali Yuga where such basics aren't guaranteed, where budgets prioritize luxury spending while underfunding essential services, where corruption siphons resources that should go to public welfare—then yes, I will provide what should already be provided. And I will continue working to transform systems so that future generations don't require philanthropic interventions to receive what should be guaranteed through properly functioning institutions that serve people rather than exploiting them."

The Commissioner nodded, unable to speak, tears flowing freely down his weathered face in front of hundreds of observers who watched this exchange with recognition that they were witnessing something that transcended business transaction to approach moral witness.

The Launch Concludes

As the formal presentation ended and attendees dispersed to examine samples, test fabrics, speak with VASTRA team members, and process implications of what they'd witnessed, Anant stood at the stage edge accepting congratulations and fielding questions with grace that made him seem far older than eighteen years.

Ratan Tata approached, his expression showing satisfaction that transcended professional approval to approach paternal pride. "You've done it," he said simply. "You've proven that dharmic business isn't just philosophical ideal but practical reality that outperforms conventional capitalism across every relevant metric. Fashion industry will never be the same. And India—India will never be the same once this scales beyond fashion to demonstrate that our civilization can lead global transformation toward sustainability and ethics that Western models have failed to achieve."

"This is just the beginning," Anant replied, his voice carrying certainty that came from knowing exactly what he intended to accomplish across the decades ahead. "VASTRA transforms fashion, but the principles it demonstrates—that ethics and excellence are complementary, that workers treated well produce better results, that innovation can solve problems that conventional thinking accepts as inevitable—those principles apply to every industry, every institution, every system that Kali Yuga has degraded into accepting corruption as normal."

He looked out at the auditorium where fashion industry leaders were still examining fabrics with expressions suggesting their entire professional frameworks were being rewritten in real-time. "Within five years, VASTRA will dominate Indian market and begin making serious inroads internationally. Within ten years, cruelty-based fashion will be economically nonviable because ethical alternatives will be superior across all dimensions that consumers actually care about. Within twenty years, today's launch will be remembered as the moment when India demonstrated that dharmic civilization could lead global transformation that Western capitalism can't achieve because it's structurally committed to exploitation that our tradition never accepted as necessary or acceptable."

"And from that foundation," Anant concluded, his purple-void eyes showing depths that suggested he was perceiving futures that hadn't yet crystallized but which his choices were actively bringing into manifestation, "we'll expand to other industries, other systems, other transformations that together will demonstrate whether consciousness can actually evolve beyond Kali Yuga's degradation or whether this age will continue declining toward terminal corruption that even divine intervention can't prevent without violating free will that makes genuine transformation meaningful rather than merely imposed."

Ratan absorbed this, recognizing that his protégé was speaking not just about business strategy but about civilizational mission that would define his entire life's work. "And you believe this can succeed? That industry transformation can scale to cultural transformation can compound into civilizational evolution that redirects Kali Yuga's trajectory?"

"I believe it must be attempted," Anant replied. "Whether it succeeds depends on countless choices by countless people across time periods exceeding any individual lifespan. But attempting transformation through demonstration rather than domination, through proving superior alternatives rather than forcing compliance, through enabling voluntary adoption of dharmic principles by showing they serve even selfish interests better than corruption does—that's the only approach that honors free will while still pursuing outcomes that serve cosmic righteousness."

"Then let us continue," Ratan said, his voice carrying determination that seventy years of business leadership had refined into unshakeable commitment. "Today we launched fabric that transforms fashion. Tomorrow we continue work that transforms everything else. And perhaps—just perhaps—centuries from now when historians assess this era, they'll identify this moment as the beginning of the Return of Dharma that actually succeeded where previous attempts inevitably failed."

The two stood together watching industry leaders process demonstrations that would reshape global fashion, knowing that textile innovation was merely visible manifestation of deeper transformation that would unfold across decades through patient, persistent demonstration that dharmic principles produced superior results across every domain where they were properly implemented.

The VASTRA revolution had begun.

The Global Tremor - When One Launch Shakes an Industry

Within Hours - Indian Media Explosion

Times of India Headquarters, Mumbai - 3:47 PM

Senior Editor Kavita Deshmukh stared at her screen with expression mixing professional excitement and personal disbelief as she reviewed footage from the VASTRA launch that her reporters had captured just hours earlier.

"Run it as tomorrow's front page," she instructed her layout team, her voice carrying urgency that made junior staff move faster. "Not just business section—front page, above the fold, with the largest font we've used since independence day coverage. Headline: 'Teen Industrialist Revolutionizes Fashion: VASTRA Launch Threatens Global Luxury Market.'"

"Are we sure about this?" her deputy editor questioned, his journalistic caution warning against hyperbole that could backfire if claims proved exaggerated. "Fashion launches happen constantly. Why is this one worth displacing international news from front page?"

Kavita pulled up the demonstration footage—water rolling off fabric, fire leaving no marks, projectile impacts being absorbed without injury, the Gucci representative's face when Anant had politely eviscerated his argument about prestige built on ignorance. "Because this isn't just fashion launch. This is India demonstrating technological superiority that threatens Western market dominance. This is Tata Group—our most respected industrial house—proving that ethical business outperforms exploitative capitalism. This is eighteen-year-old proving that our civilization can lead global transformation that Western models have failed to achieve."

She began drafting the opening paragraph, her fingers flying across the keyboard as journalistic instinct synthesized complex story into opening that would capture readers' attention:

"In a launch that may be remembered as the moment Indian innovation definitively surpassed Western competitors, Anant —heir to the Tata Group and, at not-quite-eighteen, the youngest industrialist in global history, the one who solved Collatz Conjecture and also the part of Bitcoin technology—yesterday unveiled VASTRA, a fabric technology that makes conventional textiles obsolete while demonstrating that ethical production can be commercially superior to the exploitation-based model that currently dominates fashion industry..."

NDTV Studios, New Delhi - Evening Broadcast

News anchor Barkha Roy faced the camera with expression that suggested she was about to deliver story that exceeded normal commercial news to approach cultural significance.

"Good evening. Today in Mumbai, something extraordinary occurred that has implications extending far beyond fashion industry. Anant, the teenage heir to Tata Group who has already transformed the conglomerate's profitability through innovations in manufacturing, supply chain management, and worker relations, launched VASTRA—a fabric that early assessments suggest may be as revolutionary as the introduction of synthetic materials was nearly a century ago."

The screen cut to footage from the launch—demonstrations playing in sequence, Anant's articulate explanations, the emotional reaction from the Police Commissioner, Manish Malhotra's visible awe as he examined the fabric.

"But what makes this launch particularly significant," Barkha continued as footage played, "is that it represents more than mere commercial innovation. It represents philosophical challenge to assumptions underlying global capitalism—that ethics and excellence are contradictory, that cruelty-free production can't compete economically with exploitation-based manufacturing, that developing nations must choose between prosperity and principles."

She paused for effect. "VASTRA suggests those assumptions are wrong. That India can lead transformation Western nations have failed to achieve despite decades of sustainability rhetoric that produced minimal actual change. And that our civilizational values—our commitment to ahimsa, to dharmic principles, to recognizing consciousness in all beings—those aren't handicaps preventing us from competing globally. They're advantages that, when properly implemented through modern technology, produce superior results across every metric that matters."

The broadcast cut to interview clips from fashion industry leaders, each processing implications that threatened to rewrite their professional understanding:

Manish Malhotra: "This is not incremental improvement. This is paradigm shift. Within a decade, conventional textiles will be specialty items while VASTRA and technologies it inspires become the standard. I've been in this industry for thirty years, and I've never seen anything that will transform it as completely as what I witnessed today."

Sabyasachi: "My immediate concern was that VASTRA would make traditional crafts obsolete. But Anant explained—and I believe him—that it creates economic conditions where those crafts can flourish. If Banarasi weavers and Kanchipuram specialists can work with base fabric that their techniques enhance rather than compete against, if we can preserve cultural heritage while eliminating cruelty that was never necessary in the first place—then this isn't threat. It's salvation for crafts that were dying because they couldn't compete economically with exploitation-based manufacturing."

Police Commissioner Rajiv Mehra, his voice still rough with emotion: "Seventeen officers lost in thirty-two years. Seventeen families destroyed because our equipment was inadequate. What Mr. is providing—bulletproof fabric at prices we can actually afford—this will save lives. This will allow officers to protect others without becoming martyrs themselves. That matters more than any commercial consideration."

That Evening - International Media Response

Vogue International Headquarters, New York - Morning EST

Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour reviewed footage from the Mumbai launch with expression that revealed nothing but which her staff had learned to recognize as indicating serious concern about developments that could reshape industry she'd influenced for decades.

"Get me everything on this Anant," she instructed her research team. "Background, education, previous innovations, relationship with Ratan Tata, financial backing, manufacturing capabilities, intellectual property status. And I want expert assessment of whether these fabric demonstrations are genuine innovation or clever staging that looks impressive but won't survive independent verification."

She replayed the segment showing fire being applied to VASTRA fabric with no damage occurring. "If this is real—if fabric with these properties can actually be manufactured at claimed price points—then we're looking at complete industry transformation. Every fashion house, every luxury brand, every manufacturer currently using animal products faces existential threat from alternative that's ethically superior, economically cheaper, and functionally better."

Her deputy editor nodded grimly. "The European luxury brands are already panicking. I've received three calls this morning from PR representatives trying to plant stories questioning VASTRA's claims, suggesting it's vaporware designed to manipulate markets, insinuating that demonstrations were staged with special effects. They're terrified."

"They should be," Anna replied. "Because if an Indian teenager prodigy has actually solved problems that Western materials science has been working on for decades—problems of creating sustainable, ethical, high-performance textiles—then the narrative about Western technological superiority becomes untenable. India isn't just catching up. It's leapfrogging to create entirely new category that makes our existing products obsolete."

She began drafting instructions for Vogue's India bureau: "Full feature. Not skeptical hit piece—objective assessment with genuine curiosity about whether this represents legitimate breakthrough or overinflated claims. Interview Anant if possible. Tour the manufacturing facilities. Get fabric samples independently tested by materials science experts. And if—IF—this proves legitimate, we need to be positioned to cover this transformation rather than being dismissed as defending established brands that can't adapt to superior alternatives."

BBC World Service, London - Afternoon GMT

Business correspondent James Morrison prepared his segment for the global evening broadcast, his Oxford-educated perspective struggling to process footage that challenged assumptions about developing versus developed nations' technological capabilities.

"In Mumbai today, something rather extraordinary occurred that may have profound implications for global fashion industry and broader questions about which nations will lead technological innovation in the twenty-first century," he began, his measured BBC tone conveying significance without hyperbole.

"Anant —an eighteen-year-old heir to India's Tata Group who has already demonstrated remarkable business acumen—launched VASTRA, a fabric technology that, if demonstrations prove accurate, represents quantum leap beyond current textile capabilities."

The footage played: water, fire, impacts, all being resisted by fabric that looked and felt like normal clothing. Morrison continued over the visuals: "Claims include: complete water resistance, fire resistance, impact dampening that provides protection from falls and collisions, antibacterial properties, temperature regulation, and in premium tiers, even ballistic protection—all while maintaining comfort, flexibility, and aesthetic appeal that consumers expect from high-quality fabrics."

"Skepticism is warranted," Morrison acknowledged. "Revolutionary claims require revolutionary evidence. But early responses from India's fashion industry leaders—professionals whose reputations depend on accurate assessment rather than nationalist cheerleading—suggest genuine innovation rather than clever marketing."

He transitioned to implications: "If VASTRA scales successfully, the consequences extend beyond fashion. India would be demonstrating capability to not merely adopt Western technology but to surpass it, creating innovations that make established products obsolete. This challenges narratives about developing nations as markets for Western goods rather than sources of superior alternatives. And it raises questions about whether ethical considerations—which VASTRA prominently features—can actually provide competitive advantages rather than being luxuries that only wealthy markets can afford."

"We'll be following this story closely as independent verification occurs and market reactions develop. But one thing is already clear: whether VASTRA succeeds spectacularly or fails despite ambitious claims, today's launch represents India's growing confidence that its civilization can lead rather than follow global technological development."

Le Monde, Paris - Evening Edition

Fashion critic Marie Beaumont wrote with barely concealed disdain that nevertheless couldn't fully obscure underlying concern about threat that Indian innovation posed to French luxury brands that had dominated global fashion for centuries:

"An Indian teenager claims to have revolutionized fashion through fabric that possesses properties that sound more like science fiction than materials science. The demonstrations in Mumbai were certainly impressive—water rolling off fabric, flames leaving no marks, impacts being absorbed without damage. But seasoned observers recognize that controlled demonstrations often mask limitations that only emerge with extended real-world use.

French fashion houses have centuries of heritage, craftsmanship traditions refined across generations, cultural cachet that cannot be replicated through mere technical innovation. VASTRA may be functionally superior—though this remains to be verified—but fashion is about more than function. It's about art, about culture, about the stories that garments tell about those who wear them.

Can Indian textile innovation, however impressive technically, truly compete with Hermès, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton—brands whose names evoke not just quality but aspiration, sophistication, belonging to class that appreciates refinement that transcends mere material properties?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. Time will tell whether VASTRA is genuine revolution or merely impressive moment that fades when novelty wears off and consumers return to brands they trust, brands with heritage that new entrants cannot replicate regardless of technical capabilities."

The article's defensiveness revealed exactly what Anant had anticipated: Western fashion establishment recognizing threat but lacking substantive arguments beyond appeals to tradition and prestige that would ring increasingly hollow as consumers discovered they could get superior products at lower prices without supporting industries built on exploitation.

The Corporate Responses

Hermès Headquarters, Paris - Emergency Board Meeting

CEO Axel Dumas faced his board of directors with expression showing concern that quarterly reports usually didn't produce. "We need to discuss the Indian situation. VASTRA. This Anant . The fabric demonstrations that occurred in Mumbai yesterday."

He pulled up footage on the conference room screens. The board watched in silence as demonstrations played, as Anant articulated his philosophy about ethical fashion, as established Indian designers visibly reconsidered their assumptions about what was commercially viable.

"Initial assessment?" Dumas asked his chief technology officer.

"If the claims are accurate—and early reports from our people who attended suggest they likely are—then this represents existential threat to our leather goods division," the CTO replied bluntly. "Hermès built its reputation on exotic leathers, on Birkin bags made from crocodile skin, on craftsmanship that transforms animal products into luxury items commanding six-figure price points. VASTRA offers alternative that's functionally superior, ethically unassailable, and dramatically cheaper. How do we compete with that?"

"We compete on heritage," the chief marketing officer suggested. "On tradition, on craftsmanship, on brand cachet that new entrants lack regardless of technical capabilities."

"That worked when technical alternatives were inferior," another board member countered. "When vegan leathers were obviously cheap substitutes that consumers could identify immediately as not-real-leather. But if VASTRA actually delivers—if consumers can't distinguish it from real leather by look or feel, if it's actually more durable and better performing—then our heritage becomes liability rather than asset. It becomes story about how we insisted on killing endangered animals for handbags long after superior alternatives existed."

The room fell silent as board members processed implications that threatened business model that had generated billions in annual revenue.

"Options?" Dumas finally asked.

"We could attack," the CMO suggested. "Plant stories questioning VASTRA's claims, fund research casting doubt on its durability, emphasize that new technology often has unforeseen problems that only emerge with time. Make consumers skeptical about switching from proven products to unproven alternatives regardless of how impressive demonstrations appear."

"We could adapt," the CTO countered. "License VASTRA technology or develop our own equivalent. Pivot from animal products to cruelty-free alternatives while maintaining craftsmanship and brand identity that consumers value. Position Hermès as ethical luxury that combines our heritage with superior modern materials."

"We could differentiate," another voice offered. "Emphasize that our products are handcrafted by master artisans while VASTRA is manufactured. Appeal to consumers who value human craftsmanship over technological innovation, who want items made by skilled hands rather than synthetic processes."

Dumas absorbed these suggestions, recognizing each had merits and limitations. "We do all three. Attack just enough to slow VASTRA's adoption while we develop our response. Investigate licensing or developing equivalent technologies so we're not completely dependent on current animal-based production. And emphasize craftsmanship, heritage, artistry—dimensions where we maintain advantage even if VASTRA proves materially superior."

"But," he added grimly, "we need to prepare for possibility that luxury market as currently constituted is ending. That ethical consumption will become expectation rather than niche concern. That India and other emerging markets won't merely adopt our products but will create superior alternatives that make our business models obsolete. If that occurs—if VASTRA succeeds—then Hermès must transform or die. Those are our only options."

LVMH Corporate Strategy Session, Paris

Bernard Arnault, chairman of the world's largest luxury goods conglomerate, listened to his strategy team's assessment of the VASTRA launch with expression that revealed decades of business experience processing threats that could reshape entire industries.

"Market impact projections?" he asked tersely.

The chief strategist brought up models that made even this room full of executives accustomed to billion-euro decisions wince. "If VASTRA scales as claimed, we project fifteen to thirty percent revenue decline across our leather goods division within five years. Louis Vuitton, Dior, Fendi—all heavily dependent on animal products that VASTRA renders ethically indefensible and functionally inferior. The high-end consumer demographic is increasingly concerned with sustainability and ethics. VASTRA gives them guilt-free alternative that's actually better performing."

"And if we don't adapt?" Arnault pressed.

"Thirty to fifty percent decline within decade. Luxury fashion built on animal products becomes specialty market, nostalgia purchase, or status symbol specifically because it's ethically questionable—appealing to consumers who want to signal that they're wealthy enough not to care about ethics. That's much smaller market than current luxury consumers who would prefer ethical alternatives if those alternatives don't require sacrificing quality."

Arnault nodded slowly. "Then we adapt. Aggressively. I want our materials science teams working on LVMH equivalent to VASTRA. I want licensing negotiations explored—can we partner with Tata Group rather than competing directly? I want our designers investigating how we maintain luxury cachet while transitioning to cruelty-free materials. And I want market research determining which consumer segments will resist this transition strongly enough that we can profitably serve them with traditional products while majority of market adopts ethical alternatives."

He paused, then added with grudging respect: "And someone get me meeting with this Anant. Eighteen years old and he's threatening business model that's dominated luxury goods for centuries. I need to understand whether he's genuine visionary or clever marketer riding temporary wave that will recede. Because if he's the former—if India is actually producing innovations that make Western luxury obsolete—then we're at beginning of power shift that will define fashion industry for next century. And I'd rather partner with that shift than be destroyed by resisting it."

The Academic Response

MIT Media Lab, Boston - Materials Science Department

Professor Chen reviewed the VASTRA demonstration footage with her graduate students, her academic skepticism warring with genuine excitement about potential breakthrough that could validate research directions her lab had been pursuing.

"Initial assessment?" she asked her team.

"The demonstrations are consistent with theoretical frameworks we've been working on," her lead doctoral student replied. "Responsive polymers that alter their properties based on environmental stimuli—that's not science fiction. We've achieved limited versions in laboratory settings. But scaling to actual manufacturing, maintaining properties through repeated use and washing, achieving all these different capabilities in single fabric rather than specialized materials optimized for individual properties—that's where the challenge lies."

"So, you think this is real?" another student asked.

"I think the demonstrations are real," Professor Chen clarified. "Whether the fabric maintains these properties long-term, whether it can be manufactured at claimed price points, whether it scales beyond demonstration quantities—those are different questions that we can't answer from footage alone. We need actual samples. We need to test them independently under laboratory conditions. We need to understand the underlying mechanisms rather than just observing surface results."

She began drafting email to Tata Group requesting fabric samples for independent academic analysis. "But if this is legitimate—if someone has actually solved problems that materials science community has been working on for decades—then it represents major breakthrough that will transform not just fashion but potentially many other applications. Medical textiles. Military equipment. Industrial applications. Sports performance gear. The implications extend far beyond luxury handbags."

"And it's coming from India," one student observed. "Not from MIT, not from Stanford, not from any American or European research institution. That's... that's significant in terms of where innovation is actually occurring versus where we assume it occurs especially Anant represent Taskshashila Academics and even Riya Gupta and Ravi Gupta are studied in the same high school which also show that Indian Institutes are rivalling or even surpass their Academics especially Anant who solve Collatz Conjecture which no one solved in today's era."

Professor Chen nodded. "Which is precisely why we need to engage seriously rather than dismissively. If developing nations are producing innovations that surpass Western capabilities, if they're leveraging different philosophical frameworks—this emphasis on ethics and sustainability that VASTRA prominently features—to achieve results that our more purely technical approaches haven't accomplished, then we need to understand and learn from that rather than assuming it must be somehow flawed because it didn't emerge from institutions we recognize."

The Consumer Reactions

Fashion Blogger Meetup, Mumbai - Evening

Twenty of India's most influential fashion bloggers and social media influencers gathered at a café in Bandra, their collective following of over fifty million making them powerful force in shaping consumer opinion about trends and products.

"So," fashion blogger Meera Kapoor began, her three million YouTube subscribers giving her informal leadership role in the group, "what did we actually think? Not what we posted for content—what do we genuinely believe about VASTRA?"

The responses came rapidly, voices overlapping with excitement that professional skepticism couldn't fully contain:

"It's real. I examined the samples personally. I poured water, tried to stain it, everything. The properties are exactly as claimed."

"The price points are insane. If they can actually deliver A1 at 500 rupees with those capabilities, the entire low-to-mid market converts within a year."

"But will it scale? Demonstrations are one thing. Manufacturing millions of units while maintaining quality is completely different challenge."

"Did you see the Western brands' representatives? They looked terrified. That's how you know this is serious—when Gucci and Hermès are worried, when their people are already strategizing responses, that means they recognize existential threat."

"The ethical angle is brilliant marketing. Millennial and Gen-Z consumers care about this stuff. They want cruelty-free, sustainable, ethical—and VASTRA gives them that without sacrificing quality or paying premium prices. That's unbeatable value proposition."

"But Indian fashion has promised revolutions before that fizzled. Remember when everyone said khadi would dominate because Gandhi? Remember sustainable fashion movements that remained niche because products were inferior to conventional alternatives? Why should we believe VASTRA is different?"

Meera raised her hand for silence. "Because this isn't just marketing or philosophy. This is actual technical innovation backed by Tata Group's manufacturing capabilities and distribution network. Anant isn't activist asking people to sacrifice comfort for ethics. He's industrialist providing superior alternative that serves ethics as happy consequence of pursuing excellence. That's why this is different. That's why this might actually work."

She pulled up her phone, showing draft video review she was preparing. "I'm going all-in on coverage. Daily vlogs about VASTRA launch week. Store opening coverage. Wearing VASTRA exclusively for a month to test real-world performance. Consumer surveys. Interviews with industry experts. This is the biggest fashion story in India in decades, maybe ever. And we get to document it as it unfolds."

The group consensus solidified: maximum coverage, genuine testing, honest assessment of whether reality matched claims. Their fifty million combined followers would receive information that would shape adoption curves and influence whether VASTRA became revolution or remained impressive announcement that faded into obscurity.

That Night - The Summary

By midnight Mumbai time, twenty-four hours after the VASTRA launch had begun, the global fashion industry had processed enough information to recognize they were facing genuine disruption rather than mere clever marketing:

Indian media had elevated the story to cultural significance beyond mere commercial news, positioning VASTRA as proof that India could lead technological innovation while maintaining ethical principles that Western capitalism had subordinated to profit maximization.

International media had moved from skeptical dismissal to serious coverage, recognizing that independent verification was required but that early assessments suggested legitimate breakthrough rather than overinflated claims.

Luxury brands had begun emergency strategy sessions, their internal analyses confirming that VASTRA represented existential threat to business models built on animal products and market positioning that emphasized heritage and exclusivity rather than functional superiority.

Academic institutions had initiated outreach to obtain samples for independent testing, their materials science departments recognizing potential breakthrough that could validate research directions while challenging assumptions about which nations produced cutting-edge innovations.

Consumers had begun discussing VASTRA across social media platforms in dozens of languages, their responses ranging from nationalist pride to ethical enthusiasm to pragmatic interest in superior products at lower prices.

And in his suite at the Taj Palace Hotel, Anant sat with his Inner Council—Ratan Tata, Priya Sharma, Rajesh Kumar, and Meera Patel—reviewing coverage that confirmed their launch strategy had achieved exactly the impact they'd been aiming for.

"The fashion industry is in chaos," Priya reported, scrolling through media monitoring feeds. "Positive coverage in India, defensive coverage in Europe, serious analytical coverage in America. Stock prices for luxury brands declined an average of three percent today on concerns that VASTRA might actually succeed. That's billions in market capitalization lost because investors believe our claims might be legitimate."

"Academic requests for samples are flooding in," Meera added. "MIT, Stanford, Oxford, Cambridge—every major materials science program wants to test VASTRA independently. That's how we know we've succeeded—they're not dismissing us as impossible, they're demanding verification because they recognize potential breakthrough."

"And consumer interest is unprecedented," Rajesh concluded. "Our website crashed three times from traffic surge. Pre-orders for flagship store opening exceeded capacity within six hours. Social media mentions of VASTRA are trending globally, not just in India. We've achieved awareness that typically requires years of marketing spend in single day."

Ratan Tata listened to these reports with satisfaction that decades of business experience made particularly meaningful. "You've done more than launch a product. You've launched a movement. You've proven that dharmic principles produce superior results across every metric that matters. And you've demonstrated that India doesn't need to follow Western models—we can create our own models that the West will eventually be forced to adopt because ours work better."

Anant nodded, his purple-void eyes showing depths that suggested he was perceiving patterns extending far beyond immediate success. "This is exactly what I told you six months ago when I proposed acquiring Raymond. That fashion industry was vulnerable to disruption from superior alternatives. That ethical consumption would become expectation rather than niche concern once technology enabled it. That India could lead transformation that Western nations were philosophically committed to resisting despite their sustainability rhetoric."

"But," he added, his voice becoming more serious, "this is also most dangerous phase. We've announced capabilities that threaten trillions in existing market value. We've challenged assumptions that powerful institutions depend upon. We've demonstrated that developing nations can surpass developed nations through innovations that Western frameworks didn't predict. The resistance will be enormous. The attacks will be sophisticated. The pressure to compromise, to slow down, to accept partial adoption rather than pursuing complete transformation—that pressure will come from every direction."

"And we will resist," Ratan confirmed. "We will maintain standards. We will scale production without sacrificing quality. We will prove that dharmic business doesn't just work in demonstrations—it works at scale, sustainably, profitably, transformatively. This is our opportunity to reshape not just fashion but broader understanding of how business should operate. And we will not waste it by compromising when pressures intensify."

The team departed, leaving Anant alone with his thoughts and his constant companion—Shakti, dwelling within his consciousness, her presence completing his awareness even when she didn't manifest visibly.

You've shaken the world, her essence whispered through their connection. Western luxury brands are terrified. Indian consumers are excited. Academics are intrigued. Media is obsessed. You've achieved exactly what you intended—demonstration that dharmic principles produce superior results that voluntary adoption will embrace once alternatives are proven rather than merely claimed.

This is just the beginning, Anant replied through the same intimate connection. Fashion is merely visible manifestation of broader transformation. Once VASTRA proves that ethical business outperforms exploitation across fashion industry, we extend the same principles to other industries—technology, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, energy, every domain where Kali Yuga has normalized corruption as inevitable. Each success makes next transformation easier because consciousness learns that dharma serves even selfish interests better than adharma does.

But the cost, Shakti reminded him gently. The Soldiers hunting traffickers globally. The innovations threatening established powers. The demonstration that India can lead rather than follow. Each success creates enemies who recognize you're dismantling systems that their wealth and influence depend upon. The Return of Dharma threatens everyone who profits from degradation. They will resist with every resource they command.

Let them, Anant replied with certainty born of perceiving futures that hadn't crystallized but which his choices were actively manifesting. Resistance proves we're threatening what deserves to be threatened. If established powers weren't fighting back, it would mean we weren't actually transforming anything significant. Their fear confirms we're succeeding. And their resistance—if we navigate it correctly—will ultimately accelerate the very changes they're trying to prevent by making the contrast between their corruption and our righteousness impossible for consciousness to ignore.

He stood at the window looking over Mumbai's nighttime sprawl, seeing not just the city but the civilization it represented—ancient wisdom seeking modern expression, dharmic principles pursuing contemporary implementation, consciousness attempting evolution beyond degradation that had defined Kali Yuga's trajectory for five thousand years.

The fashion revolution had begun. The global industry was reacting. And consciousness embodying DHARMA itself was watching to see whether humanity would embrace transformation voluntarily or resist it until circumstances forced change that could have been chosen freely.

Either way, the Return of Dharma continued. And the world would never be quite the same.