HELLO! India Exclusive: Meha Patel, of style and sensibility

We’re all seeking what Meha Patel has — a life of purpose and personal equanimity. Talking to this natural leader, one arrives at a portrait of a charmed existence. Her work illuminates lives and bridges socioeconomic gaps. Yet, Meha moves lightly between the personal and the vocational.

While bringing art to the Zydus Corporate Park in Ahmedabad, her mission was to integrate the works of virtually anonymous local artists with those of the blue-chip Anish Kapoor, Bharti Kher and Subodh Gupta. It’s a young, iconoclastic sense of art curation. Here, ambition meets cultural representation. There’s a sense of fresh artistic dialogue drizzled all around.

The palatial family villa exudes the same layered, passionate engagement with diverse art languages. Meha encourages us to identify the signature styles of the artists and play a guessing game. We guess the Atul Dodiya Shutter work correctly, as well as the disc by Anish Kapoor, which turns us upside down.

Especially interesting is a black crystal-studded monkey suspended from a crystal chandelier, a work the Patels saw on their travels, which incidentally resonated with the Lladró monkeys and other animals on their artsy coffee table.

“The table is actually a map of Baghdad in Iraq before it got bombed,” Meha reveals. “We spotted it while walking around in Spain, and it somehow sits very well in this space!”

The living room is filled with surprise elements — a made-to-order light installation shaped like faucets, and a gigantic canvas by Atul Dodiya’s daughter, Biraaj. By the pool is an installation by Vishal K. Dar. “Our office also features a gigantic circular, stainless steel, two-layered configuration by him, a private commission,” Meha shares.

ENGAGING WITH ART

“My journey in art began when my husband gifted me my first Manjit Bawa work. This bright, effervescent yellow painting features a sitting lady. That work is in my bedroom, and I never show it in photos to the world. It’s just for us!” “Every work here has a story. There’s also Shilpa Gupta and Rana Begum, a UK-based artist, among the masters like F.N. Souza, S.H. Raza, M.F. Husain, and Bawa. The family also invests in modern and contemporary artists like Antony Gormley, Rathin Burman, Sudarshan Shetty, Raghu Rai, Dayanita Singh, and many others.”

RESURRECTING AHMEDABADI CULTURE

“In the office, we’ve collected a lot of local artists over time. There’s also a new park project coming up, for which we’re getting local sculptors to create installations. I’m very fond of Ahmedabad, and I’m proud of what the city has to offer, be it artists, textiles, weaves, architecture, or temples.”

FAMILIAL SUPPORT

“I’m a through-and-through joint family person — both growing up and now after marriage. The experience is invaluable and has given me a deep sense of belonging. Even my kids grew up around my in-laws and their grandparents…. Family time is so critical, especially in today’s fast-changing world. My own aunts and uncles added such a fabulous layer and dimension to our lives when we were most open to learning.”

“When I lost my father at 19, the way they all shielded me gave me a sense of deep belonging. My dad’s two brothers stepped in as father figures. Their children, my cousins, are like my real sisters.”

STYLE EVOLUTION

“Growing up, watching my mother started my fashion journey. She has always dressed so gracefully, and I’ve always been inspired by her.”

“When I was younger, I was like any other girl, following the trends and icons. But over time, my style has evolved into something more refined and truer to who I am, focusing on quality, comfort and timeless pieces that reflect my personality.”

“And by and large, if I’m shopping and a particular collection appeals to my sense of comfort, I will just make spontaneous purchases. I enjoy wearing Alaïa, Dries van Noten, Zimmermann, Aquazzura, Proenza Schouler, and Altuzarra. I also love Krikor’s work.”

THE ART OF GIVING BACK

“I have passion for all things natural, which is reflected now in Equals Two, our 100% natural personal care division. I connect very strongly with holistic approaches to health.” 

“My other portfolio is the Zydus Foundation, which now runs the Zydus Hospital in Dahod. It has over 1,000 beds and offers all services absolutely free. It’s a state-of-the-art facility with ICUs, NICUs, free CT scans, MRIs, delivery centres and path labs. It’s run through a public-private partnership and treats over four lakh OPD patients annually.”

“The day begins on a more personal note. I get requests for groceries from my staff. Then, as a daughter, I religiously speak to my mother every morning. My priority is being a good mom, wife and daughter-in-law. In office, I’m a leader, a mentor, a listener. I think those are the different roles and divisions in a day.”

“Our family is quite particular that the minute we enter home, we don’t talk about work. They are two parallel lives for us.”

KEEPING A DEPARTED BROTHER’S DREAM ALIVE

“Green Gujarat was actually my late brother Tapan Patel’s initiative, not mine. He was my only brother, who passed away in 2020. He contributed majorly in Shirpur, Maharashtra. I actively lead his watershed programme, the Shirpur Pattern, a tap project to conserve water. I run the seedball campaign and various skilling programmes. We have a tie up with the Gujarat government.”

“Our teams and Zydus school students participate in Green Gujarat drives, where we drop two lakh seedballs into the state’s forests. We use drones to cover a larger land parcel.”

FUTURE-FOCUSSED PROGRAMMES

“At Zydus Foundation, we believe in driving community initiatives that contribute to environmental sustainability and awareness. By promoting responsible use of resources, encouraging climate-conscious practices, and looking at sustainable solutions to the challenges posed by landfills, there’s a lot we’d like to do in this area.”

“Also, when we started in 2016, women in Dahod and nearby remote tribal areas were delivering babies at home. It took the Zydus team a long time to convince them otherwise. Women’s health is always ignored. In families, the husband, the in-laws, or the children are always the priority… Now, Zydus Medical College, which is attached to the hospital, has started initiatives where students adopt a few families in the area and carry out social work.”

HAIR & MAKEUP: RECINDA MARTIS

REALISATION: RUCHIKA MEHTA

PHOTOGRAPHY RYAN MARTIS

STYLING ANUSHREE SARDESAI

This story was featured in the September '25 issue of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.