Textile technologies, especially those used in tissue and hygiene products, positively enhance lives everyday because they reach people at every stage of life, from caring for a newborn to supporting aging adults with dignity.
Bansari Joshi, our next pathbreaker, Lead Scientist – Materials at Kimberly-Clark (Wisconsin), develops next-generation materials for bath and paper towels across brands such as Kleenex, Cottonelle, and Viva.
Bansari talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about a big part of her work that focuses on sustainability, including developing plant-based and recycled materials, reducing solvent and chemical use in processing, and finding ways to make manufacturing more efficient .
For students, curiosity matters far more than knowing all the answers upfront because when you genuinely want to learn, you can grow into almost any role. Ultimately, just find work you love and let your curiosity lead the way.
Bansari, Your background?
My name is Bansari Joshi, and I grew up in Gujarat, India. I lived there right up until I started my first job, so that place shaped almost every part of who I am. My father worked as a government contractor, and my mother was a school teacher for deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Both of them are happily retired now. I also have an older brother, who is a civil engineer in New York City, designing buildings.
I grew up in a happy, stable home where my parents placed a strong emphasis on education. My mother, in particular, had a profound influence on me. I used to visit her school and spend time with her students; seeing the challenges those children faced, and the resilience and joy they still found, deeply moved me. It grounded me. It taught me, at a very early age, to appreciate the life I have rather than taking it for granted, a lesson that has quietly stayed with me through everything I have done since.
As a kid, I loved playing board games. They really shaped my analytical mindset and naturally drew me toward mathematics. I also enjoyed reading, especially space fiction. Those stories allowed me to imagine entire worlds and sparked a deep curiosity about the universe, a curiosity that, looking back, was the first real seed of my interest in science and technology.
What did you do for graduation/post-graduation?
For my undergraduate degree, I studied textile technology, and I went on to earn my master’s in textile engineering from North Carolina State University. Throughout my studies, I learned about various natural and synthetic fibers and how they are transformed into yarns and finished textiles through weaving, knitting, and non-woven techniques. I explored a wide range of applications, culminating in a thesis where I developed supercapacitive energy storage devices that could store power and be woven directly into fabric. This hands-on research showed me that modern textile materials are no longer limited to apparel, but instead serve a vast array of advanced industrial applications.
What made you such an offbeat, unconventional and unusual career in Textile Engineering?
Choosing a career path wasn’t easy. Like many Indian households, my parents had clear expectations. My mother especially wanted me to become a doctor, but I never connected with biology; it was honestly one of my least favorite subjects. My genuine love for mathematics and physics made the decision much clearer, and I knew engineering was the right path for me.
As the time came to choose a major, I realized how many options existed and how heavy this decision really was. At that age, I didn’t fully grasp its weight, so I made a point of talking to people further along in their careers, like my seniors, my brother, and his friends. Those conversations gave me clarity on one reality. The Indian market was saturated with mechanical, civil, electrical, and computer engineers. The field was fiercely competitive, and without admission to a top-tier school, the degree alone wouldn’t carry much weight.
My father suggested civil engineering, but it didn’t excite me. With my scores and merit, I earned admission into Textile Technology at one of the top engineering colleges in Gujarat. I made a deliberate choice to prioritize a strong institution over a popular major, and to this day, I have absolutely no regrets about that decision.
Attending L.D. College of Engineering became one of the biggest turning points of my life. Beyond academics, I had opportunities to organize technical fests, run the placement cell, and work alongside genuinely brilliant people who shaped the career I have today. Those experiences built my confidence, helping me grow from a shy introvert into a far more outgoing and self-assured person.
Tell us about your career path
During the final year of my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to work on a research project at a plasma research institute, which was investigating plasma treatment of textile fabrics to enhance their hydrophobicity, with a particular focus on process technology development. Hydrophobic substances are materials that repel water instead of absorbing it.
I was responsible for testing different textile materials and developing designs of experiments to evaluate the effectiveness of the plasma treatment method. This was my first exposure to research, and it gave me a broader perspective and sparked my initial curiosity, helping shape my research mindset.
Later in my career began at Welspun India Ltd., which I joined through campus placement. I started on a few technical projects before moving into a more management-focused role. That experience taught me something important about myself. My curiosity pulled me toward research and hands-on problem-solving, not management, so I made the decision to pursue my master’s at North Carolina State University in the United States.
My master’s was a turning point. I gained deep, hands-on experience across materials, processes, and product development, and it confirmed that research was exactly where I belonged.
During my master’s, I learned about various textile processes and explored their connections with other fields such as electrical, mechanical, and industrial engineering. In my Lean Six Sigma class, I had the opportunity to collaborate with Caterpillar on their transportation management problem. Working with a team, I analyzed three years of their transportation data to consolidate inventory and achieve cost reduction. This was my first exposure to industry in the United States. Later, during my second year at NC State, I was selected as Vice President of External Affairs for the Textile Association of Graduate Students, where I collaborated with the broader Graduate Student Association to represent the College of Textiles and create new opportunities for textile graduate students.
After graduating, I joined a startup called Natural Fiber Welding as a Yarn Development Engineer, where I contributed to their Clarus technology. Working at a startup was a completely different world from a large commercial company. I gained exposure to far more of the business, learned new testing tools and methods, and saw how every role connects to the bigger picture. Natural Fiber Welding was a textile-based startup with two core technologies: Clarus and Mirum. Clarus was a yarn-welding technology that used a chemical process to enhance the properties of recycled yarns, while Mirum was a plant-based alternative to leather.
From there, I joined Sciessent in Beverly, Massachusetts, an antimicrobial and anti-odor coating development company, where I developed antimicrobial and odor-resistant coatings for textile fabrics. Each role added a new layer to my expertise across different materials, challenges, and industries, giving me a vivid, end-to-end perspective spanning everything from yarn to finished fabric. That journey ultimately led me to Kimberly-Clark, where I now work as a Research Scientist.
How did you get your first break?
My first real break was a research opportunity at IPR, where they were developing a specialized plasma treatment for textile material processing. I helped validate and set up the process, and later tested it across various fabrics to assess the effectiveness of the plasma treatment. This was my very first research experience.
My first job came through campus placement during my undergraduate studies in India, which involved an aptitude test followed by interviews. Going through that first interview was tough since I had never done one before, and I later learned that the hiring process in India and the United States can be quite different. When I was looking for a job in the US after my master’s, I was largely on my own. My university held several career fairs, but I didn’t find them especially helpful. Instead, I relied on reaching out to people directly on LinkedIn and building connections. That is actually how I got connected with the hiring manager at Natural Fiber Welding, which led to my first role here in the US.
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Keeping up with a constantly changing world
The world changes fast, and I think it is essential to keep acquiring new skills to stay relevant. A clear example is AI over the last few years, which is now touching almost everything. At my company, we have an internal AI tool, and we are strongly encouraged to find ways to integrate it into our daily work. To keep up, I rely on our internal training to learn new tools and techniques, and I supplement that with online courses and YouTube, which have both been fantastic resources. I try to treat learning as an ongoing habit rather than a one-time task.
Challenge 2: Building business acumen
Another challenge I have faced is realizing that to grow further in your career, technical skills are not enough; you also need to understand the business side of things. That means knowing how your company makes money, reading its financial metrics, following new product launches, and seeing how the market reacts. This knowledge becomes increasingly valuable as you move up. To build this acumen, I have leaned on my company’s internal certification programs and sought out mentors who can help guide me. I also make it a point to stay current with industry news and regularly read the quarterly financial reports my company publishes.
Where do you work now?
I work at Kimberly-Clark as a Lead Scientist, where I develop next-generation materials for tissue products like bath and paper towels across brands such as Kleenex, Cottonelle, and Viva. My role draws directly on my expertise in designing and engineering woven textile fabrics from initial innovation all the way to commercialisation.
No two days look the same. I might be running research and trials one day, and holding problem-solving sessions with stakeholders the next. At its core, my job is to translate ideas into materials that work in the real world, engineering fabrics that deliver the right performance, feel, and durability while balancing competing priorities like cost, manufacturability, and sustainability. What I love most is the freedom to define the materials themselves, knowing those decisions directly shape how the final product performs and feels in people’s hands.
How does your work benefit society?
A lot of my work touches products that people use every single day, like tissue and hygiene products under brands such as Kleenex, Scott, and Cottonelle. Because these items span childcare, adult care, and feminine hygiene, they reach people at every stage of life and in some genuinely vulnerable moments, from caring for a newborn to supporting aging adults with dignity. At the end of the day, these are products people put against their skin, so softness and comfort really matter, and that is exactly what my materials work helps deliver. Making those materials softer, stronger, and more reliable has a real, if quiet, impact on everyday comfort and quality of life.
Beyond that, a big part of my work focuses on sustainability, including developing plant-based and recycled materials, reducing solvent and chemical use in processing, and finding ways to make manufacturing more efficient and less wasteful. I see my work benefiting society on two levels by improving the everyday products people rely on and doing it in a way that is better for the environment. That combination is a big part of what makes materials work so meaningful to me.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
One moment that really stays with me is seeing the materials I developed show up in the final product’s aesthetic. Whenever I am out shopping and come across a product featuring a material or finish I helped create, it always excites me and makes me incredibly proud of my work. There is something truly special about knowing that something I developed in the lab is now out in the world, in people’s hands, and a part of their everyday lives.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
I have two pieces of advice. The first is to fall in love with your work. You are going to spend 30 or 40 years of your life doing it, so it really should be something that excites you to come in each day. The second is to stay curious and never be afraid to ask questions, even the ones that feel too basic. Some of the best things I have learned came from simply asking, “Why does it work this way?” That curiosity matters far more than knowing all the answers upfront because when you genuinely want to learn, you can grow into almost any role. Ultimately, just find work you love and let your curiosity lead the way.
Future Plans?
Looking ahead, I see my career growing on the research track. What I enjoy most is the research itself, especially exploring new technologies, developing next-generation materials, and pushing toward breakthrough results that actually translate nto products. Over time, I would like to grow into a principal or staff researcher role where I can lead the technical direction of materials innovation and mentor others along the way. That is the path that genuinely excites me, and it is the kind of work I want to be doing for the long term.