When it comes to gifting, most people think of just fancy gifts but I believe in thoughtful gifting, says Surbhi Gupta, Founder of Kalakar Gift Studio. "Thoughtful gifting refers to preparing or arranging gifts as per the person's likes in a way that will make them feel special. For example, if you are bored of working continuously, then the gifts placed in the wrapper must be planned well so that you cheer up and motivate yourself to go back to work." Isn't that interesting? This is what Surbhi has been doing through her start-up, Kalakar Gift Studio, that she started in 2017.
What led Surbhi to launch this start-up is an interesting story. Surbhi who is originally from the Alwar district in Rajasthan, says, "After completing my BCom from Delhi University, my parents wanted me to do an MBA. Though my calling was not for this Management programme, I attended the coaching classes to pass the CAT exam that qualifies you to take up Management courses. However, I couldn't clear it and that had a negative impact on my mind. My relatives advised me to take up various government exams or opt for the field of teaching, but my true calling was in the arts and being an artist has always been my dream."
Turning her art into thoughtfulness, Surbhi started making themed gifts and putting them up on Instagram after which she quickly started receiving orders. "For one of my first orders, I made some themed gifts based on the likes and needs of my client and packed them in huge cones. The person not only liked it but told everyone about it. The message spread through word of mouth," says Surbhi, who adds that, at the same time, she looked for courses that could help her work on her product design and entrepreneurship skills. It is through this search that she got to know about the two-year Impact Entrepreneurship course at Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology in Bengaluru.
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"While applying for the programme, we need to share our entrepreneurial ideas and justify the reason behind it. They loved my idea and I got accepted into the course. At Srishti, I got to learn a lot. We get special mentors who talk to us and help sort out the entrepreneurial issues and doubts. We also get to interact with many successful entrepreneurs and understand the path to their success, adds Surbhi who is now in the second year and who has been collaborating with graphic designers to make the gifting experience a more memorable one.
Aside from providing themed gifts, Surbhi also provides Do-It-Yourself home decor and gardening kits. She uses waste shoe boxes, carton boxes and so on to help reduce the burden on the landfills. Despite all this, Surbhi feels that it is difficult to change people's mindsets when it comes to gifting. "It is high time we educate and create awareness among people that gifting not only refers to giving bouquets or photos to your loved ones. It is a memory and a way to bridge the gap in relationships," she avers.
When asked about her future plans, Surbhi says, "I am working on setting up a physical store but it has been put on hold for some time now due to the lack of funds. Meanwhile. I want to take this idea of thoughtful gifting to other cities as well as people. Another plan I have on my list is to help people deal with stress and other mental health issues through thoughtful gifting. Basically, I want to bring change to the gifting industry and the way people perceive it."
You can check out more about Surbhi on her Instagram account @_wrap_kala
