The new wave of ‘vocal for local’ proved to be a boost for Indian entrepreneurs. It has promoted local businesses during COVID-19 and given customers the ability and motivation to shop locally with ease. This rebranded version of ‘Made In India’ has our support, and every month, TC46 will spotlight small businesses and ventures you can champion and back easily through online and offline purchases.
Artists, entrepreneurs, visionaries and experts, Indian women are shattering glass ceilings and breaking out of boxes. Success, tied with skills and hard work, is what makes those featured in our list today an inspiration for many. And the journey, for these women of incredible talent, are stories that must be told.
This week, here are some brands we’re cheering on; check them out!
Design Innovation by Byora Design Studio
The idea for Byora Design Studio came to Fatema Kausar when she was laid off during the pandemic. With time aplenty, she thought she should start something of her own. The inspiration for her start-up is her passion and it reflects her work style in the field of interior space and furniture design. She always had a keen interest in attention to detail and the intricacy of things.
Fatema did her Bachelors in Design from MIT Institute of Design, MIT-ADT University, Pune. She kept practising her craft to create something new and innovative, not just to build up beautiful spaces but also to provide a beautiful experience through them. Every client has a different approach to building their own space and she believes this essence should be sustained through her hard work. Her motto is simple, ‘Every space weaves its own story and every story is worth living!’
Byora is a Hindi word which means ‘in detail’. And Fatema’s attention to detail reflects through her work. The client’s requirement is studied and fulfilled the same way. Even the brand’s logo holds true to the objective, ‘Build Your Own’. It’s a service-oriented startup and the brand offers it in varied formats like interior space and furniture design in the sector of residential, corporate, retail, hospitality and resorts, recreational, architecture (exterior elevations), landscaping and design consultancy.
Their target audience includes all types of users looking to design their own personalised space or furniture, from average to premium range. The price for each service is different as it is usually calculated based on per square feet area. It is then worked upon looking at the scale of the project and as per the requirement and budget expected by the client. Their work is showcased on their Instagram page. You can view all the information on the page or head over to Behance to view the brand’s work.
Handwoven History by Discoverdiva
The founder of Discoverdiva, Sumana Kukke, is a passionate musician and cook, a mother of 2 boys, and the wife of an Architect. One of her passions in life, besides her brand, has been travelling. Her passion has not only taken her to the well-known destinations but also the distant and seldom visited corners of this sub-continent. The reason for her to travel has been an eagerness to learn and explore the vast cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent. The food, the languages, the architecture, the music, the dance, the clothing — all in their diverse and divergent ways have fascinated her.
And she always brought back something from these places which was highly appreciated by her loved ones. Appreciation for her finds inspired her to start the venture. It gave her an opportunity to travel more in search of handmade products. When she bought something personally, she knew the story behind it. And now she likes to continue the story through her brand. She has always wanted to showcase the diversity of Indian handlooms. Though the brand mainly has Banarasi, Chanderi and Maheshwari, they also work with weavers in Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
She aspires to work more with these weaving clusters. The brand’s regular customers are passionate about handlooms and have an eye for exquisite products. These high-quality, authentic products are fairly priced, from Rs 1,500 onwards. You can shop the products on the website or stop by at the brand’s studio in Bengaluru.
Transformative Teaching by Li’l Yogis
Sabrina Merchant, a passionate and free-spirited Mompreneur, is the founder of Li’l Yogis. She gave up a successful career as a Chartered Accountant to follow her passion for yoga. Being a fitness enthusiast and having practised yoga for over 10 years, her mission is to guide children towards a healthier lifestyle. The motto of Li’l Yogis is not only to teach but to transform. The concept of Li’l Yogis came into existence in December 2018 when Sabrina decided to pass on her love and passion for yoga to her 5-year-old daughter Iqra. She used innovative and creative methods to make yoga interesting for Iqra and her friends and this caught the attention of a lot of parents. In a span of 2 years, she has passed on her yoga practice to over 5000 children and the number is rapidly growing. Sabrina strongly believes that children are natural yogis from birth.
An expert in her own right and a staunch believer in karma, yoga to her is a spiritual journey towards one’s inner self, it is not only about postures but a lifestyle that one needs to follow consistently in order to reap all its benefits. Her classes are a reflection of her thoughts, bringing forth love and respect to the art of yoga, and all that it encompasses.
The sessions at Li’l Yogis are conducted in an open-air studio in Suburban Mumbai. The 60 minutes class is held just once a week with a new theme for every session. The children are taught yoga through interesting stories, fun-filled games and activities. The adeptly created powerful teaching techniques are creative and imaginative. The children are constantly engaged, enjoy learning yoga and look forward to these classes.
The brand aims to support and benefit each and every child attending the class. The classes help build attention span, encourage creativity, ingenuity and positive thinking. The basic yogic values like kindness, gratitude, self-discipline and honesty are inculcated. The children are encouraged to use these values and skills in their everyday lives. This helps children become mentally and physically stronger.
Ocean Yoga is a story with a yoga book for children, written and conceptualised by Sabrina. The characters Zen and Maya take your child on a sailing trip while showing some flowing asanas that can be done easily at home. Cycling to the beach to spotting some crabs and dolphins along with the bright illustrations will inspire your child to try out these poses. The book is tactile and a visual treat for your Li’l Yogi and a healthy way for a parent and child to bond. This hardbound cover of 24 pages with 10 yoga asanas and beautiful illustrations with special texture effects is available for Rs 699.
You can head on over to the brand’s website, social media pages or e-commerce websites like Amazon, Firstcry and Hamleys for more.
Want us to be VocalForLocal for your brand or know someone whose work you’d like to cheer on? Drop us an email to be featured on The Channel 46 at [email protected].