Who is a Nefelibata?
The one who walks on the clouds of his/her own dreams and aspirations; the one who is not bound by the conventions of our society.
Jaipur is a glorious city that’s marvellously rich in its heritage, art and culture.
Featured in this calendar are twelve diligent entrepreneurs that delightfully add essence to the Pink City in distinctive ways.
This is an ode to the ones who dare to create, nurture and impact.
At the heart of this project is a vision that wishes to celebrate entrepreneurs that brave the odds towards innovation.
Navigating different arenas, they are future gazers that shape the dynamic ecosystem of entrepreneurship. This is an attempt to honour them, cheer them on and memorialise their extraordinary effort.
We’d like to thank them for their relentless stories, their soaring visions and their humble hearts. We’d like to thank everyone who paved the way towards this project coming to life.
Dhora is evocative of all that is beautiful. The brainchild of Aavriti Jain, ‘Dhora’ offers a unique signature style that is bold, contemporary and inspired by the province of Rajasthan. To Aavriti, Rajasthan and Italy aren’t simply travel destinations. They’re home.
Native to the desert state of India and educated at Istituto Marangoni, Milano, Aavriti has a unique perspective from which she draws inspiration. Her minimal and indie products embody old-world traditions and symbolize a simpler day for the modern free spirited being.
As a brand, Dhora will bestow a breath of fresh air to the classic art and mold them in contemporary frames – by giving back to its source of inspiration through exquisite pieces of hand crafted jewelry. An enticing mélange of Indian karigari with one-of-a-kind designs, Dhora is not only chic, it is truly mode de la muse!
Meet Ayush Baid, the founder of Ellementry! A young entrepreneur, he started this venture as a lifestyle brand that creates and offers quality, design-backed home and kitchen products that are craft-led and high on food-safety. With more than 4,000 artisans and well-designed products, Ellementry is also contributing to craft revival & the continuation of craft legacy.
During the pandemic, Ellementry connected with the consumer not just as a brand, but as a friend, sharing common goals of staying positive and healthy. Instead of taking a step back, they reached out, provided support and strengthened existing relationships. The lockdown saw increased consumer focus on home-cooking and increased online spending. Ayush says, “We were uniquely positioned at the intersection of these elements. We focused on product offerings, social media outreach and customer engagement. The outcome was higher brand recall and record surge in sales. We would
Graduating from India International School, Mr. Ankit Lodha set out to the city of dreams, Mumbai to chase his fascination for diamonds. Mumbai, he says, taught him the nuances of the Diamond Export Business. To further polish the craft, Mr. Lodha flew to the U.S., from where he completed his graduation in Gemology. Consequently, Mr. Lodha decided to set up Jewels of Jaipur in the heart of the Pink City.
With this new venture, Mr. Lodha has brought forth the legacy of Jaipur’s Kundan Meena Art in jewellery fantasies and interpretations. The quest for unique forms and expressions of the culturally rich past culminated in the brand, uplifted by the skilled artisans who dare to rethink the art of traditional jewellery-making. Mr. Ankit Lodha is also the founder of the Gratitude Club and dedicates sincere efforts towards making people live better lives.
Mr. Lodha says, “The pandemic was life-altering. It forced us to re-think and re-strategize where we want to take our brand forward and what will be the path in the future.”
Meet Akansha Agarwal, the wonderful founder of Gulaal Creations. While she was travelling the globe extensively, she witnessed trendy international designs but always wished to see them in Indian fabrics, prints and colours. Akansha says, “Back home, I was constantly struggling to find a clothing label that made contemporary designs with western silhouettes in quality fabrics at an affordable price. I know many people who like the designs of high street brands but loath the synthetic feel of the fabric. For many of us, the comfort of the fabric is more valuable than simply its designs.”
Gulaal brings forth a range of delightful fashion clothing that is modern, comfortable, striking and hinged firmly on the use of quality textiles. Akansha draws inspiration from her life in the vibrant and beautifully slow-paced Jaipur or her travel to frenzied cities abroad dipped in their multi-layered cultures.
Bona fide trailblazers in the Indian home decor industry, Poorva Ajmera made waves when she launched Yours Concretely, a brand that specialises in sustainable home decor made of concrete. The founder ventured away from the beaten path and decided to create something previously unheard of, giving rise to this out-of-the-box brand.
Yours Concretely creates charming products made of cement and concrete, which is a novel concept in India, that adds a chic, stylish touch to your living and working spaces. The brand takes pride in the fact that cach product is individually designed and hand poured by their craftsmen, making every piece one of a kind.
This venture was truly a labour of love, and now Yours Concretely boasts multiple home decor and lifestyle products!
Pankaj S Heritage is the brainchild of an artist in the cloak of a designer and a revivalist. Treading the footsteps of luminaries, Pankaj harbours a relentless immersion for curating art and revivalism. He is propelled by an unfettered ambition to put Indian heritage back on the global map by pioneering garments that interfuse heritage weaves and the varied crafts of India.
His garments, a labour of love, are an exposition of his painstaking exploration of the myriad textiles & embellishment techniques from across the lengths and breadths of India. Pankaj says, “being a revivalist, my work gives me an immense opportunity every day, to explore and travel through our rich and diverse cultural heritage and to meet various craftsmen from across the length and breadth of the Indian subcontinent.” Additionally, he adds that being discerning, sensitive towards cultures and understanding our heritage is really crucial.
In the times of Instagram and Twitter when we are consuming fast fashion, we intend to present something which is slowly made and not mass-produced. Our label is an ode to the rich cultural heritage of indigenous art and craft forms which once existed on the palace patronage. With this vision, we would want to reinstall the trust of the modern patron into something which is made in India.
Meet Neha Deepak Shah, who has spent a large part of her life growing up in Mumbai and is now based in Dubai. She developed a love for cooking at a very young age, and with time her culinary passion evolved further. In 2015, she won the title of the First Runner’s up on MasterChef India Season 4.
Neha studied Food Science & Technology, and after graduating in the year 2010, she started working with Dabur India Ltd. as a Research Scientist in Delhi. Post this, she started working with International Flavours and Fragrances (IFF) as a Flavorist. She quit her corporate job to pursue her quest for cooking and travelling.
Neha’s passion for cooking stems from her love for eating good food. When she’s not cooking or eating, you’ll find her travelling, taking pictures, or getting abreast of worldwide culinary trends. She loves to infuse flavors and techniques that help get the best progressive and fusion recipes. She has an extreme passion for baking and has learnt it from her mother.
She is the Co-founder of Meraaki Kitchen & Café White Sage, a leader and innovator of the culinary space. Her range of cooking is an amalgamation of cuisines across the globe. She believes that cooking brings you close to your soul, and her platform showcases the ease of cooking good food at the comfort of your home
Dr. Surabhi Tomar is the chief consultant at Evaa Hospital, Jaipur. Evaa Fertility and Gynaecology Centre provides state-of-the-art services in IVF treatments, gynaecology, maternity, pediatrics, and wellness. With a phenomenal team of counselors, doctors, caretakers, and cutting edge technology, it is their moral responsibility to install faith and optimism in the hearts of patients.
Diligent in her work, Dr. Surabhi has a specialisation in reproductive medicine. Along with working at the hospital, she is a professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at NIMS Medical College and Hospital in Jaipur.
Dr. Surabhi says, “The fear of the uncertain has engulfed everyone this year. Counselling for patients delivering or undertaking treatment for infertility has become very important. We have always wanted to excel as a fertility hospital in India and we aspire to provide the best services with compassion and empathy towards our patients. In the coming year, we will strive to do the same.”
Gopal Singh Chouhan is a Bikaner-based young cultural activist who works on the conservation and promotion of tangible & intangible heritage and folk music traditions of the Western Rajasthan region. As an informal researcher in ethnomusicology and anthropology of Rajasthan’s culture and arts, he works towards cultural archiving, curating festivals, music production, film production, and the delivery of art events. Gopal campaigns for the restoration and preservation of Bikaner’s beautiful carved havelis, amongst other cultural ventures.
He is the director of Rajasthan Kabir Yatra, India’s longest travelling folk music festival, which has journeyed across the state in the last 5 editions. He is also one of the founders of SoundTravelsIndia, Bikaner Heritage Walk, Bikaner Theatre Festival, Bikaner Literature Festival, Bikaner International Film Festival & Acharya Tulsi Short Film Festival. He is the secretary of Lokayan, a non-profit organization which has brought together the energies of several folk artists, historians, folklorists, and artists deeply committed to developing the folk art & culture across Rajasthan since the last 25 years.
Gopal says, “This year has been very challenging for the people who are associated with our work. We largely work with the artist community in Rajasthan and the impact of the pandemic in the cultural and arts sector is going to be far-reaching. We are aiming to serve our artists with love, courage and celebration in this tough time. We believe that only art can heal the world.”
Meet Rohini Singh, an artist from the cultural hub, Jaipur! Keen on exploring different mediums of art, she began transforming her drawings into wooden blocks, to be used for Block Printing on cloth.
Through her company Rekh, Rohini believes in and makes wearable art.
She finds inspiration from nature and everything she witnesses with eagerness. Sometimes, poetry and literature lead her towards her designs. Rohini says, “Inspiration is everywhere. It’s what you take and how you translate it into your own language. The pandemic has taught us how to take a step back and look at things and situations again. To adapt to a new scenario. We’ve been designing and working throughout.”
In the coming year, Rohini wishes to set up a website for her products to make them more accessible, and aspires to share a story behind each product that the brand creates.
Saloni Pabuwal is a print and graphic designer, with a degree in Graphic & Space Design from NID and Central Saint Martins, London. What drives her is infusing art into the everyday – making life a little more joyous and beautiful – one artwork at a time. PaperPlanes is a Luxury Invitations, Stationery Design and Visual Styling label that revitalizes centuries-old printing industry with bespoke processes, groundbreaking ideas, innovative techniques, and high standards for quality. PaperPlanes unites the art of graphic design with a posh couture experience.
Saloni says, “the best part about my work has to be the joy of creation, knowing that my creativity helps others in shaping their vision and to see my work come alive.”
Since, PaperPlanes is primarily into digital art – they have enjoyed seeing the world go digital this year. She adds, “ even though we’ve missed the print medium – the flip side of the pandemic has been a shift in dynamics that has resulted in a surge in digital design – which is faster, effective, eco-friendly and blurs geographical boundaries!”
Meet Ajit Sharma, India’s TEDx ambassador and a speaker coach for TED Talks India: Nayi Soch! A consultant, designer, entrepreneur, producer and writer, Ajit loves working with ideas and building futuristic thinking. The nature of his consulting work allows him to travel the world extensively, work with people of different backgrounds and build a strong perspective and knowledge base for a future that’s more promising for all of us.
About working through this year, Ajit says, “The pandemic forced us to pause and think differently in so many ways. For the last 10 years, my team & I at TEDxJaipur have been curating ideas & stories that address a range of challenges of our society. It was extremely tough to reach out to our community because of lockdowns and various constraints but the need for cross pollinating ideas is stronger than ever; and so is our determination to continue spreading worthy ideas. We think of this pandemic year not as a roadblock but rather an opportunity to evolve our work, communication & our behaviour.”
Among other things, he’s also passionate about anthropology, music, yoga, science & cooking. In the coming year, Ajit and his team at TEDxJaipur aspire to discover more ways to bring life changing ideas and stories to the forefront while making sure that they have opportunities to share them with communities across the world.