Jaipur's Startup Renaissance: 5 Trailblazers Redefining Success In The Pink City

In the early 18th century, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II corralled jeweller families from across the entire Indian subcontinent into Jaipur's Johari Bazaar, dedicating entire mohallas or neighbourhoods to the intricate art of handcrafted gold and precious stones manufacturing.

The Pink City has long been revered for its centuries old craftsmanship, timeless architecture and vibrant culture. With an abundance of artisan clusters, state government support and the low cost of doing business, a wave of new age enterprises are transforming the way we perceive and adorn our homes and ourselves. 

Jaipur has recently grabbed some serious eyeballs from investors, metamorphosing it into a startup hub especially for fashion, jewellery and home decor. From independent embroidered fabrics to a bespoke organic skincare company and richly nuanced homeware — these 5 homegrown startups aren’t holding back when it comes to reimagining conventional industries and elevating them to new heights.

I. AZGA

Ascending swiftly from a humble pop-up store by sister duo Nikita and Namita Bhandari, Azga has evolved into a contemporary gifting utopia that avails of Jaipur’s rich history of enamelling, stone inlays, and miniature painting. Sensing a vacuum in the realm of cufflinks, brooches and buttons, the accessory brand coalesced its modish and unusual styles from memories of Rajasthani artistry and Moroccan design sensibilities.

A special shoutout to their whimsical Kilogram collection that features bracelets, statement rings and necklaces hand finished in brass to incorporate more detail than initially meets the eye.

You can shop for their products here.

II. The Loom Art

Founded in 2017 by designer Aarushi Kilawat, The Loom Art was conceived as a platform for sustaining local weavers and dying legacies of loom made apparel in the dawn of fast fashion ecosystems. Attempting to revive hand spun textiles in inspired hues and romantic silhouettes, this Jaipur-based label marries the Japanese dyeing techniques of arashi shibori with low-waste indigenous fibre like Chanderi or Matka silk to produce ephemeral sundresses and co-ord set pieces.

Leasing fresh life to the charkha, Aarushi’s designs find modern-day expression for the rural art forms of Kantha stitching from West Bengal and Sujini quilting from Bihar, reminding us that machine-made clothing can never match the labours of love that come from from cottage industries.

You can browse their collections here.

III. Dzurt Patisserie and Café

Transfusing Le Cordon Bleu baking sensibilities into the eggless dessert market of Rajasthan was one of the most tantalising challenges for this Jaipur-based chef Tejasvi Chandela. But when she opened her patisserie almost eight years ago, she was confident that her sinful macarons and cheesecake renditions would hit a home run with their striking colours and artisanal ganache. Ceaselessly innovating with seasonal ingredients, the pastry chef and chocolate maker has managed to work miracles in an oversaturated landscape of native mithais (confections) with her offbeat and decadent offerings like the mango-cream Swiss roll, banoffee tarts, and the Instagram-worthy berry cupcakes.

You can check out more such treats here.

IV. Minimalist

Launched by Mohit Yadav and Rahul Yadav in October 2020, the natural skincare brand Minimalist has gained valuable recognition for their groundbreaking serums and commitment to transparency, which they insist is seriously lacking in the beauty industry. Offering an array of moisturisers, hair products and toners, the Jaipur-rooted startup intends to steer clear of fickle trends and instead experiment with safe-to-use chemicals that address specific dermatological issues like dandruff and acne commonly observed among their Indian consumers.

Backed by the ilk of Sequoia and Unilever ventures, this D2C company has an in-house research and development team that is coming up with scientific formulations on a regular basis to keep at par with its mainstream competitors like Sugar and MCaffeine among many others.

You can access more of their personal care options here.

V. Ecru

It has been close to eight years since the Lebanese designer Nur Kaoukji and her friends, Noor Al Sabah and Hussah Al Tamimi, established the lifestyle brand Ecru in Jaipur. Since then they've become renowned for their home decor and clothing offerings. Bringing a nostalgic design philosophy straight from Kuwait to an Indian setting, the cross cultural beauty of their block printed tunics and understated brass makhbaras (incense burners) are enough to introduce more than a touch of luxury into everyday living. On display are other tokens of opulence like their hand painted ceramic plates, candle stands crafted from Jaisalmer marble and cobalt glass palm plates, all of which promises to bring a Middle Eastern air of sophistication to your dinner table.

You can view more of their products here.

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