Young entrepreneurs and performers light up Kiah, a pop-up at the Verandah

The pandemic spurred the hidden creative talents in youngsters. Start-ups were born and now with everything opening up, pop-ups are creating new opportunities in networking, marketing, selling and showcasing of products.

Ten student entrepreneurs took part in Kiah — A New Beginning, a lifestyle pop-up hosted by Causitively, an event management company supporting local businesses, at the Verandah, Salt Lake, from February 25 to 27.

The three-day pop-up also saw Bhavishya Balani, a second-year English student of The Bhawanipur Education Society College, perform songs like Yellow by Coldplay, and Tum ho toh by Farhan Akhtar. Kankana Manna, a Class XII student of St. Jude’s High School, Madhyamgram, and Henry Gomes, a third-year BCom student of THK Jain College, performed peppy songs that got the crowd swaying at Open Mic.

Edugraph caught up with some of the youthpreneurs on the inaugural day.

I have always had a soft corner for stationery and wanted them to be affordable. I thought of gathering all kinds of stationery and selling them under the brand Chickles. I started this business in 2021 with things like pens, washi tapes, keychains and sticky notes. I also sell Harry Potter wands or skull merch. The most challenging part of the pandemic has been to understand social media. I gained a lot of followers last week, so I think I have at last got the crux of it. Find me on Instagram @chicklesbyps

— Prerana Saha, a 2021 Psychology postgraduate student from The University of Calcutta

I started Urban Jewel in 2021 with western jewellery like earrings, finger rings and quirky accessories. I wanted to do something for myself and create a brand. The journey so far has been smooth. I sell only through Instagram and pop-ups like this one help. Some of my best-selling products include statement earrings, evil eye bracelets, and funky earrings. Find me on Instagram @urban_jewel

— Tapaja Bhattacharyya, a third-year Fashion Designing student from Rani Birla Girl’s College

My venture Abeo India has been running for the last five months. We support local kaarigars through our designs. All the designs are given by me and the embroidery is done by local artisans. We have crochet products such as earrings, brooches, bucket hats, vegan leather bags, and waist bags. We started online through our Instagram page and then started participating in pop-ups. Our evil eye earrings and brooches were selling like hotcakes. Find me on Instagram @abeoindia_official

— Kasturika Ghosh, completed diploma in Fashion Designing from Inter National Institute of Fashion Designing in 2021.

In between lockdowns, I wanted to learn something. I have an interest in cosmetic science formulation. I did some workshops on soap-making and then started Bath Rituals from August 2021. I sell handmade soaps in fragrances like rose, citrus lavender, and coffee; paraben-free shower gels; powder face cleansers; foot soaks; scrubs and bath salts. We are also planning to introduce products like hair oils and lip balms. I divide my time between studies and start-up work. I give three hours every day to my start-up after coming back from college. I am also preparing for an MBA. Going forward, I want to work for the FMCG sector to gain the required expertise and then make Bath Rituals big. Find me on Instagram @bathrituals21

We run a thrift clothes start-up Zahara Thrift from May 2021 and jewellery start-up Hooty Beads from November 2021. Our tie-and-dye range of T-shirts, bucket hats, masks, headbands and scrunchies are popular. Getting into business was uncertain. One day, I was on a call with my friend Shrestha Sengupta and we decided to get together and do something. We saw that start-ups have been a trend among youngsters during the pandemic. That inspired us to start one, too. I chose the lifestyle category because it provides for daily use and our prices are quite reasonable. Find us on Instagram @zahara_thrift

— Sarbani Chakraborty, a first-year Geography student of Amity University

Hooty Beads sells minimalistic and affordable jewellery. Our jewellery range starts from Rs 40. We mainly work with beads. Our best-selling products are our shaded beaded bracelets, especially in blue; dainty earrings with charms and phone charms. We wanted to do something on our own and stand on our feet. Our love for jewellery was common and that’s why Sarbani and I started this. I manage work and studies both smoothly by dividing my time between the two. Find us on Instagram @hooty.beads

— Shrestha Sengupta, preparing for NEET medical entrance examination.

My start-up Anakya sells resin products. We have bookmarks, keychains, pop-sockets, coasters, nameplates, serving trays and clocks. Everything can be customised. I started in June 2021. My father is a businessman, so I always wanted to start something on my own. I wanted to do something in art and craft designing. Every product I make is a unique piece and none of them can be copied. When you pour resin, it flows and can be moulded into anything. You can create any design and preserve anything out of it. That is why I choose to work with resin. Find her on Instagram @anakya_handmade

— Yashvi Parasrampuria, a third-year bachelor in Management Studies student of St. Xavier’s University

I started Thela, a customisable lifestyle brand in 2018. I think I have the potential to give people what they are looking for, so I essentially customise it for them. I go to the extent of getting gemstones cut in certain shapes for client orders and wrapping them or designing them according to their preference. I treat it essentially not as a business but me exploring my potential and creative side. Of late, customers are liking the crystal pieces but the crowd favourite is the black string anklet. Find me on Instagram @thela.in

— Shatadruti a 2020 Product Design graduate of University of Petroleum and Energy Studies, Dehradun

My brand Knots of Love by Deepakshi started with handmade macrame products in accessories and home decor. Macrame is hand knotting and tying specific combinations of knots to form a particular pattern. In crochet, you use a hook and in macrame, it’s done by hand. In a lockdown, when I graduated, I wanted to do something. Since I was stuck at home, I picked up the hobby, worked on it and eventually launched it as a business in November 2020. I am now trying to expand to concrete homewares. Earrings, wall hangings, bags, phone charms, cement coasters and planters sell well. Find me on Instagram @knotsoflovebydeepakshi

— Deepakshi Datta, a 2020 Psychology graduate from Symbiosis School of Liberal Arts, Pune