Indic Inspirations Launches Art & Culture “Phygital Store”

Indic Inspirations - A culture startup was born out of the need to represent India’s glorious heritage. It aspires to narrate stories of India’s culture, history, traditions, and scientific achievements through its Indic Inspired objects through collectibles, souvenirs, and gifts.

Founded by Sunil Jalihal and Padmaja Jalihal, Indic Inspirations endeavors to empower India’s artisans, heirloom makers, and local communities. Their work with 65+ crafts, and 400+ artisans around the country through Heart for Art Charitable Trust over the last 7 years gave the founders the understanding and the opportunity to create products that convey traditions yet built for modern utilities and sensitivities.

Creating collectibles, souvenirs, and gifts by interests, and a series of collections make these art objects unique. “India has over 3000 crafts, 10M+ artisans, and a meagre 2% of the world handicrafts market of $42B. Creating a new set of products that represent various facets of India was a crying need to help increase India’s soft power as well as increase artisanal incomes and help them get back their pride,” Sunil says. 

To promote artisans all across India, Indic Inspiration is improving their environment and ecosystem by giving them additional opportunities to increase their livelihood. “We work with artisans and give them designs and suggestions on new products. We help them prototype and manufacture the products and buy them at fair prices quoted by the artisans. We help improve their environment and ecosystem. Some parts of our profits are reserved for Artisan Welfare & Training and we are trying to find ways to create stock option pools for our artisans to share any wealth creation that happens,” Sunil adds.

Proud Merchandisers of ISRO

On a search to narrate stories of India’s Institutions of Eminence, Indic Inspirations is now the proud merchandiser of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO). Sunil shares, “We approached them to let us tell their stories through collectibles, memorabilia, and souvenirs. And we are proud to have signed up as ISRO’s First Registered Merchandiser as ISRO created a Merchandising program as a part of their Capacity Building Program Office.”

First Experience Centre in Pune

The startup has recently opened its first Experience Centre in Pune. The Indic Inspirations Experience Center is a Lounge Store + Space for Workshops and Talks. “India’s first art and culture “Phygital Store” – Scan & Pick, e-shopping to give a seamless experience between online and offline store purchases. Here, visitors can soak in the stories of India and its traditions, culture, heritage, and achievements through the videos, story cards, and Indic objects that represent them,” informs Sunil.

The Experience Centre aims to give artisans a platform to showcase their work in person. It provides complete authenticity and transparency that goes behind preparing the masterpieces and recognizing the true worth of these souvenirs by giving them the honor and shelf space they deserve.

Startup Goals

Indic Inspirations is building a brand that stands for innovation, creativity, and quality of Indian ‘Nostalgia & Pride’ products. A company that is known for excellent design, manufacturing, and deep distribution. The founders aim to build this brand for the audience that’s looking for interest-based and nostalgia products. The Indian diaspora around the world, visitors to India, and domestic tourists are their target market.

The startup in its first year of inception has also raised a seed round funding of INR 2 crores and is looking forward to a pre-series A funding round. Indic Inspiration’s angel investors include executives from Google-USA, Goldman Sachs-Singapore, Venture Finance Development Corporation, a Family Venture Fund, a Senior IT executive, and seasoned Architecture-Design and Automobile industry entrepreneurs from India.

Some of their unique offerings are:

1. STEM | Shunya Collection - Objects that tell the stories of 0, India’s biggest gift to mankind

2. VYOM | ISRO Collection – Objects that tell the story of India’s Space Program; Souvenirs of ISRO’s rockets, yaans, ground stations, landers, rovers, antennas, etc.

3. HOLISTIC LIVING | Yoga Tools - Meditation & Yoga Mats made from various natural fibers like Darbha Grass, Cotton, Water Hyacinth, Banana Fiber, etc.

4. STEM | 5 Elements - Objects that tell the story of Yoga & Ayurveda through idols of Patanjali, Charaka, Sculpted Brain Models, RX Cufflinks, and many more

5. VEDIC INDIA | Yantras & Mantras - Objects about Sacred Geometry, Yantras & Mantras

6. INDIA | The Republic - Objects are drawn from India’s Flag & Constitution, 75 Indic Inspirations in the 75th Year of Independence

7. 40+ more Collections for various interests of Geography, History, Science & Technology, Nature, Mountains, Culinary Tools, Textile Tools, etc.