Chandigarh’s Dr Shweta Gupta runs Little Llama to promote eco-friendly material toys which have made celebrities – together with Sonam Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, and Neha Dhupia, – her followers!
Again in medical faculty, the prescriptions written by Dr Shweta Gupta would go away anybody surprised – from her sufferers to her seniors.
“As soon as, my senior medical doctors from completely different departments referred to as me. I used to be so nervous. I questioned if I had dedicated any mistake within the work. Later, I came upon that they needed to test my handwriting,” she tells The Higher India.
“Whereas seniors complimented me for clear and interesting handwriting, sufferers doubted my diploma,” laughs Shweta, who has at all times been complimented for her handwriting since childhood.
Almost a decade later, this creativity inspired her to turn into an entrepreneur.
At this time, she handcrafts material toys which have made celebrities together with Sonam Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, and Neha Dhupia, her followers!
In 2022, the Chandigarh-resident launched her startup Little Llama that has up to now catered to a minimum of 300 orders and have made it to youngsters’s toy collections throughout the nation.
Her niece was her inspiration
In 2012, Dr Shweta accomplished her MBBS and went to work with the Gurugram-based Medanta hospital as a diabetologist.
Earlier than her marriage in 2018, an incident pushed her to pursue her long-lost childhood ardour when she was looking for distinctive dolls for her niece.
“I needed to reward her good high quality dolls. All that was accessible within the Indian markets have been the identical previous barbie dolls that I actually grew up taking part in with. In addition they have a plastic physique and artificial hair fibre. These are usually not good for the well being of the infants,” says the 35-year-old.
“I discovered some distinctive handcrafted dolls within the European markets however importing them was an costly affair. The doll, together with the transport expenses, would have value me Rs 10,000. This didn’t look like an excellent concept,” she provides.
As a substitute of shopping for the dolls from overseas, Dr Shweta sat all the way down to craft a one-of-its-kind doll on her personal. “I purchased wool and a biodegradable but costly linen material to make the doll. I sketched a design and it took me about twenty days to finish the doll. It is vitally intrinsic work that requires detailing facial options,” she says.
Dr Shweta says that her niece, Gauravi, beloved her distinctive doll. “My niece nonetheless has it,” she smiles. “Apart from her, everybody beloved the doll. It was completely different from what they see out there. As we have been getting a terrific response and an excellent demand for the dolls, my husband inspired me to make extra such dolls,” she provides.
This gave her an concept to begin a model of her personal and shortly she launched, Little Llama.
Making eco-friendly ‘jungle’ animals
At present, Dr Shweta handcrafts toys for kids within the age-group of 0-12 years protecting their well being and sustainability centric to the model. “As a substitute of utilizing plastic and chemical paints, I’ve designed these toys utilizing vibrant wool. Their limbs, eyes, hair…every thing is created from wool. I costume them with linen material. And I crochet flowers to make the dolls look visually interesting. It’s innocent for infants who often attempt to put something they get of their mouth,” she provides.
However studying to handcrafting these toys, Dr Shweta says, was tougher than even getting her medication diploma. “I watched a number of movies to learn to make such dolls. Even manufacturing them could be cumbersome – from designing them on paper to really making them with completely different options, attire, distinctive color mixtures. Typically, I felt doing MBBS was a lot simpler,” she laughs.
Priced between Rs 700 and Rs 4,000, Dr Shweta sells handcrafted dolls and ‘Jungle Animals’, birthday buntings, and extra. Up to now one yr of commercialisation, she has been capable of clock a income of Rs 15 lakhs along with her startup.
Considered one of her common clients, Amanbir Kaur, has been shopping for the toys for her new mother pals. “These toys make an ideal reward as they’re eco-friendly, sustainable and the best way they’re designed is lovable. I really like their assortment of Jungle Animals, which look cute and never scary. The infants appeared to be loving the toys. I preserve going again to Little Llama to customize presents for me,” she tells The Higher India.
Dr Shweta’s toys have additionally been endorsed over Instagram by a number of celebrities together with Aparshakti Khurana, Gauhar Khan, and Nakuul Mehta.
Whereas Dr Shweta has earned immense recognition and appreciation for her work, the transition from being a physician to an entrepreneur was not welcomed by lots of her family members.
“After all, being a physician could be very prestigious. And folks had their issues. They might inform my dad and mom that I may have finished higher. After all, there are days after I don’t get orders and I additionally doubt myself. However the very subsequent day I’m up with new vitality and grateful for my present job that evolves me as a inventive individual. The compliments enhance me once more,” she provides.
Edited by Padmashree Pande. All photographs: Dr Shweta Gupta.