Chandigarh’s Dr Shweta Gupta runs Little Llama to promote eco-friendly cloth toys which have made celebrities – together with Sonam Kapoor, Soha Ali Khan, and Neha Dhupia, – her followers!

Again in medical school, the prescriptions written by Dr Shweta Gupta would go away anybody shocked – from her sufferers to her seniors.

“As soon as, my senior medical doctors from totally 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 examine 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.

Practically a decade later, this creativity inspired her to grow to be an entrepreneur.

At present, she handcrafts cloth 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 no less than 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 searching for distinctive dolls for her niece.

“I needed to present her good high quality dolls. All that was out there within the Indian markets have been the identical outdated barbie dolls that I actually grew up taking part in with. In addition they have a plastic physique and artificial hair fibre. These usually are 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 delivery expenses, would have value me Rs 10,000. This didn’t seem to be an excellent concept,” she provides.

As a substitute of shopping for the dolls from overseas, Dr Shweta sat right down to craft a one-of-its-kind doll on her personal. “I purchased wool and a biodegradable but costly linen cloth to make the doll. I sketched a design and it took me about twenty days to finish the doll. It is rather 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. “Moreover her, everybody beloved the doll. It was totally different from what they see out there. As we have been getting an important response and a superb demand for the dolls, my husband inspired me to make extra such dolls,” she provides.

This gave her an concept to start out a model of her personal and shortly she launched, Little Llama.

Making eco-friendly ‘jungle’ animals

At present, Dr Shweta handcrafts toys for youngsters within the age-group of 0-12 years preserving 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 part is produced from wool. I gown them with linen cloth. 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 drugs diploma. “I watched a number of movies to learn to make such dolls. Even manufacturing them will be cumbersome – from designing them on paper to truly making them with totally different options, attire, distinctive color combos. Generally, 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. Previously one 12 months of commercialisation, she has been capable of clock a income of Rs 15 lakhs along with her startup.

One among her common prospects, Amanbir Kaur, has been shopping for the toys for her new mother pals. “These toys make an ideal present as they’re eco-friendly, sustainable and the best way they’re designed is cute. I really like their assortment of Jungle Animals, which look cute and never scary. The infants gave the impression to be loving the toys. I maintain 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 a lot of her family. 

“After all, being a physician could be very prestigious. And other people had their considerations. They’d inform my dad and mom that I might have completed higher. After all, there are days once 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 particular person. The compliments enhance me once more,” she provides.

Edited by Padmashree Pande. All pictures: Dr Shweta Gupta.