From earning Rs 50 at 15, this 23-year-old girl now makes Rs 25 lakhs/year from her hand-made jewellery startup

Shika Creations is a hand-made jewellery startup that sells terracotta jewellery, fridge magnets, and home decor pieces. The store has customers from all over India and countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany and Australia.

In recent years, hand-made jewellery has seen a sudden emergence in terms of trends and preferences.

Smrithi S., a resident of Coimbatore, is the founder of Shika Creations. She launched the business at the young age of 15. She has built a successful business with her passion for art and entrepreneurship. 

She had a talent for arts and crafts from an early age, and she would make handcrafted gifts for her friends and family. 

After learning about terracotta jewellery making from a short course in Class 9, Smrithi started to explore the art form more deeply and fell in love with it. She refined her skills and decided to turn her hobby into a business.

Although Smrithi has a Bachelor of Technology in Fashion Technology, her passion for art has always been her priority. She remembers that she used to give handmade gifts to her friends and family since Class 4, and she loved to see their happy reactions. 

Her uncle, who owns a fashion brand, inspired her to become a young businessperson. She was fascinated by the discussions on business, profit, and loss, and she dreamt of owning her business one day.

However, when Smrithi first approached her father with her business plan, he was hesitant. As a professor, he believed in the idea of "study well to earn well," and he did not want her to be distracted from her studies. Her mother, on the other hand, supported her idea. 

Despite her father's initial disapproval, Smrithi convinced him that she could balance her academics and her business. She promised to stop her business if her grades suffered, and he eventually gave her the green light to pursue her passion.

Starting off small, Smrithi made a few pieces of terracotta jewellery and approached a nearby craft shop to sell them. 

Although the shop was initially reluctant to carry her products, Smrithi persisted and convinced the owner to give her a chance. She visited the shop every day after school to check if any of her jewellery had sold. 

For weeks, no one bought anything, but eventually, someone purchased a small stud earring for Rs 50. This small sale motivated her to keep going, and soon after, someone from a neighbouring area contacted her to make wedding jewellery for them.

Thus, at the age of 15, she launched Shika Creations, which sells terracotta jewellery, fridge magnets, and home decor pieces. 

In late 2016, Smrithi started an Instagram page for Shika Creations to reach a wider audience. Initially, her page did not receive much traction, but she persisted and continued to post pictures of her products regularly. Her hard work paid off, and today, she has over 1,000 customers and ships her products all over the world.

Shika Creations now earns a revenue figure of Rupees 25 lakh per year and has customers from all over India and countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Germany and Australia.

Smrithi's success story is a testament to the power of perseverance and hard work. Despite facing initial hurdles and setbacks, she continued to work hard and chase her dreams. Her passion for art and her entrepreneurial spirit have allowed her to turn her hobby into a successful business, and her story is an inspiration for anyone who wants to pursue their passion and build their own business.

In the future, Smrithi wants to remain fully committed to her business and grow it even further.