This Ahmedabad-Based Doctor Duo Made Painting Easy for All, Now Runs an Art Venture Earning More than Rs 15 Lakh a Month

When was the last time you picked up a paintbrush, just for the joy of it? Maybe as a child, sitting cross-legged on the floor, colours smeared on your hands, trying to draw a house with hills or your pet. Back then, painting wasn’t about being perfect. It was play. It was peace.

Somewhere along the way, we left that joy behind. Grew up. Got busy. Told ourselves we weren’t “artistic enough”.

But what if it didn’t have to be that way?

What if you could paint your partner’s portrait and gift it on your anniversary?

Or sit down with your child and colour in a memory together?

That’s the heart behind PaintWaint, an art venture by an Ahmedabad-based doctor couple who believe painting isn’t just for artists — it’s for everyone who’s ever loved, remembered, or simply wanted to feel art again.

Introducing PaintWaint  

Founded by Dr. Apurva and Dr. Saloni Makwana, a husband-and-wife duo from Ahmedabad, this venture is on a mission to make painting easy for everyone.

Not just artists. Not just the gifted few. But anyone with a little curiosity and a love for art.

“We wanted to make it so easy that anyone could create their own masterpiece,” Dr. Saloni shared with excitement during her conversation with Startup Pedia.

From Stethoscopes to Paintbrushes – The Founders' Journey

The story of PaintWaint begins in a place far from paint and canvas. Dr. Apurva  Makwana, a physiotherapist, and Dr. Saloni Makwana, an MBBS doctor, were both building solid careers in clinical research in Ahmedabad.

Apurva held a senior position with a high paying salary and was thriving as a doctor. 

“I’d always loved painting,” Dr. Apurva shared in an interview with Startup Pedia. “Since I was a kid, I sketched hyper-realistic portraits. It was my escape from the grind. But for eight years, I stuck to my job because, well, responsibilities.”

He further added that coming from a middle-class family where most of the family members are in government jobs, “My passion could not find enough importance, so I became a doctor.”

Despite being busy as a doctor, he would make time for following his passion for art. He’d wake up at 4 a.m. to paint until 8, then head to work. Even after returning home at 7 p.m., he’d pick up the brush again if time allowed.

But Dr. Saloni saw something more. “He’s too good to just paint on the side,” she told him.

Hailing from a business-driven Marwadi family in Jhalod, Gujarat, Dr. Saloni grew up in a household where entrepreneurship was a way of life.

So when she saw the kind of portraits Apurva could create, her instincts kicked in. “I’d always think, ‘How can we make money from this?’” she said. And this time, the idea felt bigger than just a side hustle.

Apurva would receive orders for paintings and even train people to paint. But it was just a doctor doing a side hustle.

The Birth of PaintWaint  : A Love-Fueled Leap

On September 26, 2023, Dr. Apurva ’s birthday, he made the boldest decision of his life.

“I resigned,” he said in the interview with Startup Pedia. “It was scary, walking away from that kind of salary. But Saloni said, ‘I’m earning. Don’t worry. I’ll take care of everything. Just follow your passion.’ That gave me the guts to take the leap.”

While talking about how the founders of PaintWaint came up with the idea, Apurva said, “People would say, ‘How do you manage to do PaintingWainting while having a full-time job?’ That’s how we got the idea of our art venture,” in the Startup Pedia interview.

A Canvas for Everyone

PaintWaint isn’t here to only sell you art; it’s also here to hand you a brush and remind you that you can make it yourself.

“We wanted to make painting easy for everyone,” Dr. Saloni told us. “Not just people who already paint, but even those who haven’t touched a brush since school.”

And that’s exactly what PaintWaint has done. With three thoughtfully designed offerings, they’ve made it possible for anyone, with zero experience, to create something worth hanging up, gifting, or simply getting lost in.

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Paint-by-Number Kits:

PaintWaint’s flagship product is a customisable paint-by-number kit that turns personal photos or pre-made designs into easy-to-paint canvases. Users simply upload an image or choose from 700–800 ready-made options, and the team creates a canvas divided into numbered sections, each matched with a handmade, pre-mixed paint colour.

The kit includes brushes, paints, canvas, and clear instructions, making it accessible even for those with no art experience.

“I made it”—this is the feeling this kit gives PaintWaint’s customers.

Paint-by-Tutorial Kits:

PaintWaint offers paint-by-tutorial kits for beginners eager to learn real painting techniques like blending, shading, and brushwork. These kits include all supplies plus step-by-step video tutorials in Hindi and English, created by in-house artists.

With 70–100 guided designs, the experience helps users not only complete a painting but also gain practical painting skills.

Pre-Made Paintings:

PaintWaint offers ready-to-hang, hand-painted artworks for those who want beautiful art without painting it themselves. Created by their in-house artists, these pieces range from hyper-realistic portraits to abstract designs and are ideal for quick gifts or soulful home decor

Though a smaller part of their business, they’re thoughtfully crafted and easy to order online, with prices kept affordable at ₹199 to ₹4999. 

From Six Orders to Hundreds

The first month was slow. “We got six orders in May,” Saloni, co-founder of PaintWaint, said in the Startup Pedia interview. “Three were from family, and three were real customers. Our first was a PM Narendra Modi Ji portrait for a fan from Ahmedabad. That felt big.”

With Rs 4–5 lakh invested in building the heavy tech website, six orders didn’t scream success. The co-founders of PaintWaint were worried.

They leaned on what they knew — making reels. “We’d done travel and food vlogs before,” Saloni said. “So we showed people how easy our kits are by making reels.”

By June, they hit 100 orders. Then, in January 2025, their reels blew up, some racking up 3 million views. Orders jumped to 700–800 a month.

Apurva  said excitedly, still amazed, “It was like, ‘Okay, this is our year.’”

Their 25-member team now handles everything in-house, from canvas printing to framing. “Earlier we outsourced parts of the process,” Apurva added, “but now we’ve invested in our own machines. Everything is ours. Even the colours. We make those by hand.”

PaintWaint’s heart is in its mission: making art for everyone. “People tell us, ‘I haven’t painted since school," Dr. Apurva shared in the Startup Pedia interview. “One customer said she forgot how much she loved it until our kit.”

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Numbers That Inspire

In under a year, the bootstrapped art venture PaintWaint has shipped 3,000 orders and earned over Rs 50 lakh. “We started with Rs 4–5 lakh. Now we’re at Rs 15 lakh per month revenue,” said Dr. Saloni. They’ve grown from a home gig to a buzzing office, planning for 50 team members soon.

The co-founders of PaintWaint have long-term revenue projections: Rs 2 crore revenue by 2025–26, Rs 50 crore revenue by 2028, and Rs 100 crore revenue by 2030.

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