Meet the SHEROES - Ekta Doctor

Ekta Doctor started WonkyWork a Glass Art Studio, she talks about starting-up and glass art industry in India –

Q1. How did the idea of WonkyWorks come about and what does your business provide as a product / service?

WonkyWorks is a small independent GlassArt Studio, having an eclectic collection of Awesomely Handmade Glass Art including Upcycled Bottle products, blown glass, kiln-formed glass, etched and engraved glass.

We love the glitchy, the skewed, the fuddled, and the precarious. In the age of factory-manufactured perfectness, we celebrate the odd fish the curious and funny, the peculiar and queer.

Our war against the mundane and routine has led us to form WonkyWorks, created to fight organised sameness.

 Q2. What key entrepreneurial tips have you imbibed after starting your own venture?

First lesson I learnt is trial and error is the key to innovation. Second thing that I learnt there is nothing that cannot be made or sold if designed well.

The key to a satisfactory and lifelong profession is for it to be wholesomely linked to your personal life. They both affect each other.

 Q3. What challenges do you often need to overcome in this line of work?

For Glass Art, there is almost no awareness in our country. The small segment who does appreciate and can afford good Glass Art, mostly get their work from overseas. This is the case as there is almost no education in this medium (glass) that is of an international standard.

The raw materials and equipment are non-existent for a small studio setup.

For the upcycled products, one of my earliest challenges was to create products which would have the finesse and design to appeal to main stream customers rather than people who were aware and conscious of Green Design and who specifically searched for sustainable products. The growing awareness of the Green Culture in India has helped to a certain degree, but what I have also noticed is our innate sense to make something out of waste and an appreciation for the same. It also helped that I make many versions of products and test their user-friendliness both myself and with a closed group before letting them go on the shelves. This sometimes takes months and even years… but it is reflected in the design and usage of the products at the customers end.

Another challenge was the price issue. Most people find it absurd that a 3 rupee almost worthless bottle is being re-melted and being sold for 600 rupees. As most of my pieces are made at an independent studio level, my prices could never compete with factory manufactured products. Especially in India, these factories especially the labour-intensive ones tend to be almost slavish. Workers are not paid the minimum wage and there is almost no health and safety precaution, in terms of equipment and information. Ethically working with and disposing of glass and glass related waste does take up a chunk of our studio time and budget! But that is never been an option but a necessity. Also as mentioned above, creating the right product takes time and that also increase expenses!

Q4. As an entrepreneur, what life lessons help you achieve your goals?

Sometimes what you think of as big setbacks are turning points in your business’s future. They pave the way for new ideas and adaptability.

 Q5. Do you have any other product or service or new venture you hope to offer in the future?

Glass Art Education of an international standard.