When 34-year-old Sourabh Jain first become a father to his daughter, his viewpoint on lifestyles modified. Like all guardian, his daughter become his international.
Then again, he struggled with bonding together with her at first. “She used to be so tiny and couldn’t talk. I didn’t know the way to bond together with her. That’s once I realised that video games and books are interactive and provide a chance to spend hours together with her,” he recalled in a dialog with The Higher India.
Thus started the quest for video games and toys that now not best helped him bond together with his daughter but in addition contributed to her cognitive building. Right through this seek, he realised that now not best are those toys and video games onerous to seek out, however they are able to additionally burn a hollow in a single’s wallet.
“Some other realisation used to be that it is rather onerous to make toys eco-friendly. There’s some quantity of plastic at all times provide and it’s damaging to the surroundings and the little ones,” he says.
Whilst he aspired to provide his daughter the sector, he additionally endeavoured to depart in the back of a cleaner, greener, and extra sustainable international for her. Nowadays, he owns The EleFant — a toy condo corporate, or in Sourabh’s phrases, ‘a labour of affection’.
The corporate has a buyer base in 14 main towns in India, together with Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Indore, Bengaluru, and so forth. Serious about how the trade works and the way you’ll be able to hire toys on your children? Learn on.
Sustainable, age-appropriate and amusing
Born and raised in a trade circle of relatives, Sourabh at all times had an entrepreneurial mindset. Regardless of operating as a chartered accountant for many of his lifestyles, he harboured a chronic passion in beginning his personal trade.
“The theory for EleFant emerged from the need to give you the easiest toys for my daughter, however it’s additionally a emblem for folks like us,” he explains.
Amid converting circle of relatives dynamics, Sourabh seen the expanding problem for folks who juggle paintings and residential duties concurrently. “As a rule, I’d be operating, leaving little room to move out and seek for toys. I sought after to simplify something for operating oldsters like myself,” he says.
The transition from the company international for Sourabh used to be sluggish. “The theory started taking form in my thoughts in 2022, however I sought after a forged course of action. I aimed to supply oldsters a competent provider and an efficient subscription type,” he provides.
Sourabh additionally emphasized the significance of making sure that the toys equipped to youngsters don’t seem to be simply stress-free but in addition enticing and academic. “As a guardian, I know the way the most important it’s for youngsters to have the fitting setting on the proper time to inspire them and assist them develop,” he says.
In pursuit of this idea, Sourabh enlisted the experience of a psychologist, a paediatrician and an ex-school major to discern the varieties of toys that might be maximum recommended for kids.
“After just about a yr of growing the idea that and making sure that each one our toys meet the very best quality requirements, we made up our minds to release the emblem,” he states.
Lately, the corporate has a buyer base of greater than 250 subscribers with over 2,000 downloads of the applying according to day. In addition they have collaborations with 70 toy corporations the place they supply their toys.
Amongst those 250 subscribers is Rahul Bhauwala from Mumbai who rents toys for his 6-year-old. “I’m a operating skilled and I infrequently get any time to move out and spend hours in search of and purchasing toys. I may use that treasured time to play with my kid as an alternative. This is the reason I really like the usage of The EleFant app. They have got quite a lot of toys that are classified as according to age. The goods are very well-packaged and my son cherished opening them because it gave the look of a gift to him,” he says.
“We purpose to determine a round financial system the place toys are reused many times. This now not best cuts prices but in addition advantages the surroundings. Bearing in mind how briefly children outgrow issues, toys regularly finally end up in landfills,” he explains.
Pocket-friendly for folks and amusing for youngsters
Whilst the addiction of reusing and thrifting would possibly have began trending lately, if we glance again to our early life, sharing youngsters’s property has at all times been a part of our tradition.
“We might cross down our toys and garments to our chachi, mami’s (aunts) children. Then again, with the nuclear circle of relatives setup, this development has declined. I feel it used to be this custom that has made folks position their accept as true with in us too,” he says.
Recalling the preliminary response of the folks he says, “The fogeys had been very extremely joyful and confirmed encouragement. Whilst they had been a little bit sceptical of sanitation since those merchandise can be reused, I defined that we’ve got a sanitation procedure and each and every toy that reaches their child is secure for intake,” he says.
Moreover, the librarians and toy professionals of Sourabh’s group are all oldsters who perceive the desire for sanitation and hygiene of the goods and ensure they’re correctly sanitised.
“Our content material is completely considering wisdom, expansion, and building. We firmly consider within the the most important function of toys and books in bettering youngsters’s abilities. Lately, we provide a various vary of 14 toy classes,” he says speaking concerning the technique of subscribing to The EleFant.
The types come with STEM-based toys, board video games, artwork and schooling, faux play, sound books, tutorial books, and extra.
“The abilities we focal point on surround modal abilities, gross motor abilities, bodily and emotional building, in addition to social, environmental and dating figuring out, amongst others,” he says.
The registration procedure comes to downloading the app, and as soon as on-line, they are able to continue to transform a member, they are able to choose between the to be had programs.
“We provide 3 plans: Lawn, Property, and Wooded area. The Lawn plan permits for 2 merchandise at a time with two unfastened deliveries per 30 days, costing roughly Rs 750 per thirty days. This plan fits households with children deeply engaged in explicit actions. The Property plan, our hottest, supplies 3 merchandise at a time and 3 unfastened deliveries per thirty days, averaging round Rs 1,000, catering to curious children desperate to discover new issues,” he says.
The Wooded area plan is perfect for tremendous lively children or households with two youngsters of various age teams, providing 4 toys at a time with 5 unfastened deliveries at a median of about Rs 1,400 per 30 days.
‘Those plans are well-defined, economical, and inexpensive, permitting shoppers to revel in a number of toys adapted to their personal tastes,” he provides.
Sourabh says that he sought after to make a trade that caters to all. “Our goal used to be now not only to cater to an elite membership, making it a pricey and unique provider. As an alternative, we aimed to provide a chance for everybody to provide their youngsters the entirety in a sustainable approach. The worth is stored this fashion, emphasising inclusivity and accessibility for all.”
If you want to take a look at out Sourabh’s distinctive subscription type, click on right here to down the applying.
(Edited by way of Padmashree Pande)