• eSamskriti in conversation with Sara, a 15 year old teenager, on her E-commerce venture that sells handmade conscious gifts. The chat includes why she started this business, the name SARONG, what products do they sell, future plans, how she balances school/business and delivers across India plus payment mechanism.

I met Sara in April 2025 and was impressed on how she was building her e-commerce business. Loved her confidence and clarity of thought. Think it came from hands on experience. On the eve of launching her e-commerce site www.saronggifts.com , esamskriti had a chat on her journey so far and plans for the future.

Es:⁠ ⁠When did you start this business?

Sara: I started this business in March 2024, right after my 8th grade final exams were over. In fact I dreamed it up during an exam!

Es: Why the name Sarong. What does it mean?

Sara: When I went to Bali as a 9 year old I saw beautiful, printed fabrics called sarongs. And when thinking of a site name I loved that Sarong shares many letters with my name and also sounds exotic.

Es:⁠⁠ Tell us a little bit about your brand, Sarong.

Sara: Sarong aims to be a teen-run small business, where you can find all sorts of handmade, quality assured, creative products. We have brought innovation in an underestimated field of gifting. Our goal is to shift towards affordable, sustainable gifting options that are also classy.

Es:⁠ ⁠⁠ What was the inspiration for starting this?

Sara: I noticed that people had begun shifting from personal gifts to just Amazon gift cards, money, or flowers. I wanted to revive the joy of gifting personalised, handmade items. 

Coming from a family of entrepreneurs I always wanted start a business. The initial plan was to start after college but that seemed too long!  Which is why www.saronggifts.com is launched now.

Sara: We currently have candles and lip balms on the site and are slowly launching a wider variety of each along with festivals based affordable gift hampers. From Candles based on Zodiacs, Cities, Moods and Seasons to Funky flavoured tinted lip balms, we are launching it all. 

Sara: Every product found on our website is completely handmade by me (a 15 year old). This helps us exercise quality control and stay true to our handmade, personalised, small business ethic. 

Sara: Sarong products are currently only available for purchase on our website www.saronggifts.com. You can follow our instagram page @saronggiftingco to see frequent updates and behind the scenes of a teen run business.

Sara: I am starting by talking to friends and family about the venture. I hope to get word of mouth and increase this. Sarong also has an Instagram page and You Tube channel where I regularly upload content.

Es: Will you deliver in Maharashtra only or across India?

Sara: My account on Shiprocket enables us to ship across India with no extra delivery charges to the customer.  

Es: How can I pay on the site-options?

Sara: Razorpay is integrated on the website. This ensures security. A customer can pay with all the usual options like UPI, credit card etc. 

Es: As volumes grow would you still be able to manage production yourself?

Sara: I guess, will figure it out as we go along. I have always believed in starting first and figuring it out along the way. Each time I get a bulk order my friends pitch in to help. That’s how I have managed so far. 

Es:⁠ ⁠⁠ What is the future that you imagine for this venture?

Sara: I would like to grow this idea to a large scale so that I service more customers. The deeper intent is also to inspire other teenagers to dream about having their own businesses. I also wish to give back to the environment with cost effective, sustainable gifts that have low carbon footprint. 

Es:⁠ What is a message that you have for other teens in India?

Sara: Balancing things like school and extra-curricular along with a business is hard. There are days I think it isn't worth it, but if you are really passionate about something, then remind yourself of the feeling you experience when someone appreciates your work. This recap enables you stay focused on the business.

Start planning your business the day you get an idea that you feel excited about. You don’t have to wait till after 12th is over. Some day you might realize it was worth the effort.

Do visit our site and also give suggestions on how we can do better. Some product pics –

Misty Nilgiri – a cool, breezy eucalyptus scented 48 hour candle. 

Strawberry Lip-Balm. 

Citrus Zest – sparkling, summery, refreshingly scented 48 hour candle. 

Flame of love – heart shaped candles. A perfect gift for those close to your heart.