Travelling has always been more than just ticking countries off a list for me. It’s about the people I meet, the cultures I discover, and the little exchanges that turn strangers into friends. Over time, I realised that the one thing people remember the most is not just where you’re from, but also what you share with them from your home country.

I love travelling. I am a culture enthusiast, and now, also a proud small business owner. My journey began at the age of 19, when I took my very first solo trip. That too, international, for Singapore. 

My First Solo Trip To Singapore in 2019

Since then, there’s been no looking back. Today, I’ve been lucky enough to explore more than 20 countries and have experienced some of the most incredible cultural exchanges in places like Poland, Czechia, Turkey, and Russia. I feel grateful enough to have met some of the most incredible and amazing people during my travels. These trips didn’t just give me memories — they gave me friends forever, stories to tell, and a deeper love for the idea of cultural connection.

Before each trip, I would always wonder — what should I carry with me from India to gift to the people I meet or the friends that I make there? What souvenirs can I gift them? Something that truly represents India, its warmth, its heritage, and reminds them of me and India. Like many of us, I often went on to look at online stores and e-commerce websites to find Indian fridge magnets, postcards, or even a few snacks to gift. Each of my cultural exchanges lasted around 5 to 6 weeks, which meant I was going to meet a lot of new people and make plenty of friends along the way. And of course, I had to gift them something from India… something they could keep as a memory.

But truth be told, they were quite pricey, and I didn’t always find designs that felt personal or true to the spirit of India. That little thought — “Why isn’t there something affordable and authentic enough?” — stayed with me.

Launching My First Online Store

In 2022, I took the first step and launched my own travel and entertainment blog, where I began sharing my travel stories, experiences, and cultural learnings with fellow travellers and readers. Through my travel blogs, I aimed to inspire more first-time solo travellers to go out and travel as much as possible. In December 2024, around 2 years later, that spark (“Why isn’t there something affordable and authentic enough?”) turned into something bigger. I thought — why not create the kind of Indian souvenirs I always wanted to carry with me? The souvenirs that I always wanted to gift to my friends from abroad during my travels.

And that’s how my online store was born. VeryFirstTale’s merchandise shop for creating Indian souvenirs.

That’s when I started designing Indian souvenirs that are digitally illustrated and deeply inspired by India’s most iconic places, landmarks, monuments, and elements. 

Postcards of India

I initially began with postcards — they’ve always been the first thing I used to look for during my international trips. In fact, I make it a point to send a postcard back home to Mumbai from every new country I visit. But when it came to finding well-designed postcards from Mumbai — my own city — to gift to my friends abroad, it was surprisingly difficult. I couldn’t find many appealing designs.

So I decided to design my own. One that showcases our famous landmarks, places, and monuments of India from cities like Mumbai, Kolkata, Delhi, and Jaipur.

With these city-specific Indian Postcard collections, I finally found a way to share not just a piece of my home city, but also the charm of India with the friends I meet around the world.

Checkout our collection of India Postcards –

Fridge Magnets of India

A few months after launching our India postcards, we started getting such a lovely response from our customers – people really connected with the idea of colourful, meaningful postcards that truly represented Indian monuments and Landmarks.

So I decided to work on a few unique fridge magnet designs that can capture the essence of India. After a lot of brainstorming and designing, I came up with four magnet designs — each one inspired by something iconic: the classic Indian yellow auto, Kolkata’s yellow taxis, the beaches of Goa, the everyday E-Autos you see across the country, and the very iconic Chai & Ketli.

To be honest, finding good fridge magnets of India or any specific city is still quite tricky in an offline mode, even in big cities like Mumbai or Delhi. Most of the time, they’re only available with the street vendors near a few popular, very specific tourist spots. That’s why many people prefer buying them online — it’s just more convenient. And that’s exactly where I saw the opportunity to step in and offer something unique, authentic, and easy to get.

Checkout our collection of India Fridge Magnets –

Indian Souvenir Keychains

Along with the fridge magnets, I also explored the idea of creating indian souvenir keychains with them.

Keychains are something we all use every day, and they’re super easy to carry and gift to anyone, whether it’s for a friend, a colleague, or just as a simple, small thank-you. They’re perfect for so many occasions.

I designed a collection of Indian keychains, inspired by my postcard designs. Just like them, these keychains feature some of India’s famous landmarks and monuments — a simple yet thoughtful way to carry a little piece of India with you.

Every piece is designed to make someone smile and say, “Yes, this is definitely from India!”

Checkout our collection of India Souvenir Keychains –

The Aim With My Store Is Simple

My sole aim and objective to finally launch my own online store is simple. It is to make it easier for people to celebrate and share India’s rich beauty, heritage, and culture, no matter where they are in the world. And doing the same through my products is one such way.

So, whether you’re a traveller like me, someone who’s moved abroad, or simply someone looking for a thoughtful gift, I invite you to take a look at my collection of Indian Souvenirs. I’m sure you’ll find something that brings back memories, sparks curiosity, or simply makes you feel a little closer to home.

Thank you for being a part of this journey, and happy gifting!