Astha Khetan CEO & Founder, The House of Things; Director, Iraj Evolution Design Company Pvt. Ltd. One of India’s leading online shopping platforms, The House of Things was born out of founder Astha Khetan’s love for art and design as well as her desire to promote local artisans and preserve handicrafts. She combined superior design and handcrafted savoir-faire to provide a creative collision of furniture, art, and accessories from around the world. Today, The House of Things is recognised among the top five home décor sites to shop from in the Indian subcontinent. Astha likes to start her mornings with her son, and getting a workout in. A hibiscus tea afficionado, Astha has successfully implemented community development projects, by providing skill development training and employment opportunities at her family-owned, global furniture manufacturing unit based out of Udaipur, called I.EVO. Having successfully built a global-oriented setup that has witnessed the export of products, both retail and bulk, Astha along with partners Saurabh and Manan, have further proved their mettle assisted by a dedicated team of 1800+ employees. “Luxury to me is the freedom to do what your heart wants.” Khetan also runs an IB school, Crossroads Enrichment Centre – founded with the aim of providing holistic education. Dinesh Vazirani CEO & Co-Founder, Saffronart India Dinesh Vazirani established Saffronart in the year 2000. The Indian art market has extensively grown with auction houses garnering much recognition, going from in-person to online auctions, and now working with NFTs as well. Marking one of its biggest successes, Saffronart has a company case-study at Harvard University, which is Vazirani’s alma mater. Together with his wife Minal, Vazirani is working to convert Saffronart from an organisation to an institution and build a foundation to give back to the community. During and prior to the pandemic, the auction house continued to thrive, whether it be auctioning Nirav Modi’s assets or with the creation of StoryLTD, a platform or smaller, more regular auctions. He’s also given Mumbai’s Malabar Hill Police Station a facelift. When not working, he can be found unwinding with some music or spending Friday evening with a single malt in hand. “Always experiment, be creative, and remember to follow your passion.” 20 | | 21
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