Hyderabad may have opened up fully after #Unlock4.0, but businesses, especially small, home-based solopreneur ones, have been the worst affected. With the narrative of #VocalForLocal gaining ground in these trying times, Hyderabad Express gives a shout-out to a few, and let Hyderabadis know they exist and that they can tap them for their needs. From a single mom running a small beauty business in Malakpet to a women’s self-help group that is into making wooden toys to a canine bakery that uses no artificial flavours, we have listed them all. Time to give them a helping hand. You can find them all on Instagram/Twitter.
Of cookies and cakes
I am an IT professional who loves to put on her kitchen apron and has turned her lockdown passion into a profession. I believe life is better balanced with cookies and cakes on both hands. My venture Clocktower Baker takes order via my Instagram handle -click_thy_cravings
When hardpressed for natural drinks
I am Amitesh Sharma, founder of N Coldpressed, a 100% natural coldpressed juice company, with a vision of replacing the unhealthy packed or sugar-based juices with natural, no- sugar and no-preservatives ones. Our juices are freshly made on order and doorstep delivered. All our blends are curated with local produce.
Henna for your hands
I am Shireen and I am professional henna artist who is versatile both in traditional and modern henna designs What started as a hobby at a young age had blossomed into a full time passion. Currently I am imparting henna master classes from basic to professional henna designs via my Insta page Amtanoor.
Let your pets stay with us here
I am Prerana, the founder BellyFills Pet food and boarding. I started it on August 26 - International Dog’s day. Besides customised pet food (human grade, dog safe ingredients), I also offer a home- like space for the furkids while their parents are not around in the city/country. We take in around five pets at a time so that they get individual care that they are used to in their house and we pamper them with food and bath.
Foody sis for hungry times
I am Kounain Hyder Ali, owner of Foody Aapa. Authentic dishes of Hyderabad is that we love to make for the foodies of Hyderabad and our mantra is Khaana Khaake Jaana. We also provide meals to the underprivileged. You need to order at least 24 hours in advance as we like to make it fresh and serve without keeping it stored and send it stale.
Pawsome treats for your canines
I am Rachna Gujral, founder of Skylish Dog Bakery. I love to make your doggo happy with some tasty treats and special goodies, made with fresh ingredients and completely free of preservatives or any artificial food colouring or baking agents. We make a range from gourmet doggies’ cakes and bakes, single ingredient dehydrated treats, aromatic fresh fruit cookies, paw-lickin peanut butter, chews etc.
Let your phone dress up
I am Hansika Sawhney and I run Inkypinky where I do custom made / curated phone accessories from a fashion-friendly point of view. Our accessories include phone covers, AirPods covers and Apple Watch straps. I am an online product based business. I deliver all over India. I am a graduate from St. Francis college for Women , Hyderabad and I single handedly run this business.
Luxe heirloom jewellery
I launched @ridhiasranijewelry in January 2020. We are a fashion jewelry brand that creates luxe, heirloom and opulent pieces that are entirely handcrafted by artisans. The idea is to blur the lines between fashion and fine jewellery and let the customers get it an affordable price.
Local going glocal
I am Benazir, founder and Designer of my fashion label - Benazir. The label @benazir.label was conceptualised and started in 2015 and specialise in intricate wedding outfits and customised bridal trousseau from classy lehenga to regal Khada-Dupatta and fusion wear. My clientele spans across both within the Indian cities and our countries and of course, Hyderabad too.
Toys from the yore
IndiaFx.store showcases handmade heirloom cottage industry products by women self-help groups of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Most of the products have no chemical colours, making them the safest toys for children and general decor – like the Etikoppaka Toy. The products for children are made of natural material such as mud and bamboo. We also offer cold-pressed oil, leaf plates that are 100% biodegradable, leather puppets, thorans besides Kalamkari sarees, bed sheets, Udayagiri wooden cutlery, jute bags, handloom sarees, paper flowers etc.
Customisation is the name of the game
We are Tejaswi and Jashwanth, two techies from Hyderabad who run Hey Jate, an online store functioning from Hyderabad, shipping across India for free. We make customised clothing, masks, gifts and apparel. We encourage and work with local vendors and give a helping hand in gaining a second income too.
Telugu filmi punchlines on your masks too
We are Hareesh Vasireddy and Mahi Illindra and we run a venture called DedDimaag and we call ourselves the ‘Telugu clothing brand’. We sell T-shirts, hoodies, masks, cups with Telugu movie punch lines and creatives printed on them. People can buy from our website or our app by the same name as our brand.
Creating exclusive nut milks for niche clients
I am Harshita and I run the Hyderabad startup called Banter Kitchen -@banter.kitchen. We have a wide range of homemade and healthy nut butters and nut milks. We have been around for about a year now. They cater to toddlers as well as older age groups.
Eat your selfie
We, Harish and Ganesh Dasarla, run the Selfie Kafe. We started in January 2020 and we print selfies or any pictures on thickshakes and we can eat or drink that picture along with the shake. Located in Manikonda Rd, OU Colony, we serve thickshakes, milkshakes, coffees, mocktails, sandwich, burgers and 12 types of French fries and the first such concept in Hyderabad and South India.
Freelance bridal makeover specialist
I am Tazyeen and I am a Hyderabad- based professional makeup artist and I run my own studio called Makeupby_tazyeen.fatima. I worked as a freelancer for the last eight years and opened a studio on Road no 12, Banjara Hills, seven months ago and the pandemic affected my venuture. I need more work to sustain my venture.
Be in your bubble
We are PopOBob, a bubble tea chain based out of Hyderabad. We have multiple outlets across the city. Our clientele comprises youngsters who visit the cafes and love hanging out with friends. Naturally, the pandemic affected our business and it’s important we rise above to stay afloat. We specialise in handcrafted bubble teas and a wide range of interesting toppings for tea that youngsters love to experiment with.
Pop goes the bazaar
We, Shika and Snigdha Reddy, run Chapter One, a pop-up bazaar filled with passion and completed 12 successful editions. We bridge the gap between the evolving fashion scene and affordable fashion. We’ve introduced a ‘personal stylist’ service to help people express themselves through fashion too. We are waiting to be able to host the next fashion pop up bazar or exhibition in the city and hope the pandemic ends soon.
Let’s go organic, shall we?
We are Countryside Natural Produce - we deal with 100% certified organic produce and we’ve recently started the brand. Currently, we’ve onboarded with Qmart retail and our products are up for sale across Amazon and our own website. We currently deliver to pan India, USA, UK, UAE and Australia. We drive the concept of natural living through fresh produce as valuable as gold from the farms where black soil breeds purity.
The sister act
We are the Dessert Factory and its run by us sisters Arshia A. Ayub and me, Ruquia (Mona) Ahmed. We are home bakers. We are based in Hyderabad. I graduated with a BBA from the USA and my sister has a MA in psychotherapy and counseling. We love baking the simple things that puts a smile on people’s face whether it is a simple brownie or a made to order dessert that is the perfect ending to your party menu.
Small treat, big eats
I’m a 21-year-old baking enthusiast who finds baking and cooking therapeutic. I’ve been in this field for the past four years and currently use my Instagram page emaanscookingandbaking. I take orders via the page and we highlight our menu and products via our feed or highlights and use online payments and delivery apps to send the goodies across to you.
Passion into obsession turned dessert space
My name is Nada Khan. I run an online business by the name Dessert Boutique. It’s based out of Hyderabad. It’s my passion turned into obsession. I whip up cheesecakes like nutella tiramisu blueberry strawberry peanut butter and I take orders through my Instagram page.
Jewellery online and offline too
I am Ashwin from Swarna Darbaar and I run a small Jewellery store opposite Old Airport in Begumpet. I serve more than 2,000 clients and we do business both online and offline and ensure we cater to our customers across all social media channels.
Get crafty
I am Sunpreet N. Sinha and I run a brand called Pure Desi By Sunpreet. We as a brand celebrate the rich culture of the country by presenting the dying crafts and long lost weaves of India in a more contemporary way. We are happy to say that we provide employment to the under privileged women to learn the craft and get financial independent. We are on Facebook where we display our ware, take orders, communicate and also deliver it to our customers.
Solopreneur venture into conscious living
My name is Suhani and although I started my brand Ataasii for fashionable clothing and accessories, I have now ventured into conscious products - from clothing to gift articles, beauty products, all sourced consciously from across India.
Need office space? We are here
We are GoFloaters, an on-demand book office space and we run on the pay-per-use office model!! Our clients are a lot of small and medium businesses people. And also remote employees who cannot work from home all the time. Hyderabad alone has 100+ options of day off to choose from starting as low as 200 so that people can work distraction free from their neighbourhood. We operate through app and website.
Cupcakes which can fix every problem
We are two Hyderabadis who run a venture called hamper2pamper on Instagram and we create customised hampers for every occasion. We started with a Rakhi hamper which had all products that brothers could afford and sisters love and of course followed the pandemic guidelines. We also have what is called a ‘political hamper’ which comprises a goodluck plant, a diary, a customised pen and keychain, branded socks, printed handkerchief and all in a tray which can be handed over to your CEO or minister friend. We use jute/ wicker baskets for the hampers.
For that professional look
This is Sana Mulla, an internationally certified makeup artist and head makeup trainer at a beauty academy in Secunderabad. Via @blenditlikesana in Instagram, I offer makeup ideas for brides, photoshoots, parties etc. I click photographs of all the makeups I can give my customers and post these looks in my page. They get in touch with me asking for a look and I love creating that for them.
Bridal makeup time again
I run a small venture called The Beauty Hub. I am a single mother and my studio is located in Malakpet. I do makeup on bridal party all type of makeover. My page @makeupbynazneenhussain enlists a lot of looks that I offer to my clients and one can choose and I can try the same on them. I also visit the brides at the wedding halls to give them spot make up. I am hoping for more work this wedding season.
Home baking at its best
Salé Sucré is a small, home baking business started on Instagram in November 2019 and I have my unit in Jubilee Hills. We make brownies, cake loaves, cookies and cinnamon rolls. It is also lead by one woman who’s passion is to bake and learn new things everyday. We take orders via direct messages across the week.
Bits, hammers and rubbers by a young team
We are NDR Industries at Kushaiguda and we manufacture bits, hammers and all other types of rubbers which will be used in the borewells. Covid-19 has affected the industry in many ways as it has affected other business around. We are a young team, who have decided to make an impact in business field with professionalism and entered into this sector. But very early we had this covid impact, but nevertheless we are trying our best and other ways to get back on track. We work in the hardware sector and hence we are hoping to back on track in a few months.
Wrapping up luxury
We are a gift wrapping company called Blush & Bloom based in Banjara Hills , Hyderabad. We are into luxury gifting, curating gifts and memories for your special occasions. We specialise in gifts and wraps for occasions such as baby showers, parties etc and keep it funky to suit the current times and tastes.
Kaapi time, home style
We are Srinivas A and Krishna Chaitanya, from Chennai Coffee Shop, which serves filter coffee, beverages, snacks. We provide freshly brewed filter coffee as well as other hot beverages at all times. We also serve breakfast, lunch and dinner at the respective timings. We make snacks, chaat and fresh Juices throughout the day. You can identify us based on our red coffee kiosks and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wherever you are in Hyderabad.
Good, old home cooked food
I am Danishi Bhagat, former MasterChef India contestant season 6 and I run The Home Eatery. I started this venture because during the lockdown, most of the people were craving good home cooked food and I thought why not deliver that to them. I have a concept of curating a different menu every weekend so that there is more variety for the customer to choose from !
Desserts with a personal twist
I run DeLour Baking and my name is Devashree Gupta. I am a final year student of BBA LLB programme at Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad. I run this homebakery which provides the best of traditional classic desserts with a personalised twist at a price you will love. Find me on Instagram.
Baking for all occasions
My name is Saleha Jumana and my venture is @sweettreatsbysal. I’m a home baker based in Tolichowki and I take orders online via Instagram I’m 21 years old and I’m a student appearing for my final exams of BA in computer applications (3rd year). I’ve stared this page a year ago. As a hobby of mine and I love how people love my work and trying to turn the hobby into a professinal venture. I make cakes for all occasions and deliver it across the twin cities within a day’s notice. You can check out the models in the page and of course feedback from customers too right here.
Of Malai cake and homemade food
I am Syeda Saleha and my venture is caleld Foodistaan. It is a homemade, all -women business enterprise which serves clean and quality food keeping in view all the pandemic guidelines, Find us all social media the page foodistan._
Slimes for all
I am Ayesha and I run a slime business called Blimey Slimes. We have been doing this since the past three years. Slimes are an enjoyable gooey substance (toy) that kids and adults alike enjoy. We are one of the few in the city who supply slimes.
Affordable hostels for boys
We run a small venture called Rajarajeshwari boys hostel in Yellareddy Nagar. We provide affordable accommodation for college students and working men.
— Manju Latha Kalanidhi
kalanidhi@newindianexpress.com @mkalanidhi
(Inputs by Team Hyderabad Express)