Travel bon and beautiful

It’s called The Messy Corner, but the products that this online store flaunts are meant to clear the mess around one’s travel baggage. From passport covers to keychain diaries and travel wallets that’ll help you keep your voyage bon and beautiful, there are also everyday accessories like banking folders, iPad and laptop sleeves, sunglass cases and card holders for your daily work life as well. What’s more, all these can be personalised.

For siblings Aanchal and Aayush Poddar, it was their love for travel and fondness for personalised travel accessories that led them to embark on an entrepreneurial journey. “We were on our annual UK trip when we noticed beautiful travel accessories, but they lacked a personal touch. We thought of blending the two and introducing the idea here in India, and that is how The Messy Corner (TMC) was formed two years ago,” says 25-year-old Aanchal, who holds a master’s in marketing from University of Bath, UK.

Her brother and co-founder of TMC, Aayush has done his Master’s in marketing from Bombay University and comes with seven years’ work experience in technical textiles. They brainstormed a lot on the name before finally deciding on TMC as “it matches the mess that a start-up creates while building a brand/company”.

he company deals in personalised travel accessories and has more than 10 products and 40 charms as an option for customisation. Clients can pick their favourite colour and charm combination that can be personalised to suit their need. The personalisation comes at an affordable range from `325 and goes up to `1,499. “We believe in creating a personalised style that defines you and aim to bring fun and excitement to everyday accessories,” says Aanchal.

It’s practical too. “Once a client sent us a message that he had misplaced his passport at the airport, but because it was packed in a blue cover with his name printed on it, he could locate it in no time,” she recalls.

As a young company, the duo believes in big ideas matched with a fierce will to bring them to life. “We share genuine beliefs in ourselves, each other and our ability to get things done. When we put our minds to something, there’s no stopping us. Today is full of opportunities. Tomorrow, anything is possible,” says Aanchal.

The siblings have a long list of corporate clients that includes Google, Zee TV, Deloitte, KPMG, J P Morgan, HUL, while its celebrity portfolio has names like Alia Bhatt, M S Dhoni,  Bipashu Basu, Shraddha Kapoor and Yami Gautam.