India business stories. Wonky works up-cycling
Brooke Brodack shares the colorful story of Wonky Works, an upcycling business run by her friend Ekta in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. The twist: Gujarat is a dry state, making the alcohol bottles that served as Ekta's raw material technically illegal. Using a huge kiln in her warehouse, Ekta would reshape these bottles into beautiful vases, table toppers, magnet vases, napkin holders, and cups, turning contraband into art.
Brooke recalls working briefly on a social media campaign for Wonky Works, though the warehouse conditions made it challenging. The space was shared with a neighbor doing heavy metal construction, creating an almost comically noisy work environment. She brainstormed ideas with Ekta including a "message in a bottle" conservation campaign, which they ultimately made digital to avoid putting trash in the ocean.
The video paints a vivid picture of India's youth-driven business culture, where pop-up cafes and trendy shops targeting college students can make quick money before the fickle demographic moves on to the next thing. Brooke reflects on the rise-and-fall cycle of Indian small businesses with characteristic honesty and affection, noting that Wonky Works has since closed but that she treasured her time collaborating in Ekta's incredible warehouse space.
Key Topics
- Wonky Works: upcycling alcohol bottles in Gujarat's dry state
- Ekta's creative process: kiln, warehouse, and glass art
- India's youth-driven pop-up business culture
- Social media campaign brainstorming for a small Indian business
- The rise-and-fall cycle of trendy businesses in India
Notable Moments
- 00:00 - Introduction to Ekta and her feelings about the Om symbol
- 00:19 - The "highly illegal" alcohol bottle sourcing in a dry state
- 00:36 - The huge kiln in the warehouse and the upcycling process
- 00:54 - Favorite creations: napkin holders, cups, bottles with slogans
- 01:47 - Ekta's Royal Enfield motorcycle
- 02:17 - India's youth demographic and pop-up business culture
- 03:00 - Working on social media campaigns in a noisy shared warehouse
- 03:35 - "Message in a bottle" campaign pivoting to digital