Back in the early 2020s, Kolkata-based Shruti Kundan often found herself wondering inside TCS’s towering corporate office: When will the day come when I no longer have to ask my manager for leave or clock nine hours every day?
While 7 years of corporate exposure at companies like Genpact, Tata Consultancy Services, and Accenture taught her valuable skills in business strategy, operations, analysis, and financial modelling, deep down Shruti craved independence and dreamed of building a venture of her own.
It wasn’t until mid-2023 that she finally took the leap. Driven by a long-standing passion for creative work that began during her college days, Shruti started experimenting with handmade candles at home, including unique laddoo-shaped candles.
Seeing her interest grow, her husband, Pranav Shree, encouraged her to take the idea more seriously and try turning it into a small business.
With his support, she later created an Instagram page for her brand, Boholette, to showcase and sell her handmade creations.
“I brought my corporate experience into my own company. Dealing with foreign clients in my previous roles taught me exactly how things should be managed professionally, and I applied those same standards to Boholette,” Shruti Kundan tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.
About Boholette Founder, Shruti Kundan
Entrepreneur Shruti Kundan with her candle product
Shruti was born and raised in Kolkata. She graduated with a B.Com Honours in Accounting and Finance from Calcutta University in 2014.
Immediately after graduating, between 2014 and 2017, she was preparing for the Cost and Management Accountant (CMA) qualification provided by the Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI, formerly ICWAI).
Her corporate career began in 2017 when she joined Genpact as a Process Associate, working there until 2019.
She then moved to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) as a Process Associate, where she stayed until 2022. Finally, in 2022, she joined Accenture as a Financial Analyst, a role she held until 2023, when she left to start her own venture, Boholette.
Stepping Into Entrepreneurship
Shruti always had a creative side and loved doing crafts like plate painting and painting since childhood. The turning point came when she noticed that Ladoo candles were in high demand on Amazon.
Her husband encouraged her to show her talent to the world, which gave her the confidence to take a big step. In 2023, she created an Instagram page and started her candle business.
“My husband acted as my mentor throughout this entire process. He was the one who saw my potential and told me that since I was creating such high-quality products, I should be sharing them with a wider audience,” Shruti tells Startup Pedia.
Shruti’s First Order and Growth
A glimpse of Boholette products
Shruti started her business on a very small scale. She ordered raw materials from Amazon, buying 1 kg of wax for Rs. 250 and five Ladoo-shaped moulds for Rs. 1,000, while purchasing the orange colour and fragrance from local shops.
She planned to make 100 candles in the beginning. Her first order of 10 candles came from a baker in Pune, and soon after, the remaining 90 candles also sold out.
Because of the Ganesh Chaturthi festival, customers across Maharashtra quickly bought all her stock. She priced the candles at Rs. 600 for a pack of 10 (Rs. 60 per candle) plus shipping.
At the start, Shruti didn’t spend money on ads. Instead, she used her husband’s network and personally promoted her Instagram page to people looking for festival gifts.
This simple method helped her get around 50 orders in her first month, September 2023.
In October 2023, she faced a major challenge when she received a large order of 700 Ladoo candles from a customer in Dubai. She only had 10 moulds and was making candles from home.
To finish the order, Shruti worked continuously for three days without sleeping to make all 700 candles. She also managed the export paperwork and shipped the order to Delhi via porter, and the customer took care of shipping the order.
The total cost to produce this international order was only around Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 9,000, earning Rs 20,000 in revenue.
As orders increased, Shruti realised that buying raw materials from Amazon was too expensive.
She then started sourcing directly from suppliers through IndiaMart in Delhi, which reduced her costs significantly. For example, she was able to buy soy wax for just Rs. 140 per kg, which was available on Amazon for Rs 250 per kg.
Around November, she also tried Instagram ads with a small budget of Rs. 1,000. The experiment worked well and helped her reach Rs. 1 lakh in sales in that month.
During the busy holiday season, another opportunity appeared unexpectedly. Shruti needed good-quality boxes for Christmas orders and return gifts, but local suppliers required a minimum order of 2,000 boxes.
She still decided to buy them. When she shared photos of her beautifully packaged candles on Instagram, many women running small candle businesses started messaging her asking if they could buy 10 or 20 boxes. They were facing the same problem of large minimum orders.
Seeing this demand, Shruti realised there was a big gap in the market. She decided to start selling packaging in smaller quantities, and this became the second business model of Boholette, along with selling candles.
“Success as an entrepreneur is about resilience. I had to manage everything from designing the dimensions in Canva to physically moving stock, all while keeping my financial sheets updated to the last rupee,” the Gurugram-based founder tells Startup Pedia.
Total Investment to Date
Shruti built Boholette without outside funding and carefully managed her money while growing the business.
By March 2026, her total investment had reached around Rs. 8.56 lakh. In the beginning, she spent just about Rs. 11,000 on basic things like wax, moulds, her first Instagram ad, and the materials needed to complete her first big order of 700 candles for Dubai.
As the business grew, her expenses also increased. Moving from her apartment to proper workspaces costs around Rs. 30,000 in warehouse rent for locations in Noida and Gurgaon.
The biggest investment came when she decided to make packaging boxes herself. For this, she spent Rs. 6.5 lakh on a semi-automatic die-punching machine.
“When we saw the confidence other business owners had in our packaging, we knew we had to scale. We moved from buying small batches to investing in a machine that allows us to produce 20,000 units daily,” the woman entrepreneur says.
Apart from these major costs, Shruti has kept reinvesting her earnings into the business to pay for things like staff salaries and raw materials in bulk.
Moving Out: Transitioning from Home to a Rented Facility
Shruti is giving instructions to her warehouse staff, Rahul
Shruti ran Boholette from her home from 2023 until early 2025. But as the business grew, the number of daily courier pickups started creating problems in her housing society.
Realising she needed more space, she rented her first small warehouse in Noida in January 2025 for Rs. 10,000 per month. There, she set up her machines and stock, and hired her first employees, two sisters who helped with packing, maintenance, and dispatch.
However, this setup didn’t last long. In July 2025, Shruti had to move to Gurugram because of her husband’s job.
At the same time, Boholette was experiencing its busiest period. By August 2025, the brand was receiving 500-600 orders every month.
Even though she needed more staff, the rush was so high that Shruti spent most of her days personally packing orders from morning to evening.
Later, she set up a new and permanent workspace in Pataudi, an industrial area in Gurgaon.
Today, Boholette operates from a 1,200-square-foot warehouse factory with a monthly rent of Rs. 15,000. She now has staff handling packing and courier work, which allows her to focus on managing the business, finances, inventory, and growth.
To produce the boxes herself, Boholette also invested in a semi-automatic die-punching machine.
The machine cuts paper into the exact shape needed for the boxes, after which the boxes are assembled. With this setup ready, the company is preparing to officially launch its expanded machine operations on March 29, 2026.
Challenges Faced
In the early days, Shruti faced both physical and mental challenges. She often had very little sleep. Leaving a stable monthly salary to start a business was also a big and stressful decision, but the constant support from her husband and family helped her take that step.
About Boholette
A Glimpse of Boholette Office in Gurugram
Boholette is a Gurugram-based e-commerce brand that sells products for DIY candle makers, small business owners, and people looking for festive return gifts.
The company is registered in Haryana and delivers products across India. Its goal is to make things easier for small creators by offering candle-making materials and custom packaging in one place.
The brand sells a wide range of products, including ready-made candles like Ladoo and Christmas tree designs, as well as raw materials such as wax, wicks, and empty metal tins used for making candles.
One of its most popular products is its special packaging boxes, made from strong PVC and SBS paper, which are designed to perfectly fit different candle shapes and protect them from scratches.
Boholette works with both business customers and regular buyers. It keeps prices affordable by allowing people to buy in small quantities, starting from around 20 pieces.
Packaging boxes usually cost Rs. 80 to Rs. 260 for small packs, while larger bulk orders can go up to Rs. 3,000.
Ready-made candle sets are priced between Rs. 180 and Rs. 755, and basic materials like candle wicks start at Rs. 80 for 100 pieces, making it easier for new entrepreneurs to start their own candle business without spending too much money.
The Unit Economics of Boholette
For an average order value of Rs 1,300, here is the breakdown of Boholette’s unit economics:
Rs 520 (40%) goes into the core product cost.
Rs 130 (10%) covers the shipping cost.
Rs 130 (10%) is allocated to fixed costs, which include salary, rent, and electricity.
Rs 39 (3%) is spent on packaging.
The total cost to fulfill the order comes to Rs 819, taking up 63% of the total order value.
The gross contribution or profit stands at Rs 481, leaving a healthy 37% profit margin per order.
Business Model and Distribution
Shruti stands with her newly arrived die punching machine at the warehouse
Boholette sells its products to both individual customers and businesses. It supplies materials to DIY candle makers and small entrepreneurs, while also fulfilling bulk orders for businesses.
A key part of its model is keeping the minimum order quantity very low, usually starting at just 20 pieces. This helps small candle businesses, especially women entrepreneurs, who cannot afford to buy thousands of boxes at once from traditional manufacturers.
Along with retail customers, Boholette also handles large bulk orders. For example, it recently completed a Rs 70,000 packaging order for a client in Goa.
With its new in-house manufacturing setup, the company now plans to supply custom packaging to cosmetic, perfume, and pharmaceutical brands as well.
For delivery, Boholette runs a GST-compliant logistics system from its warehouses in the NCR region. It ships products across India using partners like Amazon, XpressBees, Delhivery, and DTDC.
The brand usually dispatches orders within 48 working hours, ensuring customers receive their products quickly.
“I am constantly looking for ways to innovate our factory. My five-year plan involves bringing every single stage, from printing to foiling, entirely under one roof so we can offer end-to-end service to major brands,” Shruti tells Startup Pedia.
Annual Revenue
In the early months from September 2023 to March 2024 (FY24), when the brand was still being run from home, it completed 365 orders and earned about Rs 7 lakh in revenue.
But when Shruti added packaging boxes to the product line in 2024, the business grew quickly. In FY25, Boholette had completed 1,098 orders, and its revenue increased to Rs 17 lakh, more than double the earlier amount.
Packaging boxes became the main product, making up about 80% of total sales, while ready-made candles accounted for 20%.
Today, the business earns Rs. 10–11 lakh per month during the busy festive season due to an increase in order volume. During normal months, it still makes a steady Rs. 3–5 lakh per month.
Boholette completed 2,804 orders between April 2025 and February 2026, earning Rs. 38 lakh in revenue.
With expected sales of Rs. 3–4 lakh in March, the company is likely to close the 2025–2026 financial year with around Rs. 40–42 lakh in total revenue due to an increase in reach and order volume.
From Corporate Life to Entrepreneurship
Reflecting on her time in the corporate world at Genpact, TCS, and Accenture, Shruti compared her past roles and her current life as an entrepreneur. In the corporate sector, she was bound to strict 8-to-9-hour shifts and constantly reported to a manager.
Today, the dynamics have completely shifted. She is now the one in the executive chair, managing her own staff.
“Even though I have a team now, I don’t believe in micro-managing or putting unnecessary pressure on them. I want to create an environment where the work gets done effectively, but without the stress I sometimes felt in the corporate world,” Shruti says.
However, Shruti looks back on her corporate journey fondly. She enjoyed her previous jobs and treated them as a valuable learning ground.
By interacting with foreign clients and observing corporate management structures firsthand, she gained crucial professional experience and operational skills that she now applies directly to running Boholette.
Looking Forward
While the immediate financial target is to cross the Rs. 1 crore revenue mark in FY27, Shruti’s ultimate vision is far more ambitious: hitting Rs. 50 crore in annual sales within the next three years.
To achieve this massive scale, Boholette is moving beyond its original niche of candle makers and stepping firmly into the broader B2B manufacturing space.
The brand is actively developing high-quality shopping bags, paper bags, and customised premium packaging to target high-volume Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) cosmetic, perfume, and pharmaceutical brands.
To support this influx of large-scale B2B orders, Shruti plans to bring her entire manufacturing process in-house over the next five years.
“You don’t need a massive investment to start your journey. You just need the courage to take your talent out of your home and turn it into a profession. The first step is always the hardest, but it’s the only one that matters,” says Shruti while advising girls who want to do business.
FAQ Q.
When did Boholette begin operations?
A.
Boholette officially began operations in September 2023, shortly after the founder left her demanding corporate job to turn her candle-making hobby into a full-fledged business.
Q.
Who is the founder of Boholette?
A.
Boholette was founded by Shruti Kundan, a former corporate finance analyst from Kolkata who left her career working with major firms like Genpact, TCS, and Accenture to pursue entrepreneurship.
Q.
What does Boholette do?
A.
Boholette is a B2B and D2C e-commerce brand that serves as a one-stop shop for DIY creators and small businesses. They specialise in manufacturing custom, low-MOQ (Minimum Order Quantity) packaging solutions, such as PVC and paper boxes, while also supplying premium candle-making raw materials and ready-made festive candles.
Q.
How does Boholette manufacture and source its products?
A.
Boholette sources its raw materials, such as bulk soy wax and metal urlis, directly from local manufacturers to maintain high margins and affordability. For its core packaging business, the entire manufacturing process is handled in-house at its dedicated 1,200-square-foot factory warehouse in Pataudi, Gurgaon, where a specialised team utilises a semi-automatic die-punching machine to cut and press high-quality customised boxes.