A vision for innovation

How did growing up in an entrepreneurial family shape your outlook on business?

Vishwa: Business runs in my blood. Coming from a Gujarati family with a strong business background, I was exposed to the entrepreneurial world from a very young age. It had a huge impact on me, both personally and professionally. One of the key lessons I learned was to take and embrace risks. My family has always believed that business is not just about making money; it’s about creating value. That mindset has been the foundation of my approach to work, always delivering and doing the best, and doing things differently. So far, it’s been a beautiful journey for me.

What made you decide to study marketing and advertising?

Vishwa: Marketing and advertising is something which is creative and I always wanted to blend creativity with strategy. I always had a passion for doing business and I knew that marketing and advertising would help me be different from everyone else. I believe creativity is something you are gifted with – you can’t teach it. I’ve always been a creative person in the sense that I do things differently compared to everyone else around me and sometimes that works…and sometimes it doesn’t!

What inspired you to co-found ClayArk?

Vishwa: My family has been in the tile manufacturing industry for over two decades. We are amazing at what we do – from exports to manufacturing. We have six factories in India and we’re doing a beautiful job with them.  However, we had never worked closely with designers and architects and used to always work on the bigger projects. I wanted to bridge that gap by bringing our surfaces to designers, architects and end-users in Dubai as you can use these products in a lot of ways. That’s how ClayArk was born. I wanted to be a one stop solution for all the tiling requirements and moreover, have it used in different ways, which would lead to creating a sense of inspiration.

Have you had any mentors who have guided you along the way?

Vishwa: Absolutely. I don’t think you can ever do anything alone. There are three main people from my family. My grandfather taught me the importance of patience and staying true to my beliefs. He as a person is very strong headed and it’s because of him that we are standing on this foundation. He has taught me patience. My father has taught me the importance of hard work and that there are no shortcuts to success. My uncle, on the other hand, is amazing at management. When I say management, I mean he runs operations so smoothly. These three people have been a very huge part of my journey.

What were some of the biggest challenges you faced when starting out?

Vishwa: I think being a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry was one of my biggest challenges. I had to work twice as hard to prove myself. The second one was changing the perception of Indian materials in the market. Many people associate Indian products with subpar quality, but I saw it as an opportunity to challenge that perception, to educate people and to show them a different side to Indian manufacturing.

The tile market is highly competitive. What drives you to keep innovating?

Vishwa: It is very competitive, but it is exactly what motivates me and makes it more interesting. I like to bring fresh things to the market, rather than following the crowd. Like I said, when you are a creative person, people cannot copy you. You’re always going to be one step head of them. At ClayArk, we constantly introduce fresh designs. Every time people visit, they find something different where they don’t find anywhere else.

How do you ensure the quality of your products remains consistent?

Vishwa: We invest a lot of our time, energy and resources into research and development.  Right from when we manufacture the materials, we make sure that we inspect each and every batch that comes out. . We meticulously inspect every batch of material before release. If something doesn’t meet our standards, we completely discard it.

What strategies have helped you establish a niche in the industry?

Vishwa: First, we listen to what our clients need rather than imposing what we make. We focus on bringing them the materials they would use and that is functional. Secondly, we don’t just follow trends, but we anticipate and set them. And finally, our emphasis is on client service. We don’t want to do just transactions; we believe in building relationships. Word-of-mouth referrals have been one of our biggest drivers of growth. When people trust your brand, they become your best ambassadors.

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