A jewellery venture by Abhilasha The Creation, Totapari, resonates with the style sense of a modern woman while honouring Indian culture. Totapari was founded in late 2019 channelising the creative vision of Poonam Malik, Founder, Totapari, a science graduate with a passion for the arts. Poonam’s deep interest in painting, photography, and crafting were the core inspirations behind the brand’s inception.
At the age of 55, Poonam decided to focus on her artistic instincts, recognising that designing and composition aligned well with her experience in painting and sketching. Photography and travel provided insights into the diverse cultures across the country, sparking an interest in the variety of local designs and materials. Additionally, she observed the emotional significance of jewellery in people’s lives, noting how it resonates deeply with human instincts and carries personal meaning.
This understanding formed the basis of Totapari’s approach, where every piece of jewellery is designed to reflect emotional significance and important relationships. The brand aims to revisit India’s heritage and support local artisans while addressing the needs of modern women. The collection offers a wide range of styles, ensuring options that appeal to diverse tastes.
Emerging during the global uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Totapari has its origins in the hand-painting of the brand’s logo and the photography of jewellery on Poonam’s balcony.
Product Offerings
Totapari focuses on creating handcrafted pieces with a personal touch in each design. The brand primarily focuses on silver and 22kt/14kt gold-plated brass jewellery, often incorporating pearls and gemstones. “We always try to incorporate Indian handcrafting techniques in our designs like Meenakari and the stone-setting Jadau technique,” Poonam highlights.
In addition to jewellery, Totapari has recently expanded its offerings to include handcrafted potli bags and hand-painted bags, each individually painted by an in-house artist. These additions reflect the brand’s belief that accessories complete an outfit, transforming simple looks into striking ensembles
A Touch of Minimalism
“Women of India want to wear jewellery that speaks to their modern sensibilities rather than the traditional designs offered locally,” says Poonam. Totapari keeps the modern Indian woman in mind when designing a piece of jewellery, creating versatile pieces for customers who don’t want to go overboard with jewellery and at the same time wanting to make a statement with it. Poonam elaborates, “We always keep functionality at the core of our designs. Even our festive jewellery has a touch of minimalism.”
Totapari introduced its Pearl Jewellery line in 2021, offering a wide range of options through Instagram, which significantly expanded its market reach. The Pearl Collection continues to perform well, catering to various budgets and preferences. The Silver Chakra Jewellery Collection, crafted from 92.5 silver, features symbols such as the Sri Yantra and Goddess Kali, distinguishing itself through its spiritual significance. Most orders for this collection are generated through organic Google searches, reflecting strong consumer interest in authentic spiritual symbols.
The brand’s most successful collections include the Pearl Treasures Collection and the Water Lily Collection, both launched in 2021 and still popular with customers. Additionally, the Forever Young Earrings Collection, made from 92.5 sterling silver, remains a key offering. This collection features everyday earrings incorporating pearls, gemstones, and mother-of-pearl.
Marketing Strategies
As a brand established on Instagram, Totapari utilises social media as a key component of its marketing strategy, with Instagram and Facebook serving as the primary platforms for product display and customer engagement.
“Meta Ads and Google Ads are our main tools for reaching new audiences,” Poonam states.
Collaborating with premium marketplaces has also played a key role in connecting the brand with the right clientele. The brand enjoys an organic presence across its social media platforms which has led to collaborations and purchases from notable personalities.
Customer retention is a strong suit for Totapari. This loyalty is a result of the brand’s commitment to quality, backed by a lifetime repair policy. They also pay close attention to online reviews and address any grievances promptly, offering a flexible exchange policy to ensure customers return. For added customer assurance, the brand also provides photos or videos of the product before dispatch, on demand.
Poonam, who is also a photographer, has also set up an in-house studio where the brand creates its own content, including product pictures and videos for social media campaigns.
Sustainability Initiatives
Totapari’s commitment to sustainability is reflected in its handcrafted jewellery, which is produced in small batches. Additionally, the brand offers a lifetime repair service, ensuring that each piece is long-lasting. It also strives to minimise its environmental impact by incorporating lab-grown stones alongside natural gemstones in its designs to reduce the carbon footprint.
Reflecting on the role of sustainability in the brand’s approach, Poonam says, “We minimise plastic use in our packaging. One problem that many e-commerce businesses are facing today is RTOs (return to origin) and we try to educate our audience about the wastage that causes (shipping + packaging) and urge them to order only when they are sure about it.”
Making of Totapari’s Jewels
The creation of a new Totapari collection begins with conceptualising detailed sketches, including stone colours and settings, all mapped out on paper. These sketches are then transformed into a computer-aided design (CAD) by the brand’s design team.
After the CAD is converted into a 3D wax model, it is then cast into metal. The process continues with the careful assembly of individual components, stone settings, and polishing, culminating in the final piece. Totapari also incorporates advanced laser technology in its production. This innovation is used not only for cutting and welding but also for intricate laser engraving, adding decorative elements to its jewellery.
Expansion and Future Plans
Initially, the brand operated with only 3 boxes of curated jewellery and home photo shoots. Yet, Instagram helped them grow beyond expectations, establishing a community of loyal customers who supported the brand from its infancy.
Sharing the story of brand’s gradual expansion, Poonam says, “In early 2021, we launched pearl jewellery which became an instant hit to the extent that we could not manage their orders and this was during peak COVID in 2021. During the same year, we launched lotus-inspired jewellery for the festive season, and it was loved so much that many other pages started making copied designs.”
“From 3-4 orders per week, we have now grown to 40-50 orders per day. From being a team of just two, we have expanded to a team of ten, each handling different tasks,” Poonam adds.
Currently an online-first brand, Totapari’s primary focus is on expanding through premium online marketplaces in India and abroad.
Revealing the brand’s future plans, Poonam highlights, “Currently, we are selling through our website and other premium platforms like Pernia, AZA Fashions, Mirraw and Ajio. Within the next two years, we plan to expand offline.”
Totapari is also planning to grow its product range, starting with handbags and gradually venturing into apparel in the next 2-3 years.
Market Overview
Looking ahead, Poonam sees enormous potential in the Indian market for accessories and jewellery that cater to modern sensibilities. Totapari receives orders not just from Tier I cities but also from smaller cities including Rishikesh, Raipur, Guwahati, Gwalior, Ujjain, Indore, Ernakulam (Kerala), Krishnagiri (Tamil Nadu), emphasising the broad appeal of its products.
Poonam attributes this growth to the internet. “This is the power of the internet, coupled with our wide range of options for every budget and multiple payment options, including Cash on Delivery has driven this succeess,” Poonam says.
Totapari’s story is one of growth, innovation, and deep-rooted artistry. From its humble beginnings during the pandemic to becoming a brand with a loyal customer base, Totapari is steadily making its mark in the world of fashion accessories.
