Ms. Sharmistha Deb, Founder of Fur Villa recently sat down with Ms. Priyanka Tanwar, Editor of Creature Companion Magazine to discuss about Fur Villa’s products and ideology, demands of pet parents, her pets, pet blogging experiences and future plans. Excerpts . . .
Give us a brief account of your start-up.
Fur Villa was started with the aim of designing modern as well as traditional pet dresses which suit all types of pet breeds, at pocket-friendly prices without compromising the quality of the product.
Tell us about your pets. What role have they played in your life?
We have just one pet – our adorable pug, Mili. As we all know, earth is not just for humans rather we have to co-exist with all living creatures. Mili taught us that animals also have feelings, emotions, needs of belongingness and, last but not the least, love for other creatures including humans.
Your pet Mili is also a pet influencer. Share some interesting experiences that you had while blogging for her.
Just like us, Mili is also a travel buff. The way she reacts when we get ready for a long trip just brings a smile on our faces. This begins from the moment we start packing, getting dressed and concludes when the car engine is ignited.
Again, Mili has travelled with us in most of Maharashtra and Mumbai.
Share the idea behind your start-up Fur Villa.
The basic idea was just a passion for creating dresses for Mili, after which we received numerous queries about the ensembles from pet parents. This made us realise that there is a demand in the market for pet garments .Thus something that started as a passion paved way for my profession and the very idea of Fur Villa.
What is your venture’s mission, vision and ideology?
Mission: To produce high quality pet products, at a reasonable price, deliver the same promptly on time and adding a pinch of innovation in each new product.
Vision: Fur Villa shall strive for 100 percent customer satisfaction, zero percent errors and creating a benchmark for pet products in the market.
Ideology: Fur Villa aims to be a key player in the Pet Industry with a priority to Social Responsibility which we achieve through tie-ups with Non-profit Organisations that support stray and/or destitute animals.
What kind of pet clothing and accessory options does Fur Villa offer?
Fur Villa provides a wide range of Pet Clothing options ranging from traditional to modern.
Nowadays, pet parents emphasise a lot on quality, craftsmanship and design. How do you meet these demands?
These demands are met with using quality raw materials, untiring hard work and prompt delivery of the finished products.
You have also dressed up many petfluencers. How is the experience of dressing up celebrity pets different from that of regular customers?
We treat all our shoppers as special customers be it celebrity pets or regular pets. Fur Villa aims to provide a celebrity feel to each pet after being clothed in our outfits.
How does it feel to be a woman entrepreneur?
I really feel proud looking back from where I stand today. During the recent years, there is a paradigm shift in the entrepreneurial sector in India, women have a strong role to play and views of women are also valued.
What difficulties did you face as an entrepreneur?
Difficulty rather I would say challenge would be the amount of competition that is being faced today. With growing number of players in the market and growing number of innovative products being introduced, staying abreast with time has become a major challenge.
What are your initiatives for the benefit of community animals?
Fur Villa has tie-ups with many Non-profit Organisations which support unfortunate and/or destitute animals. A portion of our profits are always donated in cash or kind to such charitable institutions.
How do you keep yourself updated with the latest trends in the pet clothing sector?
Fur Villa has collaborations with many pet brands which help us to get a taste of what’s new in the industry, and our strong online presence assists us to stay updated with current happenings in the market.
Do you have any plans to introduce your creations in the international market?
We do have plans of creating an impact in the international market, may be slowly but steadily. Presently we are in the penetration stage in the Indian market and aim to create a strong hold in the Indian pet care industry.
In your opinion, is the Indian Pet Industry set to be a global player in the coming years?
India has a strong participation in the international market now. Sooner or later our country is bound to be a strong player in the Global Pet Industry.
