Mumbai: Entrepreneur Ria Mandial marked a special milestone in her professional journey with the soft launch of her gifting app, GiftTara, celebrated alongside her birthday at a star-studded gathering. The evening brought together several popular television personalities, adding a touch of glamour to the launch of her new business venture.
The event saw the presence of Anita Raaj, Rohit Purohit, Samridhii Shukla, Adrija Roy, Shivam Khajuria, Nidhi Shetty, Varun Kasturia, Alka Kaushal, Romit Raaj, Mehul Nisar, Nishi Saxena, Sagar Parekh, Niyati Joshi, Aryan Arora, Sikander Kharbanda, Charushree Singh, Akshita Vatsayan, James Ghadge, Arshiya Sharma and Parth Samthaan, among others.
Ria Mandial Turns Her Gifting Idea Into a Business Venture
Ria’s entrepreneurial journey has a personal connection to her family life. Her husband, Rishi Mandial, works as a director on Rajan Shahi’s popular television show Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai. While Rishi continues to be associated with television, Ria is pursuing her long-standing ambition of building a business of her own.
The soft launch was especially meaningful as it coincided with her birthday, bringing together a personal celebration and the beginning of a new professional chapter.
What Is GiftTara and How Does It Aim to Make Gifting Easier?
GiftTara has been designed to simplify the process of choosing presents for different occasions. The platform aims to bring together gifting options for birthdays, children’s return gifts, festive hampers, customised presents and corporate events.
The idea addresses a common problem faced by many people: finding a suitable, thoughtful and different gift without spending too much time searching for options.
Speaking about the inspiration behind the app, Ria said that although there are numerous apps for different needs, choosing gifts can still be challenging. From birthdays and Valentine’s Day to children’s return gifts, people often struggle to find something distinctive.
As a mother, she understands this challenge, particularly when it comes to school birthday parties, where parents regularly need fresh ideas for return gifts.
Her Daughter’s 10th Birthday Inspired the Idea
The concept behind GiftTara took shape while Ria was organising her daughter’s grand 10th birthday celebration. After handling the event arrangements, she realised that purchasing gifts was still another task on her to-do list.
When her daughter asked why there was no dedicated app for gifting, the question stayed with Ria and eventually inspired her to develop the platform.
Turning the idea into a business took approximately two years. During this period, the concept evolved as Ria explored different ideas and features to shape the app.
Schools, Parents and Corporate Clients Are Among the Target Audiences
Ria said her primary target audience includes schools and parents searching for return gifts for children aged between three and eight years. The platform also aims to serve customers looking for festive hampers, corporate gifts and customised presents.
Another feature of the concept is its focus on customised gifts available as single pieces, alongside flexible options for bulk orders. The aim is to provide solutions for both individual celebrations and larger gifting requirements.
Ria Mandial Opens Up About Her Shift From Acting to Entrepreneurship
Reflecting on her career journey, Ria said that business had always been her dream and that she felt more passionate about entrepreneurship. While acting was part of her journey, creating and developing something of her own was the path she ultimately wanted to pursue.
Her latest venture represents an effort to turn an everyday challenge into a practical gifting solution for families, individuals and businesses.
‘Your Celebration, Our Creation’: The Vision Behind GiftTara
Summing up the platform’s philosophy, Ria described GiftTara with the tagline, “Your Celebration, Our Creation.” The idea is to let customers focus on celebrating special moments while the platform helps them find or create gifts suited to their needs.
With its soft launch taking place on Ria’s birthday, GiftTara has begun its journey with a celebration attended by familiar faces from the television industry. The venture reflects Ria’s ambition to make gifting more convenient, personalised and meaningful across a range of occasions.
