First a textile chemical factory, then a stone cutting factory, then washing powder manufacturing, then a stock market business, etc, etc, etc…

This was the legacy of failures Hritesh Lohiya had to suffer through, before stumbling onto the idea that would eventually make him a multimillionaire. The string of garbage littered in and around his failed ventures was something not many would have thought of turning into something of million-dollar worth.

“There were old gunny bags, drums of chemicals, various bits of plastic and so on. We tried to sell some of these for our bread-and-butter, but no one would buy them. Out of desperation we started thinking about how we could generate any kind of revenue from these waste items. Thus, Priti International was born in 2005,” says Lohiya.

Named after Lohiya’s wife, Priti International began its journey by manufacturing antique stools by simply adhering padded cloth on wasted oil tins. After the hit of this product, the company indulged into producing furniture out of waste drums, old military jeeps, tractor parts, waste machine parts, etc. Lamps from waste lightings of scooter, motor cycle etc. the portfolio since then kept on widening.

Based out of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, today the company has gained a reputed name in the market as a manufacturer of handcrafted tables, wall hanging & wrought iron chair, all out of waste materials. In 2015, Priti International registered a turnover of around $8 million.

“Our customer base is in 36 countries. Our production facilities are spread over 3 large factories, with around 400 people working for us,” says Lohiya.

The company’s products are exported to various countries like China, USA, Europe, Australia etc. With this, Priti International has emerged as one of the biggest exporter of waste handicraft products from India and the only manufacturer to export this category’s outputs to China.

“My belief is we don’t need any mentor, as everybody is Unique in this world with their own qualities and abilities. And we have to struggle to find our abilities,” says Lohiya.