An expo for mommy and kids

CHENNAI: Parents want to give their children the very best they can offer, and this is what the second edition of the Miniroo exhibition, curated by entrepreneurs Aditi Prasad and Vishwa Dave, hopes to provide.

“When we had our children, we realised there was a huge gap between products in the local market and its availability,” said Aditi. “I used to ask my sister to get me baby care products from the US, and I wondered why there weren’t any Indian products that we could buy.” In the last two years, there has been an explosion of Indian maternity and baby care products.

One such product that will be exhibited at the Park Hyatt today is Mini Men, a clothing line for boys that makes bow ties and shirts from organic cotton. “This will be my first pop-up store,” said owner Marie Sanjana James. The NIFT graduate introduced her clothing line through Instagram in 2017. “My final collection was in menswear. I wanted to give my son comfortable and classy outfits, which weren’t the typical stripes or checks,” she added. Being a mother, she provides her customers with good-quality products for their children.

Another brand that will be part of the exhibition is CueMath, a New Delhi-based company that was brought down to Chennai in 2015 by Shanti Ramesh. The service helps stay-at-home mothers with some level of qualification to teach children mathematics. “We want to transform kids and empower women. You can see a transformation in them. They are more confident and independent,” said Shanti. The service provides mothers with a syllabi to teach children.

The exhibition will also have stationery goods by Elizabeth Paulins, which is another Chennai-based brand that opened in early 2017. The proprietor, Blessy Faith Paulins, makes to-do lists, meal prep and daily planners for mothers and children. She also makes gratitude journals for children to help them grow emotionally. Playful Trails, which makes swaddles and bedding for children, along with other decorative items for nurseries will be at the event.

“We want to build a community that supports parents and make their lives easier by giving them products that add value to their lives. The framework of the parenting journey is the same, but where you are differs. Having someone to lean on is important to remember that you are not alone, and that’s what we want to offer,” said Vishwa.

Visit the expo
The Miniroo exhibition will be held at Park Hyatt, Velachery, from 11 am to 8 pm today. For details, call: 9566062807