Jaipur Siblings Turn Rs 5K Candle Hobby Into Gifting Empire

Hot wax spilled on the freshly whitewashed kitchen floor, broken jars cluttered the counter, and six utensils were ruined beyond repair. But siblings Unnati and Udit Khandelwal kept going, turning their messy weekend experiments into something worth celebrating.

In June 2023, the Jaipur siblings started making candles at home after their parents suggested they try something creative. Unnati, 24, was working in digital marketing while Udit, 20, was still in college. Neither had any business experience or candle-making skills.

They invested just Rs 5,000 in supplies from Amazon, Flipkart and local dealers. Armed with YouTube tutorials and a Rs 500 workshop, they began melting wax, mixing fragrances and filling colorful moulds in their family kitchen.

Their first attempts were disasters. Wax splattered everywhere, containers broke, and kitchen utensils didn't survive the heat. But each mistake taught them something new about materials, fragrances and design techniques.

The turning point came during Diwali 2023 when a corporate office reached out through Instagram. They wanted 200 customized candles for employee gifts. Unnati and Udit would rush home after work and college, eat dinner quickly, then spend their evenings fulfilling the order.

That massive order proved their weekend hobby could actually make money. They realized people valued handmade, personalized gifts that felt thoughtful and unique.

The siblings initially called their venture "Candles for U and U," playing on their names. But they soon changed it to GiftwithTwist, knowing they wanted to expand beyond just candles into personalized gifts, festive hampers and corporate gifting solutions.

Why This Inspires

What makes the Khandelwal siblings' story special is what they didn't do. They never quit college or their careers to chase entrepreneurship. Instead, they built GiftwithTwist around their existing lives, treating it as a side hustle that taught them business skills without requiring huge risks.

Their approach shows young entrepreneurs that success doesn't always mean dropping everything for a startup. Sometimes the smartest move is building slowly, learning as you go, and using skills from your day job to strengthen your side project.

Today, GiftwithTwist ships across India and recently fulfilled a bulk order of 500 customized candles for Dubai. The siblings manage everything between their regular commitments, proving that passion projects can grow into real businesses when given time and patience.

Those broken utensils and wax-stained floors? They're now amusing memories from the early days of something the Khandelwal siblings built together, one candle at a time.