About Us
Our Story
Darjeeling Connection was created in 2019 to celebrate the Himalayan ethos.
Darjeeling Connection is a brand born in the lap of the Himalaya. Our mission is to showcase products that are handmade in the Himalaya and introduce them to the world.
We create and curate a wide range of products – from heritage crafts, to lifestyle and personal accents, all-natural pure-source artisanal food products, handicrafts, to authentic curios and keepsakes – all from the Himalayan mountains.
We lay a lot of focus and stress on creating quality products that are made in a sustainable manner across small batch productions. Most of our products are handmade.
We responsibly work very closely with local craftspeople, artists, and farmers in the hills of the East Himalaya to create or source authentic products.
Local Artisans & Artists
We work very closely with local artists and artisans.
Our endeavour is to attempt to keep alive art practices that are being forgotten or have been left aside due to demands of the modern world.
Promoting heritage native craft is an initiative that has led Darjeeling Connection to remote villages in the hills where a breed of craftspeople still work on native craft.
Nurturing Local Himalayan Craft and Culture
If you are interested in working with us, please get in touch.
We look forward to working with local creator of products, any Himalaya-loving enterprise who would like to partner with us and any Himalaya-inspired artist/artisan who would like to train with us or collaborate.
Our Team
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Pratikchha Chhetri
Co-founder & CEO
Pratikchha is a mountain girl. Born in Darjeeling and having spent her childhood there, she feels deeply connected to the mountains and the people, always collectively remembered as ‘Home’.
“The pristine vistas, the unique taste and smells, the rich history, and the multi-origin people of mixed ethnicity and cultural traditions that have coalesced to create a beautiful vibrant culture - all these come together to create the truly unique mountain way of life. And our brand represents and reflects this culture,” she says.
You will always find her with a mug of tea in hand, playing with animals she loves wherever she goes. -
Mangesh Shinde
Co-founder & MD
Born in the city of dreams, Mumbai, Mangesh aka Mango feels at home most in the mountains. Having extensively travelled across the Himalayan foothills, he understands the life of the people living there.
“As co-creator of Darjeeling Connection, I am dedicated to building Darjeeling Connection as a wholesome consumer and seller focussed sustainable sales platform,” he says.
A ‘people’s person’, Mangesh is an avid sports enthusiast, cook, & music specialist, someone you can sit with and discuss music for hours. -
Bharat Singh
Technology Lead
Hiker, cyclist & scientist. A doctor of bioinformatics now carving a sustainable living in the Himalaya. Loves coffee, beer, dogs and DIY.
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Precious
Chief of Everything-Happy Officer
Precious raises the happiness quotient at work. She reminds the team to take breaks from work for tea or a stretch… and for her belly rubs.
“Darjeeling Connection is pretty much all the conversation I hear around me nowadays… oh, wait, did you say treat?,” she says.
She loves swimming in the sea, AND she loves the mountains equally. Sitting by the wild rose bushes watching the pink sunset is one of her favouritest things to do.
She’s too cool for LinkedIn, contact hoomans to get to her.
