About

What

Regain is a space where I share my work and my thoughts. The domain name came up like a subconscious lightning bolt many years ago, around the time I started noticing what was quietly disappearing. That I, and humanity as a whole were running, accelerating in some direction and in the process, losing much. Even though I did not realize, exactly what all we were losing. This name Regain was an effort to get that back. Since then, I have been trying to work with my hands, my brains and my heart as a close knit team. Most of the times, one or more of these break away. But the moments that I get, when all three of these are in sync, are pure bliss.

Regain is also an ecommerce store. Please do not put it into the basket of other stores you might have already used. This is just one person making, listing, packing, shipping and everything in between. Off course I offer refunds and returns, but please do not use it like you would do, buying t-shirts from another store.

Why

Why choose a difficult and unstable way of life when I could have taken a job and lived comfortably?

The answer, perhaps, is hidden in the question itself.

One lesson I realized early on is that growth and comfort do not always travel together. The moments that changed me most often began with some degree of discomfort. Not necessarily climbing uphill all the time, but not always coasting either.

I have noticed that whenever I settle into something completely familiar, curiosity starts looking for a new direction. Learning a new skill, making something with my hands, or starting over as a beginner often feels uncertain at first, but those experiences have consistently taught me more than staying with what I already know.

That does not mean rejecting comfort altogether. It simply means leaving room for challenge, uncertainty and growth.

Why get into so many mediums, painting, woodworking and so on?

If I had chosen just one medium, say woodworking or painting, I might have made faster progress. But that medium being my sole purpose, would also have come with additional pressure of having to succeed in that very medium. That would have made me not to take risks, play conservative. And so on. Having many mediums, all of which I am very invested and interested in, make all of them like my fingers. I don’t have to love one more than the other, even though I may have some temporary favourites.

This also goes with the philosophy of Karmayoga. A term I had heard many times before, but understood gradually during my one year stay in Auroville. This also connects to what karma yoga originally means — not just social service, but total presence in any work I do. Full attention on the task, on everything it touches, with no attachment to the outcome I had imagined. Even brushing my teeth can be karma yoga, if I am fully there — choosing my brush consciously, aware of each tooth, the water, where it drains. That quality of attention is what I try to bring to every medium I work in.

Why work alone? With hands?

Why would anyone prefer working with their hands, when there are cheap machines and labour available? If you know exactly what to do and how to do it, getting machines and hired help makes total sense.  If you are not inclined about one product, also don’t want to stick to one process, doing it by yourself is the only way.  As soon as there is a team, there has to be processes. While processes would increase efficiency, creativity will have to take a dive. I do take apprentices, if I may call them so. If anyone is interested in learning what little I know, they are welcome to contact me.

Who

I was born and brought up in Bhilai. The place famous for the Bhilai Steel Plant. Probably due to this, I ended up doing my BTech from IIT Bombay, in Metallurgy and Material Science. During the four years that I spent there, I somehow managed to get full immunity from peer pressure. I made my own path after graduating there.

Even with no formal degree in design, I found my way into the field and spent many years working with animation studios, startups and large software companies. Design taught me how to observe, simplify and communicate ideas clearly — lessons that continue to influence everything I make today. Over time, I noticed that many of the products I had worked on had disappeared. Companies changed direction, websites were redesigned, applications were retired. Meanwhile, objects I had painted or made with my hands decades earlier were still quietly present in the world.

That contrast gradually drew me toward physical crafts and slower forms of creation. I found myself increasingly drawn to work that leaves a tangible trace behind.

I still take on selected digital design projects, especially with people and organizations whose values resonate with my own. But these days, I spend more of my time exploring traditional crafts, making physical objects, and learning skills that connect me more directly to the material world. This was not a single awakening. I discovered what I like to do over many years, by trial and error. I am still figuring it out. This page is proof of that.