The Journey of Apoorv Arin: From a Dreamer to a Trailblazing Entrepreneur

In the heart of Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, lived a young dreamer named Apoorv Arin. Unlike many from traditional business families, Apoorv carved his own path into the entrepreneurial world. Born with a curious mind and a passion for creativity, his journey was anything but ordinary.

Initially, Apoorv pursued a science stream (PCB) in school, but something within him yearned for more. It wasn’t the formulas or the biological diagrams that inspired him — it was the idea of building something of his own. This realization led him to pursue a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) at Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay Management College (IIMT). While many of his peers focused on academics, Apoorv was already sowing the seeds of his entrepreneurial future.

His first brush with the business world came through internships. As an HR specialist at Edera, he managed projects with Dubai-based firms, sharpening his skills in business operations and client management. But Apoorv wasn’t content with just learning — he wanted to create.

In 2024, fuelled by a passion for meaningful gifting and inspired by the lack of personalization in the industry, Apoorv founded Miso, a custom gifting company. His vision was simple yet profound: to transform gifting into a deeply personal experience. From wooden engravings to personalized apparel, Miso offered customers a chance to give gifts that carried emotions, stories, and memories. But this path was not without its struggles.

Starting with limited funds, no formal support from his college, and the absence of proper manufacturing equipment, Apoorv had to navigate choppy waters. He managed everything on his own — from product creation to customer service. With no team and no investors, he had only his passion and resilience to lean on. Challenges like finding skilled artisans, dealing with high fees from funding platforms, and maintaining product quality pushed him to his limits. But each challenge taught him valuable lessons in resourcefulness, patience, and grit.

Undeterred, Apoorv shifted Miso from a reselling business to an independent manufacturer. This bold move not only gave him control over product quality but also allowed him to offer a wider range of customized products. By May 2024, Miso was officially registered as a company — a landmark moment in Apoorv’s journey.

The results of his hard work soon followed. Within the first few months, Miso achieved rapid growth, serving over 1,000 customers, generating a revenue of ₹8,00,000 in its first quarter, and selling over 10,000 personalized gifts. Through partnerships with over 10 skilled artisans, Miso became a beacon of creativity, offering over 300 customizable products, from hoodies to T-shirts and wooden engravings.

But for Apoorv, Miso is about more than revenue. It’s about purpose. His goal is to support local artisans, create thoughtful gifts, and bridge the gap between craftsmanship and modern consumer needs. His vision is clear: to make Miso a global leader in personalized gifting.

Looking back, Apoorv reflects on how his setbacks were, in fact, setups for growth. If he could start over, he’d focus on building a stronger digital presence earlier and forging industry partnerships sooner. But even without the “perfect plan,” he achieved something extraordinary.

Today, Miso is not just a business — it’s a movement. It symbolizes the power of belief, resilience, and self-made success. From a young man juggling his BBA coursework to a visionary entrepreneur changing the gifting industry, Apoorv Arin’s story reminds us that true strength lies in turning challenges into stepping stones. And for Apoorv, every personalized gift Miso delivers carries not just the customer’s story, but his own as well.