Zephyr Toymakers

In the late 80s, entrepreneur Zaheer Gabajiwala was running a toy workshop in a small, abandoned lift shaft. He did not have enough money to rent a regular working space in the building.

For raw materials, he had to convince people to sell him on credit. It was certainly a bleak situation, but Gabajiwala didn’t give up.

“My father Zaheer faced a difficult situation after the sudden demise of his father. He was forced to quit college and join his brother and run the family business. His first workshop, with his brother, was in a small 25 square feet space in Byculla, Mumbai,” his son, Moiz, says.

Bearing down on his struggles with hard work, sweat and tears, Zaheer slowly built his workshop into a Rs 15-crore business employing 100 people, now known as Zephyr Toymakers. It is currently one of India’s largest indigenous toy manufacturing companies and makes well-known toy brands Mechanix and Blix.