Unusual business gifts in India: handmade pieces that are not another diary, pen or dry-fruit boxUnusual business gifts in India: handmade pieces that are not another diary, pen or dry-fruit box

Gifts that do not look like corporate gifts

The usual business gift in India is a diary, a pen set, a mug, a dry-fruit box or a voucher. They are useful, and they are forgotten. An unusual business gift is one the person stops to look at and keeps on a shelf. Our pick for that, from Raajkosh in Jalandhar, is a sculpted soy wax candle that looks like an object first: little matki pots, a conch, a marbled seashell pair, a pair of wax peonies. We make them from 10 gifts, with your logo on the tag, the note card or a wax seal, a GST invoice and delivery anywhere in India. Ask for a quote at raajkosh.com/corporate.

Five pieces people will not have been sent before

All five are hand-poured in pure soy wax and finished by hand, so no two pieces in your order are exactly alike. That variation is the point of an unusual gift, and it is worth telling the recipient on the card.

Unusual, but still right for business

An odd gift can go wrong. A few checks before you order:

• Keep it neutral. A matki, a shankh and a lotus read as Indian and festive. For a mixed or international client list, the Marble Seashell pair or the Floral Candle Duo carry no religious meaning.
• Avoid the cute end for senior clients. Our teddy candles are lovely for a friend, less so for a CFO. Keep them for event giveaways or a team with a sense of humour.
• Think about the desk. The Matki Candles and the Braided Candles are four small pieces, easy to place on a reception counter or split across a client's team.
• Check flame rules. If the recipient's office does not allow open flames, the piece still sits on a shelf as decor. Mention it on the card, or choose another gift for that office.

What a client list of 30 looks like at shop prices

At shop prices, 30 Matki Candles come to Rs 17,970, 30 Floral Candle Duos to Rs 19,470 and 30 Shankh Candles to Rs 23,970. Branding, packing and delivery are priced in your quote, which confirms the final price per gift. Pieces can also be mixed into one gift box to reach a budget above Rs 1,000 a gift, for example the Marble Seashell pair with one Spiral Pillar Candle, Rs 1,178 together at today's prices.

If a candle is not unusual enough

Other unusual business gifts companies send: a desk plant in a handmade planter, artisan coffee or tea from a single estate, a regional craft piece (Channapatna toys, Madhubani prints, block-printed textiles), a book chosen for the person, or an experience voucher. Specialist corporate gifting companies can build mixed boxes of these. We only make candles, so if your client list needs tech, apparel or food, buy those elsewhere and add our piece only where it fits.

Ordering in four steps

1. Send the number of gifts (from 10, no minimum order value), budget per gift, your date, the branding and one address or many through raajkosh.com/corporate.
2. Get a quote with pieces, branding options, timeline and price with GST. The lead time depends on quantity and date, and it is confirmed in the quote.
3. Approve and pay. Orders are prepaid as set out in the quote; no cash on delivery.
4. We deliver to one office or every address, with a GST invoice in your company's name.

Branded gifts are not returnable unless damaged, defective or wrong; report damage within 24 hours of delivery. Remind recipients on the card to burn on a heat-proof surface, never leave a flame unattended, and keep each burn to 3 to 4 hours.