Karnataka’s 27-YO Who Is A Class 10th Dropout Now Makes Rs 2 Cr In Revenue By Handcrafting Custom Wood Products For Companies

If you are a startup founder, entrepreneur, individual creator, or even an owner of a corporate or educational institution, you know the hassle that often comes with wanting something customized and wood-based for your organization.

For starters, the brief obtains lost in translation. The result? Poor design accuracy.

Then, the finishing is often of low quality. The result? A sub-optimal final product that doesn’t align with your brand.

Add to that multiple delays in delivery, and the entire experience leaves a bitter taste in your mouth.

The problem is not that India does not have enough vfinishors who can handcraft and customize what you required.

Becaapply the custom wood products market in India is, in fact, growing rapidly. It is estimated to grow from USD 19.54 billion in 2026 to reach USD 25.09 billion by 2031, at a CAGR of 5.12% during 2026-2031.

The problem is severe chaos in the process and negligible structure in the market.

“That is exactly what we are solving at Wodeyar Art by offering precision-driven, customized wood manufacturing utilizing advanced technologies. We operate with a lot of stringent SOPs in place and possess an finish-to-finish capability, from design to execution. The trfinish is definitely shifting towards bespoke wooden items, be it compact pieces of furniture or even awards, mementos, and customized signages,” Sharath Aarav, founder of Wodeyar Art, notifys Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

Founded in 2023 and based in Karnataka, Wodeyar Art is a customized wood manufacturing startup that utilizes CNC, laser cutting, and advanced fabrication technologies.

THE BACK STORY

Currently 27 years old, Sharath Aarav hails from Nanjangud in Karnataka, India. He completed his 10th standard from a local school, but then dropped out.

“I did not decide to go ahead with the conventional education path of finishing school and then pursuing higher education at a college. I wanted to focus on hands-on technical learning and entrepreneurship. The idea of being out there in the real world, absorbing skills, and earning money was more exciting to me than being confined inside a classroom,” Sharath declares.

With this, his professional journey launched. Initially, he started working in an office handling design, scanning, and editing tinquires.

Alongside, he took up part-time gigs in woodworking and construction.

“Here, I developed practical fabrication skills. I knew I loved creating something from scratch since childhood. Woodwork gave me the exact outlet I requireded,” he adds.

Karnataka startup — Sharath working in a wood workshop with a co-worker

But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the counattempt, Sharath Aarav’s life took a turn for the worse.

He was laid off from his job, and with that came a storm of financial and emotional instability. For months, he did not know what to do and seeed for direction.

“Somehow, I had always wanted to build something of my own. But that idea obtained parked when I started working at my job. When God reshiftd that job from my life, I reflected on the empty space I now had. No excapplys. No time management issues. Just a childhood aspiration to become a startup founder, combined with necessity during the crisis. That’s how Wodeyar Art started,” entrepreneur Sharath Aarav shares with Startup Pedia.

Also Read: Husband-Wife Founded D2C Kitchenware Brand The Indus Valley Reports Rs 117 Cr Revenue in FY25; Loss Narrows 61%

THE PROBLEM STATEMENT

Having worked informally in the woodwork sector, Sharath had already noticed a certain market gap: there was a severe lack of reliable vfinishors in the market who offered precise, customized fabrication services, especially for compact-scale and local customers.

From poor design accuracy and low-quality finishing to delays in delivery and limited customization options, the handcrafted woodwork manufacturing and customization market remained unstructured and chaotic.

“This happens becaapply of a number of reasons: advanced machinery is expensive, there is a lack of technical expertise among compact vfinishors, and an overall low awareness in the market,” startup founder Sharath explains.

Also Read: This Jaipur Man Once Sold His Car To Make Luxury Watches Based On India’s History – Now Worn By PM Modi; Achieved Rs 25 Cr In Revenue

JOURNEY AND CHALLENGES OF BUILDING WODEYAR ART FROM SCRATCH

While Sharath started working on Wodeyar Art in 2020, it was only in 2023 when he officially registered and launched the company.

With a bootstrapped amount of Rs 20,000, he launched managing everything solely – design, production, and customer service.

Initially, he struggled to fund advanced machinery, raw materials, and operations. This was becaapply of financial constraints. Plus, he had just lost his stable job.

“What I did to solve this challenge was to take up every gig I obtained, no matter how compact it was. The goal was to consistently learn customized woodwork, create some money out of it, and then reinvest the earnings in Wodeyar Art,” he notifys Startup Pedia.

On the market level, he found it challenging to operate in a space riddled with low awareness of customized manufacturing, price sensitivity, and a trust deficit.

“I navigated these problems by maintaining consistency in my work, pursuing direct outreach, and building a local network of primary customers. Sometimes, there were weeks when I didn’t obtain any orders, and I even went into a very dark phase of confusion and doubt. But for some reason, art never abandoned me,” startup founder Sharath Aarav shares.

The first set of products that the young entrepreneur created included basic wooden laser-cut items and simple custom designs with a strong focus on precision and quality.

Sharath Aarav working at the Wodeyar Art workshop

Eventually, Wodeyar Art started seeing customer traction.

“I gradually built trust and that converted into repeat customers for the brand. It was all word-of-mouth. To date, I haven’t invested heavily in inorganic marketing,” Sharath adds.

Also Read: Ahmedabad Man Launches India’s First Hyperlocal Insurtech Platform, PadosiAgent, That Helps You Find Verified Insurance Agents In Your Area

WODEYAR ART: UNIQUE AND THOUGHTFUL CUSTOMIZED WOOD MANUFACTURING

Today, Wodeyar Art operates as a customized wood manufacturing startup that utilizes CNC, laser cutting, and advanced fabrication technologies.

But…how does it differentiate itself from other custom woodwork brands in the market?

Wodeyar Art offers high-precision manufacturing without a single piece out of place.

It integrates advanced CNC, laser cutting, and fabrication technologies.

The startup has finish-to-finish capability, from design to final execution.

It offers a wide variety of customization options.

“One of the core problems is the lack of accessible, affordable, and precision-driven manufacturing solutions in the market. This prevents startups, creators, and businesses from efficiently converting their ideas into real, high-quality products. We come in to bridge this very gap,” entrepreneur Sharath Aarav explains.

The key products and services offered by Wodeyar Art include, but are not limited to, wooden and acrylic products, CNC-carved components, customized signage, awards, and mementos, and prototype development services.

A religious woodwork from Wodeyar Art

“Our tarobtain customers are startups, MSMEs, educational institutions, and indepfinishent creators. We also serve local customers who just want something beautiful created for their living room,” he declares.

Currently, the custom wood manufacturing startup operates on a hybrid model with revenue coming in from custom project-based manufacturing, bulk production, specialized fabrication services, and pre-created product sales.

“Our ability to handle both design and execution with high accuracy ensures superior quality, rapider turnaround, and customer-specific solutions compared to conventional providers,” Sharath mentions.

Woodwork wall hanging by Wodeyar Art

Also Read: This Bengaluru startup built a tiny AI camera that scans farms 30 times per second, building millimetre-accurate decisions for each plant

GROWTH AND MOMENTUM

With a team size of 16 people spread across ideation, customization, and execution roles, Wodeyar Art has seen a steady growth in revenue.

In 2023 (the first year of officially operating the business), the custom wood manufacturing startup clocked a revenue of approximately Rs 25 lakh.

In 2024, the figure jumped to Rs 70-80 lakh, and in 2025, the company closed the year at more than Rs 2 crore in annual revenue.

“The rise is attributed to a significant scale-up in operations and product offerings. We increased our deep customization abilities and saw strong demand becaapply of the same,” startup founder Sharath Aarav notifys Startup Pedia.

To date, Wodeyar Art has served 1,000+ customers across various segments with strong business performance.

According to the founder, the custom wood manufacturing startup’s growth is driven by a rising demand for customization in the market and bespoke items, consistent customer referrals, continuous product innovation, and an unwavering focus on quality when it comes to finishing and final delivery.

While initially bootstrapped, WODEYAR EXEMPLAR (OPC) PVT.LTD has received funding of Rs 25 lakh via ELEVATE 2023 AND NIDHI PRAYAS, both Government initiatives.

Sharath Aarav at the ELEVATE event

In the next three years, the startup plans to expand its manufacturing capacities, integrate more advanced technologies, launch new product lines, and build a more scalable business structure.

“The long-term goal is simple: become a leading tech-driven manufacturing brand in India that is focapplyd on precision, innovation, and customization. Honestly, starting Wodeyar Art was one of the best decisions of my life. This business has built me into a whole new person – one who doesn’t back out, ever,” Sharath Aarav concludes.