Kashmir’s engineering student turns aquarium hobby into business

Basit now keeps staff and a manager to look after his operations across his stores, while he oversees work from Kashmir only.

A fish enthusiast from his childhood, Basit Zargar started to collect aquariums at his home from his school days. He would rear different types of fish in his aquaria and kept gaining knowledge and interest about aquarium fish and other aquatic creatures.

A mechanical engineering student now, this 23-year-old from Buchpora has turned his hobby into a full-fledged business, which not only deals with aquarium and fish keeping but all types of pets, be it dogs, cats, reptiles, birds or any other type of animals people keep.

In 2013, Basit starting an online portal, Aquatic Kart, to sell aquatic products and food items, however, as he gained the popularity and demand increased he turned his home into a proper warehouse and widened the range of his products to all types of pets and related items of pet care. In October 2015 he opened a full-fledged store at Buchpora and besides the pets and food has made available all the accessories like aquarium tanks with inbuilt filtration so that customers don’t have to take water out time and again. Everything has been made available by him on his official website aquatickart.in.

“Aquatic Kart is a great choice and probably the only place for finding top quality pet products and foods. We sell a variety of high-quality food brands for your fish, dogs, cats, small animals, reptiles etc. Whatever interests you in pets we have that,” says Basit.

It is the youngsters of Kashmir, who are mostly attracted towards the hobby of keeping pets. “Majority of my customers come from the age group of 18 years to 30 years,” says Basit. “Though people here show interest in all types of pets, the majority prefer aquatic pets.”

Due to online presence, Basit has received ‘overwhelming’ response from outside Kashmir. He has opened warehouses in Kolkata, Banglore and Pune. His presence has increased and earnings are encouraging due to this newfound market. The social media presence has also helped in flourishing the business.

“The business works very well outside Kashmir, the demands are high there but in Kashmir, it’s in its initial stage. There is not much exposure of pets in Kashmir as compared to other states of India,” Basit says, however, hastens to add, “In Kashmir, the love for pets is also on the rise. People are now aware of keeping pets. Particularly, the aquarium culture is flourishing fast in Kashmir.”

Basit now keeps staff and a manager to look after his operations across his stores, while he oversees work from Kashmir only.

A follower of Chinese entrepreneur and billionaire Jack Ma, Basit says he has ambitious plans of expansion and to take his business to next level. As a socially responsible person, he also wants work on animal welfare.

Basit believes that success is inevitable if one follows his passion with consistency and advises youngsters to resist from jumping into different things.

The Story Was First Published On Kashmir’s Leading Daily Greater Kashmir