Ahead Of The Curve

Led by storytelling and design, Pooja Roy Yadav of NIMAI curates collections from over 90 designers, offering a new concept of jewellery to the modern woman

- Anjali Abhyankar

IT’S A BLISTERING 45 DEGREES CELSIUS, BUT THAT DOESN’T DETER THE INTREPID SHOPPERS AND CHILDREN playing gully cricket in the winding bylanes of Shahpur Jat. This urban village—one of many that are unique to New Delhi—is home to flashy wedding boutiques that sit cheek-by jowl with vegetable vendors, washing lines, and jars of pickle maturing in the summer sun.

Nestled in this commercial streetscape is NIMAI, a bespoke jewellery atelier whose exposed brickwork and double-height ceilings are reminiscent of a New York loft. Pooja Roy Yadav, 35, the petit tour de force behind NIMAI, which is India’s first multi-designer jewellery platform, shows me around. Pieces by India’s independent designers are displayed in vintage colonial cupboards and museum-style glass cases. Roy Yadav calls it her “organised clutter”. She describes herself as a storyteller—a curator rather than commercial seller. And I can see why.

Many of the designers whom NIMAI stocks have had varied professional backgrounds—an MBA ex-banker and an architect for example—and each piece recounts their journeys. And Roy Yadav is on her own version 2.0 as well, having been a hard-nosed luxury brand consultant.