talking about self is not easy and is best done by someone else. not just because one tends to underplay oneself but also because the other person would almost surely over rate you.

my name is  NAVIN PANGTI  and i am the founding director and principal designer of dolka. though i graduated as a mechanical engineer from mnrec (now mnnit), allahabad, i could never persuade myself to work as one. engineering had happened more because of lack of choice and guidance rather than interest. another option at that time, like many others, was to dive into the software pool but that too did not work out because i found pixels and words more fascinating than the code. the year was 1992, the same year when some freaks demolished a place of worship in the name of god.

and then mr idea came calling and i drifted from the shop floor to an advertising agency as a copywriter. somehow, playing with words was not fulfilling enough and the arts guys were not letting me touch the canvas so in july 1993 i joined the industrial design centre at indian institute of technology (iit), mumbai for two year post graduate programme in visual communication. these years saw my focus change from persuasive graphics to non-persuasive domain and develop keen interest in social communication.

social communication pulled me to delhi only to find that nothing much was really happening on the ground so i joined the television industry, doing research for news features etc. the dark alleys of journalism soon pushed me towards the arc lights of commercial television but within two years this interest too died down. it was not that the field was drab but working on a singular media seemed limiting to my creative instincts.

all this finally led to my joining hands with few friends and forming my first venture - woodapple design group, which eventually became woodapple interactive. three and half years down the line, i could no longer see himself 'not designing' and always busy with writing proposals, making presentations and client/project management - so i moved on. i joined pitara kids network (pitara.com) as a creative director but that year long fun was cut short by the downturn and i was at the crossroads once again. and that was when the seeds of  DOLKA  were actually sown.

the year was 2001 and i started my long journey working as a independent designer, handling a wide range of projects for a diverse set of customers. somewhere down the line i felt that people did not take independent designers seriously so i decided to formally create a company and work under its banner. so in 2007,  DOLKA  innovations private limited was set-up. and there has been no looking back ever since!

while  DOLKA  provides a wide range of  SERVICES  to its  CUSTOMERS , i also pursue my other interests - as an author, poet, entrepreneur and artisan. my first book of poems is called  DHAAR KAY US PAAR  and was well received by the readers. i have also ventured into rural tourism through himalayan village sonapani (himalayanvillage.com). as an artisan, i like playing with wood and keep experimenting with arts and hand crafts. i also devote some time and skills for voluntary work. and with all the time that remains, i keep thinking of new ideas & ventures, and of course explore the social network.

on the personal front, i stay in gurgaon with my wife deepti, two sweet daughters and lots of love and dreams.