Akruti Babaria: Bringing South Asian culture into children’s play 

(Sep 17, 2026) Akruti Babaria founded Kulture Khazana in 2018 after struggling to find culturally representative toys and books for her son, growing the venture from her kitchen table into a six-figure business with products sold through major US retailers and a growing nationwide retail presence. A Grand Prize win in the 2022 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, which drew nearly 18,000 entries, further marked the venture’s expansion.

When Akruti Babaria moved from Surat, Gujarat, to the United States with her parents in early 2000, she was a teenager and entering a new chapter of her life. More than two decades later, that experience of growing up between cultures has become the foundation of Kulture Khazana, the South Asian cultural toy and learning brand she founded in 2018.

After studying at the University at Buffalo, Akruti built a career in project management, product development and marketing. The turning point came in 2017, after the birth of her son.

Akruti and her husband began looking for books, toys and activity resources that reflected their Indian heritage and could help their son understand the traditions and stories they had grown up with. There were few such resources readily available in the US.

So in 2018, Akruti left her job and founded Kulture Khazana, initially curating cultural resources and bringing them from India to families in the US. “What began as an idea at my kitchen table has grown into a brand carried by major retailers, but the bigger milestone is seeing cultural play recognized as both meaningful to families and a viable retail category with lasting potential,” she shares with The Global Indian.

Akruti began with a list of around 40 books. The idea soon grew beyond curation into toys, puzzles, crafts, activities, holiday boxes and digital content centred on South Asian culture, as well as programming for libraries, museums and schools.

Today, Kulture Khazana’s products are sold through major online retailers including Target, Nordstrom, Walmart, Macy’s and Amazon. The company is also expanding its physical retail presence, with Akruti planning a launch across 350 Target stores for Diwali 2026.

From a personal need to a new category

Akruti started Kulture Khazana to make South Asian traditions accessible to families beyond her own community, bringing Indian festivals, stories and traditions into familiar formats such as puzzles, crafts and games.

Early on, much of the work involved educating buyers about the consumer need and the potential for culturally relevant play in the mainstream market. Seeing that perception shift and seeing major retailers now make space for culturally relevant play has been incredibly rewarding.

Akruti Babaria

In 2022, Kulture Khazana won the Grand Prize in the FedEx Small Business Grant Contest, which received almost 18,000 entries. The company received a $50,000 grant and $4,000 in FedEx Office print and business services.

Learning to adapt

The venture’s growth came with a major setback during the COVID-19 pandemic. Kulture Khazana had built part of its business around programming at libraries, museums and schools, all of which were suddenly inaccessible.

Akruti lost about 60 percent of her revenue almost overnight. “The business might be over but my purpose is not,” she recalls thinking at the time.

She responded by taking the company online, creating Story Aunty videos for Instagram and YouTube featuring Indian festivals, folk tales and other cultural traditions. The collection grew to around 30 to 40 videos, generally five to 12 minutes long. She also introduced new products, including the Rangoli Mandala Floor Puzzle, and moved cultural programming into virtual spaces.

The pivot kept Kulture Khazana connected to families when its physical channels had effectively closed.

Its reach has since extended beyond homes. The brand’s products and programming have been used by educators and have appeared at venues including the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art and South Street Seaport. Kulture Khazana has also supported Holi and Diwali programming and was featured by Good Morning America.

Our products are designed through collaborations with artists and creatives in the U.S. and India, alongside concepts and product direction I develop myself. Manufacturing is currently handled by our production partners in China.

Akruti Babaria

One of the experiences that stayed with Akruti happened at her son’s school. After reading an article she had written about Holi for Parents.com, the school decided to celebrate the festival. Children took part in activities and worked with the Rangoli Mandala Puzzle, while Ayaan had the chance to share his family’s traditions with his classmates.

For Akruti, the experience brought the original idea behind her venture full circle by helping children feel comfortable sharing their own culture while developing curiosity and empathy towards others.

From project management to entrepreneurship

Akruti’s entrepreneurial journey was preceded by years in corporate roles spanning project management, product coordination, marketing and innovation.

At eClinicalWorks, she managed multiple projects as part of a $10 million Primary Care Information Project for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. She later worked as an ideation specialist at HealthNow New York and as a project manager at Nova Healthcare Administrators.

Her bachelor’s degree in business administration, with a focus on marketing and international business, and her MBA are both from the University at Buffalo. She also completed a project management certificate programme.

Those years taught her to manage timelines, resources and stakeholders. Running Kulture Khazana, however, required her to apply those skills to something far more personal.

Taking the idea beyond the US

Akruti now wants to take Kulture Khazana into international markets and build it into a global brand centred on culturally rooted play. She is looking for strategic partnerships that can help the company reach more families and expand its range of toys, games and creative experiences.

I want to take Kulture Khazana beyond the U.S. and build it into a truly global brand for culturally rooted play. We have proven that there is a real market for toys, games and crafts that help modern-day children connect with culture in a way that feels relevant, beautiful and fun.

Akruti Babaria

From a mother’s search for culturally representative resources for her son to a growing retail brand, Akruti’s journey reflects her belief that children can connect with their roots while growing up curious about the world around them.

• Follow Akruti Babaria on Instagram and LinkedIn
• Follow Kulture Khazana on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and its website 

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