While many at his age enjoy retirement, Ramji, an engineer, defies the norm by passionately pursuing his hobby of crafting scale models. His intricate models have garnered the attention of ISRO and Indian Railways, which now commission his work. What started as a home-grown passion has evolved into a professional collaboration with leading institutions.
Srinivasan Ramanathan, affectionately known as Ramji, is an engineer, carpenter, and the visionary founder of Craftizan. A self-made entrepreneur with a passion for crafting intricate scale models, his journey began in childhood and has led to ISRO becoming one of his top clients.
Craftizan has large area which has varied models of rockets and PSLV that all closely resemble the real ones that are being assembled.
“These are being done for museums and schools and are scaled models,” says his staff who is an engineer too. The factory itself is abuzz with activities making smaller models of rockets and launchers and currently employs over 50 people.
The center is the brainchild of Srinivasan Ramanathan, fondly known as Ramji, whose diverse career has led him to the forefront of this unique business, with ISRO as his largest customer. His life has been a roller coaster.
‘I don’t claim to be anyone great I’m just a simple person. But my dedication to my work has taken me far.’ Says Ramanathan proudly.
Ramji completed his engineering in 1967 and taught himself carpentry along the way. Ramji’s passion for model-making began at the age of eight when his father gifted him a Meccano set in 1952. As the eldest of five brothers, he ventured into the woodwork business in Pune, crafting furniture and taking on interior design projects. After his marriage in 1975, Ramji relocated to Bengaluru and founded Touchwood, a successful enterprise that even supplied doors for the Oberoi Hotel. However, the business closed in 1999 after financial setbacks. “We lost a lot of money,” he recalls, leading to a move to Mysore in 2003, where he shifted to consulting. After spending eight years in Bangalore, consulting for various businesses, he returned to Mysore. It was during this time that his friend, Moiz Vagh of Hunsply, encouraged him to return to his true passion—model building. Since then, there’s been no turning back.
Craftizan was founded in November 2018 when Swaminathan Ramji Creatives Model Making Company came to life on a site owned by Shabir Vagh of the VAGH Group in Mysore. The company’s mission was to provide creative scale model-making services, including miniature models, ISRO scale models, dioramas, science museum exhibits, marine and engineering models, industrial models, locomotive models, DIY kits, and product prototypes.
“Over the years, we’ve grown to become India’s most trusted model-making solution provider, and we’re now setting our sights on the global market. We not only design and build models tailored to our clients’ needs, but we also help them envision their dream models. We collaborate and consult to find the most creative path forward,” Ramji shares.
Ramji began crafting rocket models, and when ISRO took notice, they invited him for a meeting. N. Sudheer Kumar, a key figure at ISRO, commissioned several models for offices across India. While Ramji also created railway models for Indian Railways, he laments that they haven’t been well maintained. He’s also crafted a heritage railway model for Sterling Properties in Ooty.
“ISRO gave us tremendous support, and we’ve received multiple orders from them. What started with just two people at Craftizan has grown to a team of 50. We’re completely bootstrapped, and I’m proud that we now have projects worth over six crores,” Ramji explains.
Ramji’s client list includes prestigious institutions like the University of Chennai, PSG College of Technology in Coimbatore, Science City in Ahmedabad, and Savitha University in Chennai. He’s also created the “India in Space” wall museum, showcasing ISRO’s history and latest launches, which has been displayed in hundreds of rural schools across India. His models are crafted with meticulous detail, from the smallest parts to the final paintwork.
Ramji’s work has attracted significant attention, and colleges and universities now send students to intern at his factory. He attributes his zest for life to his love for staying busy.
“There’s always work to do, and we’ve even received requests from car manufacturers for scaled-down models. You should keep working until the last day of your life and stay active. I have so much more to achieve. I’ve only completed 10 percent of what I’ve set out to do,” he reflects. As India advances its ambitious space program, Ramji’s models may very well inspire the next generation of scientists at ISRO.
Discussion about this post