Our Story

A Name Born From Jaisalmer 

This is the story of our father and founder, Mr. Paras Ram Khatri: a story we, his children, are now carrying forward under his guidance. 

But this story does not belong to us alone. 

It has been shaped by the memories of the well-wishers, friends, artisans, and companions who have remained connected with him for nearly four decades. It also carries the memories of our grandfather: Paras Ram ji’s father:- and every person who stood beside him during the difficult years when the journey had only just begun. 

Together, their words tell us that his journey is not merely the story of a leather business. It is a story of patience, courage, responsibility, and belief: a source of inspiration for young people who wish to build something meaningful through honest work and perseverance. 

In 1985, our father picked up his first piece of leather in the golden lanes of Jaisalmer, believing something he still says today: 

"कुछ ऐसा बनाओ, जिसे लोग समझने से पहले ही महसूस कर सकें।" 

Make something people can feel even before they understand it. 

Two years later, in 1987, one of his closest companions joined him at the same workbench and remained connected with him throughout the journey. There were no websites then, no professional photographs, and no digital platforms : only handmade work, honest conversations, and the belief that quality would always find its way to the right people. 

A City Built on Trade and Trust 

Jaisalmer has always been a city of travellers. 

Centuries ago, camel caravans crossed its sands along ancient trade routes, and traders

here built their lives on patience, relationships, and trust. Leather was part of that life saddles, juttis, and bags made for long journeys: and that same spirit gradually found its way into our father’s hands. 

The values of the city became part of his work: patience in every stitch, honesty in every conversation, and trust in every relationship. 

Famous Long Before the Internet 

Jaisalmer was never truly a quiet town. 

Its fort, golden streets, and desert dunes attracted film crews from Bollywood and South Indian cinema. Being close to the Pakistan border, ministers, bureaucrats, government officials, and travellers from across the world also passed through the city. 

Many of them found their way to our father’s small shop and left carrying a handmade bag, wallet, or leather accessory. 

There was no social media, no online store, and no website where customers could leave reviews. There was only word of mouth : one traveller telling another about something they had discovered in Jaisalmer, long before EL VEENU had a name. 

Every smile over a piece he had made, and every customer who returned years later, gave our father and those working beside him the courage to continue. It was proof that honest work could travel much further than they had ever imagined. 

The Letter That Changed Everything 

In 2001, a young traveller named Louis Schmidt walked into the same workshop. 

Originally from Spain and then living in Greece, something about the leather : the natural smell, the stitching, and the small imperfections that made every piece feel real -stopped him in his tracks.

He bought a bag and a wallet, and before he left, our father took a photograph with him. Months later, a letter arrived from Greece. 

Louis wrote that while travelling through Italy, one of his friends had noticed the bag he was carrying and asked where such a piece could be found. Louis showed him the photograph taken in Jaisalmer and told him about the time they had spent together - an evening filled with conversation, laughter, and dinner. 

How EL VEENU Got Its Name 

We had never imagined that the name of our brand would one day be formed by bringing together our family’s roots with a Spanish word. 

But destiny often creates connections long before we understand their meaning. 

At a time when India and Europe were gradually drawing closer through culture, trade, and shared ideas, a quieter connection was also taking shape—between the golden city of Jaisalmer and a traveller from Greece. In that small connection, our workshop, our craftsmen, and a handmade leather bag played their own humble part. 

What began as an ordinary visit would eventually give us the name EL VEENU. 

After leaving India, Louis returned to Greece carrying the bag he had bought from our workshop in Jaisalmer. For him, it was more than something he had purchased during his travels. It carried the memories of the desert, the warmth of the people he had met, and the evening we had spent together over dinner. 

One day, a friend noticed the bag and was immediately drawn to it. 

“Where did you find a bag like this?” he asked. “We have seen Italian leather before, but this feels completely different—the texture, the character, and the craftsmanship are

exceptional.” 

Louis told him about Jaisalmer, our small workshop, the craftsmen behind the bag, and the people who had welcomed him like a friend. He explained that the bag had not been made to look perfectly uniform. 

Its natural grain, handmade stitching, and subtle variations were not imperfections. They were the very details that gave it life, individuality, and soul. 

As his friend continued to admire it, Louis said: 

“This is not simply a bag. This is the bag—the one that carries a soul.” That expression stayed with him. 

The word “EL”, meaning “THE” in Spanish, represented exactly what Louis had felt. This was not just another leather product. It was the piece—distinctive, authentic, and filled with its own story and character. 

That single word became the beginning of our name. 

VEENU was already a part of us : our home, our roots, and our family’s identity. 

When the two came together, they became EL VEENU: a name born from the meeting of two worlds, connecting the golden sands of Jaisalmer with the friendships, people, and relationships our craftsmanship had reached across Europe and beyond. 

Louis may have returned to Greece after that first journey, but a part of him never truly left Jaisalmer. 

Since 2001, he has returned eight times, and with every visit, the city has felt a little less like a destination—and a little more like home.

A Family That Kept Growing 

After Louis, more travellers continued to arrive : one relationship naturally leading to another. 

There was Max from the UK, Maria from Argentina, Jim From France, and many more who came year after year. Many remained connected long after leaving Jaisalmer. 

What began with a single letter slowly became a family stretching across cities, countries, and continents. 

These were no longer only customers. They became friends, well-wishers, and witnesses to our father’s journey. 

Their memories, along with those of the people who worked beside him during the early years, helped preserve the story we are now sharing with the world. 

The Turning Point 

For years, the business continued to grow in the same way ; through film sets, visits from ministers and officials, and travellers who returned to Jaisalmer long before the internet made communication instant. 

Then Covid arrived, and the world seemed to stop overnight. 

Cities fell silent, businesses closed, work came to a standstill, and countless people lost their livelihoods through lockdown after lockdown. 

Through it all, our father held on to patience and refused to abandon the people who had stood beside him. 

Every karigar received their full salary each month, without fail.

Even the women in nearby villages who carried out our embossing work were never forgotten. Money reached their homes through whatever means could be arranged. 

Covid was temporary. 

The promise made to the EL VEENU family was not. 

During that period of stillness, one question remained with our family:

After nearly four decades of making for others, why not carry our own name forward? 

Carrying It Forward 

When the world slowly began to breathe again, so did we. 

The business had to be rebuilt almost from nothing, much like it had been in 1985. 

To restart the journey and give something back to the community, our family opened a new retail showroom in Jaisalmer : creating work for more hands and helping more families stand a little taller with us. 

With 37 years of experience behind him, our father began guiding us, the next generation. 

His intention was never for us to change what he had built. It was for us to understand it, respect it, and carry it further. 

He still tells us: 

"मैं सिर्फ चमड़ा नहीं बनाता, भरोसा बनाता हूँ।"

I do not just make leather. I make trust.

Today, we are moving the EL VEENU legacy forward under his direction, while remaining rooted in the principles on which it was founded: honest craftsmanship, responsibility toward our people, respect for natural materials, and trust that lasts beyond a single purchase. 

This brand was never built in a rush. 

It grew through film crews and ministers, through Louis, Max, Maria, Jim, and every traveller who kept returning. 

It grew through the blessings of our grandfather, the support of our father’s friends and well-wishers, and the loyalty of every person who stood with him during the years of struggle. 

Above all, it grew through every karigar who remained part of the family 🙂 even when the world itself stood still. 

That is the true weight every EL VEENU piece carries. 

Our father’s journey teaches us that success is not always built through speed, scale, or recognition. Sometimes, it is built quietly : through one honest product, one fulfilled promise, and one trusted relationship at a time. 

For us, his story is not only our family history. It is an inspiration for every young person who wishes to move forward, build something of their own, and create a legacy without leaving their values behind. 

We are honoured to carry that legacy forward under his guidance. 

Welcome to the EL VEENU journey. 

We hope that one day, you write us a letter too.