Our goal is to highlight and empower women all over the world, and this week we have the pleasure to introduce you to our first guest feature from India.  It’s been so great to learn more about the industry there and connect with a woman blazing trails in her community. Meet Kinjal Gosar, Founder of Drocer Record based in Mumbai, India. Docer Record is a one-stop shop for all your vinyl needs, with an aim to spread the joy of listening to music by transporting you to another world. They sell records of all genres – new and pre-loved, speakers, amps, audio and cleaning solutions, HiFi Audio equipment, vinyl accessories, and more. Her and her team have been spreading the joy of analog since August of 2022. As Founder Kinjal wears multiple hats from keeping the team together, to working towards their vision, being creative, building the brand, and talking to fellow vinyl lovers!

As an Electronics Engineer with an MBA in Marketing, Kinjal started her career in India’s largest Consumer Electronics retail chain. Vinyl came into her life in 2016 when she discovered a community space in Mumbai (Adagio), where all the “vinylheads” meet every Thursday to listen to one album on vinyl. Thursday Vinyl Nights are now a huge part of her life. With a background in marketing, brand management, and knowledge in vinyl and HiFi audio systems, she decided to start Drocer Record last year.  

When she’s not working she says: “Oh I have an endless list of hobbies – dancing, reading, traveling, photography…. the list is huge! I love playing Badminton and Carrom whenever possible. I have a huge bucket list of adventure sports I want to try out as well. And I am a cat parent of two lovely cats.“

How did you get into your industry / What motivated you?

Being a collector myself, I did not realize when my passion turned into a business! I want to spread the joy of analogue and preserve music closest to it’s truest form. Vinyl slows you down, in a good way. We are constantly in a rat race, sometimes it is important to slow ourselves down and engage with art in any form. Music is an integral part of everyone’s life. Even though music is easily available these days digitally, we do not engage with it the way we used to before. For me, more than anything else, vinyl helps you engage. We have big goals for this year and even bigger vision to transform the Vinyl Record Industry in India, if not worldwide, et’s hope we can make it happen!!

What is a day in the life like?

My day starts with feeding my cats, going through the To-Do list and getting to work! A typical work day starts with checking inquiries which is followed by reaching out to the customers. Follow ups with customers, vendors, speaking to people on call…. the list goes on. Packing and shipping is done in the beginning of second half followed by updating inventory. All marketing and branding related activities keep on happening throughout the day though generally I prefer doing it late in the evening.

As an entrepreneur, it is difficult to put a stop to work, but well… you got to! I then take some time out for myself and my evenings are either filled with dance, or listening sessions or events. I make sure to wind down along with my partner and cats. I end my day with making a To Do list for the next day. Might make me sound like a workaholic but I am far from it!

In your opinion what has been your favorite / the coolest thing you’ve worked on?

Honestly, the coolest thing is the happiness and smiles I get to see on people’s face when my team and I make sure they get their favorite artist’s albums or when we set up their HiFi systems. It is always heartwarming to see fellow vinylheads go ga-ga over their collection and their set ups.

What has been / is the most difficult part of your job?

Given India does not have vinyl pressing plants anymore, the most difficult part is sourcing vinyl at a price that does not burn a hole in fellow vinylhead’s pockets. Also sourcing pre-loved records can be a challenge in the Indian market as major chunk of pre-loved vinyl market falls under the unorganized sector.

The Indian market is extremely price sensitive, so it is difficult to be competitive. Also, being the Founder, keeping it all together sometimes gets daunting. It can get overwhelming at times but honestly, no complains. I enjoy this a lot more than anything else I have pursued career-wise.

What advice do you have for someone wanting to get into pursuing what you’re doing?

Just do it. Do not wait for anything… jump right into it. It is going to be daunting, it is going to be tough.. But at the end of the day, you’ll be so much more satisfied and at peace!

Are you a vinyl collector yourself? What drew you to it?

Yes! Though my collection pretty small, I have around 75 records, but it is growing.  My aim for 2023 is to complete Pink Floyd’s discography (let’s hope I can make it happen)! My collection includes a lot of Classic Rock, Metal, Alt Rock, a couple of Pop, a Couple of Indian Classical, a couple of Bollywood records.

The community space, Adagio, in Mumbai, is the biggest reason why I started collecting records. The peace I feel when the pin drops and the music starts on vinyl is just… amazing. The first record I bought was Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon! The Latest Record I bought was of a Bollywood movie – Dil Se (A R Rahman is phenomenal)

What types of things are happening in your industry / with vinyl that you’re excited or worried about? i.e. innovation, or trends you’re seeing.

Well I would love to see more Indie Artists getting enough attention and getting opportunities to get their music pressed on vinyl. Yes, commercial artists have a lot to gain and are also gaining a lot through the sudden boom our industry has seen post pandemic, but now, it’s high time that Indie Artists get to shine too.

Who has been influential to you and your growth as a professional in this industry?

Without sounding too much of a simp, all the wonderful women I have read about / come across on the Women in Vinyl Platform!

Anything else you’d like to add; if not tell us what you’re listening to: 

My partner is into alt rock and my music taste has only expanded because of him! My favorite music genre is and always will be rock! My all time favorite artist is Pink Floyd, recent favorite artists are Arctic Monkeys, and Ghost.

Find Kinjal: 

Instagram:

Docer Record: @drocer.record

Kinjal: @Kinjal05

Facebook:

Docer Record: @drocer.record.india

Kinjal: @Kinjal.Gosar.5

Website: www.drocerrecord.com