I'm Himanshu Rastogi, a designer, developer and entrepreneur.

From Seohara to Delhi

I was born on 6 April 2006 in Seohara, Uttar Pradesh, where I spent the early part of my childhood.

I studied there until Class 7. When I moved into Class 8, I came to Delhi, where my grandparents and my brother, Yash, were already living.

Moving to Delhi was a major change in my life. It was also where I gradually became exposed to computers, business and the kind of environment that would eventually shape what I do today.

At the time, my grandfather was involved in a keychain manufacturing and supply business. I did not know then how relevant that would become to my own future, but the business environment was already around me.

Discovering Design - 2020

In 2020, while studying from home, I started learning graphic design through YouTube.

I didn't join a design course or have a fixed curriculum. I simply started watching tutorials, trying things out and making designs of my own.

That was the beginning of my interest in visual design.

I spent a lot of time experimenting with different styles, layouts, typography, illustrations and tools. The more I learned, the more I enjoyed the process of taking an idea that existed only in my head and turning it into something visual.

Over time, design stopped being just something I was learning for fun. It became a skill that I could actually use. It is still one of the biggest parts of what I do today.

School, Commerce & Code

When I reached Class 11, I chose Commerce. At the same time, however, I was becoming increasingly interested in computers and programming.

I started learning Python and gradually went beyond just writing small pieces of code. I became curious about how websites worked, how databases stored information, how websites were hosted, how automation worked and how different systems could communicate with each other.

Around that time, I also started learning about things like Git, GitHub, hosting, virtual machines, remote desktops, databases and web development.

I wasn't following a formal roadmap. Most of the time, I simply found something interesting, tried it, got stuck, searched for an answer and then moved on to the next thing. That is still one of the ways I learn best.

Learning to Build

As I got deeper into computers, I became less interested in simply learning concepts and more interested in actually building things.

I experimented with websites, automation, scripts, bots and different kinds of small personal projects.

Not everything I built lasted. Some ideas were abandoned, some were experiments, and some were simply useful for learning something new.

But each one taught me something. More importantly, I started understanding that code didn't have to be something I learned only for an exam or a job. It could be a tool for solving problems and turning ideas into something real.

Building While Studying

I completed Class 12 in 2023.

After school, I joined the family keychain business and started working more seriously in the business. At the same time, I also enrolled in an online BCA program at Amity University Online.

So while I was working in the business, I was also continuing my education alongside it. This meant that a lot of my learning happened in parallel.

I was studying computer science and programming through my degree, while also learning design, business and practical problem-solving through my day-to-day work.

My BCA journey continued alongside everything else and reached its final stage in 2026.

From Keychains to Manufacturing

By around 2024, the keychain business had slowed down considerably. We decided to try something different and bought our first laser cutting machine.

Initially, we continued experimenting with keychains and different MDF products. Gradually, we started exploring products that had more potential for us.

That was when we began working seriously with fridge magnets and wall hangings.

The combination of manufacturing, product design and the possibilities of laser cutting immediately caught my interest. It was no longer just about designing something on a screen.

Now we could design something, manufacture it and actually put it in a customer's hands.

The Beginning of MDFkart

In 2025, we started MDFkart.

What began as an experiment with MDF products gradually became the main business I work on today.

We started developing our own designs, products and catalogue, while experimenting with both retail and wholesale.

For me, MDFkart also became a place where different things I had learned over the years started coming together. Design became part of the products. Coding became useful for building tools and systems around the business. And entrepreneurship became something I was learning through actual experience rather than just reading about it.

Building MDFkart

Over time, the business continued to grow from that first laser machine.

Today, we work with multiple laser cutting machines across two factories and sell MDF products through both wholesale and retail channels.

I am a co-founder of MDFkart, and I work across different parts of the business.

Design remains a major part of my work, with many of the original product designs created by me. As the business has grown, other designers have also started contributing to our catalogue.

I also work on the technology and practical side of the business whenever there is something that can be improved, automated or built.

The business is still growing, and there is still a lot that I want to improve.