VisionPlus Magazine in conversation with Amit Marfatia the trendsetter of the optical industry with his business partner Parin Mehta, on the evolving technology of 3DNA…
It’s the reign of technology and to keep up its trends and competitions, you need to think out of the box. VisionPlus speaks to two such dynamic people who are on the path of setting a unique trend. The founders of Stepping Stones Concepts, Amit Marfatia and Parin Mehta give us an insight about this unique 3DNA technology.
VisionPlus(VP): To begin with, tell us how and why was Stepping Stones Concepts formed?
Amit Marfatia (AM): We’ve both had a vision for innovation and it reflects in our way of business. Be it my own brand Pavarotti or this new partnership for 3DNA, they speak for our motive, which is to think out of the box, to do something unique. Me and Parin coming across the unique idea of 3DNA laid the foundation of this company.
Parin Mehta (PM): On my business trip to USA I met one of the distributors of 3DNA. The technology and its implementation intrigued me and I thought of bringing it to India. I discussed the idea with Amit and he was
on board instantly, and soon we formed our company, Stepping Stone Concepts.
VP: Can you elaborate the concept of 3DNA.
PM: 3DNA is a software that lets you completely customise your eyewear.
From the design to the colours to the material, everything is uniquely used
in the way you want it. The software scans your face and forms a 3D virtual image of it on the screen. Once you have your image on the screen, you can play around with the designs, modify it and see how it looks on you. And
since it is every individual designing the eyewear according to their choice,
we are safe to say that every eyewear is unique. This is an ever evolving technology, that helps you as an optician stand out in the crowd.
AM: 3DNA is a completely different experience on its own. It has a wide range of designs and material that are not available in the market easily. We have 85+ luxurious natural materials like Mother of Pearl, Buffalo Horn, Stone, Wood, Cork etc, along with Vinyl, Acetate, Titanium and Carbon Fibre materials. And the best part is, if your customer wants to combine any two materials, 3DNA does that for them. The quality of the materials used is considered the best, the natural materials are 100% organic. Lastly, as far
as accuracy is concerned, 3DNA provides 100% accuracy when it comes
to fitting.
VP: If you had to list the highlights of 3DNA, what would they be?
AM: The key factors would be It’s bespoke. Completely customised and unique. It gives 100% accuracy in fitting. And the fact that it creates no dead stock, there’s something new every single day. The software has multiple sets of default shapes, from which multiple different and unique shapes
and designs can be formed.
VP: How can this technology help the opticians?
PM: This technology helps opticians in ways more than one. This is something that has never been seen before. The inventory makes the
store look stunning. As we say it is a complete bespoke system, it lets your customers design unique eyewear for themselves. It’s sure to attract customers. And the highlight as Amit said, there’s no dead stock. Opticians’
biggest fear is resolved here, there’s something new everyday.
VP: What is the training support that is provided to the opticians to adapt this technology?
PM: We provide the opticians with a personalised tech support. Two days onsite training. After sales service. Two days training session, that is done after installing the software. There are online training sessions provided by
the designer himself, and we are always available online for any help.
VP: How affordable is this 3DNA technology for the Indian opticians?
AM: As far as costing is concerned, this technology comes to a very minimal
cost for the initial setup. It is a one time investment, with no recurring cost of any kind. We provide a full furnished inventory with professional
training and post installation services, all inclusive in the initial amount.
VP: How long do you think will it take for this product to grow in the Indian market?
AM: With the response we are receiving at such an initial stage, we don’t think It’ll take too long for this product to earn the popularity it deserves. It is attracting the young opticians; like our first client, Chetan Dedhia of
Classic Vision was on board with us as soon as he heard the concept.
Similarly our next client, Brother Opticians, young enthusiastic people who are loving this innovative style of sale, who are willing to take the customer service to a whole new level. With this kind of response we believe,
in the next 1-2 years we’ll have a good customer base.
VP: Lastly, what are your set goals for the future of 3DNA?
PM: Our goal is to get passionate, independent opticians on board. We want
to help young enthusiastic opticians who think out of the box. Apart from
that, educating opticians about bespoke is a task. Making them understand
that bespoke is complete customisation; from design to colours to even material, their customers can choose all of it without any restrictions. We
want opticians to understand this basic trait and realise how 3DNA can be a game changer.
