How 17-year-old Ariana Singhi is turning spectacles into style statements with SWAPS

Like many young children adjusting to the idea of wearing glasses, Ariana Singhi too was conscious and nervous about it.

She was the first in her second-grade class to wear spectacles, and confesses that she would hide them during break time.

“I would lie to people and say, ‘Oh, they’re just reading glasses.’ It felt like it was a huge stigma,” says the 17-year-old student at Bombay International School.

Life continued, but the idea of destigmatising wearing glasses remained at the top of Singhi’s mind.

In the seventh grade, she joined the Thapar Entrepreneurs Academy founded by Namita Thapar (Executive Director, Emcure Pharmaceuticals) to help students between 11-18 years become confident entrepreneurs.

The idea of combining style with functionality seemed appealing to Singhi as she hit upon an idea to make fashionable glasses with customisable spectacle sleeves, called SWAPS.

Turning stigma into a style statement

Singhi’s inspiration came from the unlikeliest places—Crocs shoes with their interchangeable Jibbitz and her father’s customisable Apple Watch bands. “Maybe I could do something with specs,” she thought.

The structured mentorship programme at TEA in Pune helped her—from product design, collaboration with technical experts, applying for a design registration to pitching to top eyewear brands. She also secured her first round of funding at the TEA investor panel.

The mechanical challenges were formidable—creating an attachment system that was secure enough for daily wear but easily changeable, safe for children yet appealing to adults. After countless iterations, her persistence paid off.

“I spent considerable time perfecting the mechanism, ensuring the sleeves would slip on and slip off, but don't slip off when you are walking and don't stay on so hard that you can't remove it,” she says.

What began as a rudimentary prototype has now evolved into a full-fledged product line available through Lenskart, one of India's largest eyewear retailers.

Thapar introduced her to the leadership team at Lenskart and she pitched the idea to them in New Delhi in 2023.

“The three of them—Peyush (Bansal), Neha (Bansal) and Amit (Chaudhary) were equally excited about the idea. They got back to me quickly and I worked with the design team on the mechanism and was in constant contact with them,” Singhi says. SWAPS was officially launched by Lenskart in March this year.

What sets SWAPS apart is not just its design, but its fundamental approach to eyewear.

Customers can choose each pair of Lenskart glasses fitted with the special groove that accommodates SWAPS. They can choose from dozens of designs—including licensed Warner Brothers patterns featuring catchphrases from the TV show “Friends”.

At Rs 500 per sleeve pair, Singhi has made this eyewear fashion affordable. They are available at all Lenskart stores and on its website.

“Initially, my target audience was children because the idea of spectacle sleeves would be appealing to them. But after market research, I discovered that adults were also interested in them,” she says.

Long before SWAPS became a reality, Singhi demonstrated her will and interest to create a social impact.

At Bombay International School, she serves as vice president and has founded “The Citizen”, a student newspaper focusing on global politics.

Her defining achievement is collaborating with children’s newspaper RobinAge, she has contributed since second grade, to convert it into Braille versions in partnership with the National Association for the Blind.

The Braille version of RobinAge is now reaching 35 schools across Maharashtra. The project stemmed from a simple realisation: “Children who are blind only have school textbooks for reading. I would not be able to survive with just textbooks.” She also organises eye camps for children.

“Ariana picked up something that pulled her down as a young girl, and made it her strength. Her story reflects the power of resilience, innovation and strong entrepreneurial mindset. I am so happy for Ariana’s success. I am also thankful to my co-shark, Peyush, for supporting her venture in such a wholesome manner,” Thapar says.

Currently in the XIth grade, juggling academics and a product launch, Singhi is looking at applying to Indian and American universities, with politics as a potential major.

But her path is clear. “After college, I’m going to start a business and become an entrepreneur. That’s my calling in life.”