THINKING ... INSIDE OUTSIDE BEYOND THE BOX

What makes a gift truly impactful?

For me, it begins with three ways of looking at it: Inside the box, Outside the box, and Beyond the box.

At Gift of the Present, this has become more than a tagline. It is a philosophy that shapes the way I think about every gift we curate.

Inside the Box begins with the recipient or the audience.

It is about understanding who the gift is for—their context, their preferences, the occasion, and what would feel relevant and meaningful to them. Because the most impactful gifts are not necessarily the biggest or the most expensive. They are the ones that feel considered, appropriate, and emotionally resonant.

Mother Teresa said, “It is not how much we give, but how much love we put into giving.” That, to me, captures the heart of gifting. The value of a gift is not always in what it contains, but in how thoughtfully it has been curated for the person or purpose it is meant for.

And perhaps that is why the most memorable gifts are the ones that make someone feel understood. As the saying goes, people may forget what you said, but they will remember how you made them feel.

Outside the Box is where the gift becomes an experience.

I have always believed that receiving a gift should begin long before the box is opened. The anticipation, the presentation, the first glimpse, the way it is held, opened and revealed—all of these become part of the gift itself.

Steve Jobs famously said, “Packaging can be theater, it can create a story.” I believe gifting has its own theatre too. The packaging, the reveal, the unexpected detail, the little moment of surprise—all of it contributes to how a gift is experienced and, ultimately, remembered.

But thinking outside the box also means being willing to step away from the box altogether.

Even though the square is at the heart of our visual identity, our thinking has never been confined by four sides. Sometimes the right gift is an experience. Sometimes it is something completely unexpected. Sometimes it is a concept that has never existed before. The box may be where the thought begins, but the idea can go anywhere.

And Beyond the Box is perhaps where the impact becomes bigger than the gift itself.

It is about the people and communities behind what we curate—the artisans, makers, women-led enterprises, small businesses and local communities whose skills and stories deserve to be seen. It is about making conscious choices, supporting livelihoods, celebrating what is made locally, and being mindful of the planet we leave behind.

It is about asking a bigger question: What happens beyond the moment the gift is opened?

Can it create an opportunity for someone else? Can it support a craft that might otherwise disappear? Can it be kinder to the environment? Can something as simple as a gift create a ripple that reaches further than the person holding it?

That, to me, is the true meaning of Beyond the Gift.

Inside the box, we think about the person or purpose.

Outside the box, we think about the experience.

Beyond the box, we think about the people, the planet and the impact.

Because the most meaningful gifts don't end when the box is opened.

Sometimes, that is where their impact begins.

A Note on the Above Curation

Designed for Shri Amitabh Bachchan on behalf of The Muthoot Group, to celebrate his Janmdin (birthday) and his association with their campaign, "Kholiye Khushiyon Ki Tijori." Inside the box were little representations of what brings Bachchan ji joy, our nod to "Khushiyan." Outside the box was an antique trunk, standing in for the "tijori" itself. And beyond the box was the presence of local artisans and homegrown brands, woven quietly into every piece. Together, it became a literal invitation: Kholiye Khushiyon Ki Tijori.