Formation 2013 Location INDIA | Purpose Hacking Origin Mumbai | |
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Founders Vaibhav Chhabra, Anool Mahidharia Affiliations Metalab, Chaos Computer Club, Noisebridge and similar | ||
Maker's Asylum is a makerspace / hackerspace in Mumbai and New Delhi, inspired by Artisan's Asylum, Chaos Computer Club and other maker organizations. According to the Maker's Asylum's website, "Maker’s Asylum is a community makerspace with two locations, Mumbai and Delhi, India. For hardware entrepreneurs, it’s easy access to tools, technology and talent so they can prototype their ideas. For problem solvers, it’s a space to bump ideas with other like and unlike-minded folks who share your passion. For hobbyists, it’s a place to play. Don’t let those ideas die on the drawing board. Make it real."
Contents
Membership
Membership to the Maker's Asylum costs INR 3500, or INR 1700 if you are a student, but Maker's Asylum encourages participation by anyone who feels they can contribute. Nonmembers are welcome to attend meetups and other public events, as well as take part in classes on a variety of subjects. Visiting beyond this can be arranged on a case by case basis with current members.
Version 1: EyeNetra
Maker’s Asylum began when the ceiling of EyeNetra’s office in Mumbai fell down and broke all the furniture. Vaibhav, a carpenter by passion, hit social media looking for like-minded people in the city to join him in rebuilding the tables for his office. On November 7, 2013, eight DIY enthusiasts turned up at EyeNetra’s office and they made 3 tables on the first day. They decided to meet every Sunday and continue to build other fun things as well. The nascent community started to volunteer their tools and soon they ran out of space in the back room. They called that room — the Asylum.
Version 2: Bandra Garage
Vaibhav met Anool at MakerFest in January 2014. Their love for making clicked instantly. Since the backroom was running out of space, Kirti, a former co-founder of the Asylum, offered her garage in Bandra to continue our activities. The garage was Maker’s Asylum’s first official address, open seven days a week. The mission: to break and make. It was the first open makerspace in India.
Version 3: ISDI
The community kept growing in Bandra but was limited by space; 250 sqft was proving to be too small. Vaibhav tried every possible option in his search for an affordable space in a space-crunched city. Finally, he met Soumitra and Sidharth at ISDI. They offered their support and space. The Asylum found a new location in Lower Parel’s corporate district.
Version 3.1: Delhi
Vaibhav is a Delhi boy who started building tables in his basement before he even knew what the definition of the maker movement was. A few of the problems he encountered while build the table was that he had to spend more on tools than materials and found himself with no one to turn to when faced with a glitch. Maker’s Asylum, Delhi, was born to ensure this doesn’t happen to anyone else. The enthusiastic community in the capital is a 2000 sqft haven for makers.
Version 4: Andheri
The Asylum has a spanking new home and it’s bigger than ever! Our biggest source of strength has always been the community’s support. We turned once again to a crowdfunding campaign via Indiegogo to raise funds to rent a new space. Thanks to supporters around the world, we managed to raise enough to invest in your new and improved makerspace — 6,000 sqft of space in Andheri’s industrial district, inclusive of an open-air terrace.