Why My Machines Don’t Have Gender — But My Products Do

The Thought That Sparked This Blog

In our workshop at Osmly, machines whir quietly in the background — focused, precise, and tireless. A UV printer, a laser engraver, and a laser marker — tools that help us transform ideas into gifts that matter.

They don’t ask who’s giving the instruction.
They don’t care if I’m a woman.
They don’t assume the product is for a man or a woman.

My machines don’t have gender. But my products still do.

And that, right there, is the irony that sparked this blog.

The Gendered Reality of Gifting

At Osmly, we manufacture and personalize corporate gifts and festive products in-house — from Rakhi caricatures to office hampers and retail-ready souvenirs. We believe in celebrating uniqueness through design.

But nearly every day, we see gifting decisions shaped by invisible (and unquestioned) gender norms:

• "Can you make it less pink? It’s for a man."

• "Add a ‘Bhai’ tag, it’s Rakhi after all."

• "Do you have a more ‘girly’ version of this mug?"

• "Make it tough-looking. It's for the boss."

While we’re busy customizing every detail to reflect who the gift is for, clients are still caught in ideas of what gifts "should" look like — based on gender expectations that we rarely question.

Rakshabandhan and the Roles We’ve Outgrown

This year, while planning our #TiesThatMatter campaign, we wanted to move beyond clichés.
Rakhi has always been a beautiful festival — but also a deeply gendered one.

Traditionally, the sister ties the rakhi.
The brother promises protection.

But in 2025 — when sisters run companies, and brothers bake cakes, and siblings come in all gender identities — shouldn’t the narrative evolve, too?

We had customers ask us:

“Can we do a caricature where my sister is the superhero?”
“Is it weird if I send a Rakhi gift to my best friend, who isn’t my brother?”
“Can we avoid putting ‘Bhai’ or ‘Behen’ on it and just write their name?”

These aren’t just small changes. These are proof that people are ready for a more inclusive, honest version of love and bonding.

Machines Don’t Care About Stereotypes. Why Should We?

Our UV printer doesn’t flinch when printing something soft and emotional.
Our laser engraver doesn’t slow down when carving a floral design into a corporate gift.

They follow instruction.
They serve purpose.
They remain neutral — until we humans layer on assumptions.

And so, we decided: let's give people the freedom to define their gifts.

At Osmly, we now offer:

• Gender-neutral caricature gifts
• Fully customizable messages — no forced “Bhai” or “Behen” labels
• Color and theme choices based on personality, not stereotypes
• Products that celebrate people, not just roles

Because if our machines can keep up with change, so can we.

Gifts That Reflect the World We Want

Every gift we design is a small story. A moment. A bond captured.

And stories are powerful.
They can reinforce stereotypes — or they can quietly break them.

This Rakshabandhan, through our #TiesThatMatter campaign, we’re choosing to celebrate ties that aren’t defined by gender, obligation, or tradition — but by care, choice, and respect.

Because ultimately, the most meaningful gifts are the ones that reflect the truth of a relationship — not what society told us it’s supposed to look like.

A Note to Our Readers

Whether you’re a sibling, a parent, a friend, or just someone rethinking the meaning of giving — thank you for being part of this journey.

As a woman co-founder in the gifting & manufacturing space, I know we can’t change the world overnight. But we can start by changing the messages we print, the tags we tie, and the boxes we refuse to put people into.

Let’s gift better. Let’s gift consciously.
Let’s create #TiesThatMatter.

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Explore our Rakhi Special Caricature Gifts
👉 [https://osmly.in/collections/raksha-bandhan-gift]

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