He is probably the only original cane designer in the vast town ship of Thane. Jagdish Jain does not have any formal training in making furniture but excels at it .

" I didn't even know what cane was," begins Jagdish Jain, commendable indeed for someone who initially had a medical shop. "I wasn' t too interested in the medical shop as there was no challenge." Jagdish just picked up this art out of sheer interest and observation and now has his own manufacturing unit and outlet at Jhambli Naka in Thane.

"It all happened when I saw this cane shop, Indian cane House near kemps corner one day. My dad was in hospital then in that area. I was extremely fascinated by the way the furniture was made and how it was bound. I even inquired with the proprietor about the business potential," says Jagdish.

"I was surprised that he was in business for more than 25 years and I decided why not get into it."

Today Mayur cane has artistically designed lamp shades, swings, shelves for the kitchen and hall, rocking chairs, corner tables, lamps, and lots more. The appeal of cane led Jagdish to begin in a small way with cane furniture. "I went to Goa, Calcutta and Siliguri (in Assam) to see how things were made and to source the raw material," he adds.

He set up his outlet in 1989 and now sources his raw material from the Andaman and Nicober Islands, Malabar, and Goa, "For small decorative pieces that don't require weight, like corner pieces, lamp shades, I use Goa cane, while for sofa sets Andaman cane is used and for framing and item that require a neat finish, Malabar cane is used," adds Jagdish .

Jagdish laments that most people think that cane is garden furniture and also that it is cheap. "This is a total misconception. Those who have used cane know that its is extremely strong and durable,beside being artistic. Mainly people from the south have used this furniture in their ancestral homes and are the ones who use it at their home," he explains.

He also adds, "people feel it is cheap because of the cane furniture that is available on the road junction sold by the workers from Bareilly. This furniture is made from waste cane hence is of an inferior quality."

The best part of cane furniture is that it is zero-maintenance and requires polishing only every two years. Besides catering to local customers,

Jagdish has recently furished sample flats with his furniture and is working with architects. " I have six skilled craftsmen who I show my drawings and supervise the first few pieces of a new design. India is among the largest growers of cane but for the finishing one must learn from Japan. Our workers here heat the bamboo with a blower and bend the hot cane with their feet. This is because there is no machinery to do this locally," explain Jagdish.

The fastest moving item among cane is the swing and this costs anything from Rs 1000 to RS 4500 depending on the design. "The same swing cost much more in proper Mumbai but I have to offer my product at a reasonable price because I am located in the suburbs," says Jagdish.

The young designer has diversified by working with architects on building projects. "I have designed entire flats with cane furniture, for prospective buyer to a flat . More so in Thane where most people are moving into large housing complexes, it is ideal for me to work on such flats."

The most satisfying part of designing for Jagdish is when a family comes back for more and more furniture in cane or changes their interiors totally that of cane.