Inked for life: Bengaluru techies are rocking with tattoos now

Rohn Malhotra sports a zen symbol tattoo with Too Shall Pass etched on his bicep. The 31-year-old co founder of Alma Mater, a memorabilia startup for students, says that the text is in his late mother's handwriting. And, Malhotra wants to a get a bigger piece inked on his shoulder.
Meanwhile, Frederick Michael (35), an IT professional at IBM, has nearly covered his arms with tattoos. He gets inked every six months.

Tattoos are not a taboo anymore, even in the stiff corporate world.Liberal millennials moving up to senior positions in companies have lent acceptability to what was once another reason for people to be judged. According to tattoo artists in Bengaluru, not only has the number of clients almost doubled in five years, their profile has gone beyond musicians and bikers. Now, IT professionals, entrepreneurs, bankers, doctors and teachers, especially those between 20 and 40 years, are spor ting them.The rise in the number of tattoo studios is proof of the sub-culture becoming popular culture, they say. Karthik Bengre (29), an IT professional at Mphasis, became a fulltime tattoo artist when he opened Sculp Tattoo in Koramangala in 2013. He dropped a job offer from Ernst & Young. “At E&Y, I was being offered a salary of Rs.35,000 per month. As a tattoo artist, I easily earn up to Rs.2 lakh per month,“ says Bengre.

While amateur tattoo artists can make Rs.20,000 a month, a pro can earn up to Rs.4 lakh a month, says Ritopriyo Saha who conducts classes besides running Trippink Tattoos.

Celebrities with tattoos, such as Canadian PM Justin Trudeau, cricketer Virat Kohli and movie stars are a big influence. Saha, however, believes that their popularity goes beyond being star-struck. “With rising financial and emotional independence, decision-making freedom has increased too. Tattoos are an expression of this freedom,“ he says.

Tattoo artist Swati Singhal (30) of The Ink Movement studio attributes the city's love for tattoos to its history with rock music and global culture.

A tattoo can cost anything between Rs.1,000 to Rs.80,000. Regret also comes at a hefty price tag here, caution experts. Laser physician Dr MK Shetty says, “A tattoo removal takes 8-10 laser sessions with a gap of two months between each. So, a tattoo that needs an hour to get etched takes about a year to remove.“

Needless to add, erasing one costs much more.