Memories In QR Code: The Final Gift

The struggle of memory against forgetting may not always be just a struggle of man versus power, as Milan Kundera suggested. Preserving memories is a personal act, just as it is a political one. People attempt to keep memories alive to feel the warmth, love, and happiness they shared with loved ones who have left them. Everyone loves to live in good memories. But to ignite memories, we need tangible things like photos, videos, letters, and other mementoes. The problem with these materials is that if they are not properly preserved, they get damaged over time, thus creating a void.

When Stebin visited his friend’s home on his death anniversary, he found no materials that would have preserved his friend's memories. Some photographs were present, but many were damaged due to improper storage and ageing.  The friend’s close relatives were not able to preserve those photos properly. Stebin Chakkalakkal Xavier tells Outlook that the idea of the ‘Last Gift’ occurred to him when he visited his departed friend’s home.

Stebin, a B.Tech dropout, is a startup entrepreneur in Kochi, Kerala. Soon after leaving college, he developed applications to ease the lives of urban people living in Kochi and its surroundings. Both were developed after the COVID-19 restrictions were over. One was ‘yonko’, which enables customers to find and book salon timings.  The other application, ‘wheretoeat’, was intended to help travellers find the best eateries in and around Kochi city.

“Both were successful to an extent, but I thought of something unique”, Stebin said. “It was in October 2024 that I visited my friend’s home, who died a few years ago. There were only one or two photographs of him, and those were in a damaged state. His parents were not in a position to preserve those precious things”. It was then that I thought about how the memories of loved ones can be preserved, be it through photos, videos, or other documents.”

Stebin, after consulting with several friends and family members, recognised the need for a digital facility that allows easy access to loved ones' valuables, be it photos, videos, or other documents. Then the idea of QR code emerged, and thus started ‘The Last Gift’, the platform that delivers metallic plaques with QR codes. This, Stebin claims, is the first of its kind in the country.

“We started it in January 2025. In the beginning, the inquiries were mainly from Central Kerala, but soon they spread to other parts of the country. Now we are getting orders from different parts of the country,” Stebin sounded confident.

"The Last Gift helps the family members to preserve all photos, videos, and family histories digitally, and all this can be accessed by scanning the QR code specially developed by the company for each customer”, Stebin explained the procedure.

Then they will create a metallic QR code that can be pasted on graves or photos. Those who are not averse to publicising their family history usually paste it on the tomb.

“There were only very few pictures of my grandfather, who passed away years ago. When I learned about ‘The Last Gift’, I approached them to preserve the memory of him. It not only helped us protect our memories but also allows us to add new photos or videos, even if we get them after the QR code is created.  I'm now trying to collect more pictures of my grandfather to update the memorial plaque. These are preserved forever,” says Jose Francis, of Muvattupuzha.

Stebin says his company is now talking to several community groups, residential associations, and the Church in their outreach programme. If any members of the family want a metallic plaque, they can contact the community groups or the Church.

Stebin says he got enormous support from the Kerala Startup Mission for his projects. Although he did not seek financial assistance, Startup Mission has provided support in various other ways. Kerala Startup Mission is the nodal agency of the government of Kerala for promoting entrepreneurship in the state.