Latest news with #D2C
Entrepreneur
7 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Jewels That Whisper
From silver minimalism to celebration sparkle, Kushal's is setting the gold standard in D2C jewellery retail. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. From pioneering movie ticketing to revolutionising outdoor advertising, Manish Gulechha's journey has been one of continuous innovation. An engineer from BSMCE, Bengaluru University, with a deep grounding in technology, Gulechha co-founded Kushal's Fashion Jewellery after building a portfolio of tech ventures including and "In Kushal's, I saw a unique opportunity to blend technology with design, tradition, and consumer delight," said Manish Gulechha, Co-founder of Kushal's. "What started as a consulting role evolved into a shared vision, and by 2018, I joined full-time to lead strategy and digital growth." Founded in 2006 in Bengaluru, Kushal's has transformed from a single-store brand into a jewellery giant with 100 stores across 35 cities, predominantly in South India. "We aim to reach 150 stores by FY 2025-26 and are targeting 40% year-on-year growth," shared Gulechha. The brand's omnichannel model—spanning its own app, website, and leading marketplaces—powers over 1000 daily orders and serves a customer base of over 1 million. "Nearly 80% of our online sales now come from our D2C platforms. This gives us full control over the consumer journey and helps us deliver highly personalised experiences," Gulechha added. Kushal's is known for celebration wear, its bestselling category, and 92.5 minimal silver jewellery, the fastest-growing segment. With a strong community of 500K social media followers and 1,300 employees, the brand stands at the intersection of artisanal value and tech-enabled scale. "Our product designs are deeply inspired by Indian heritage—from temple motifs to meenakari—but reimagined in modern, wearable formats. We want every Kushal's product to feel luxurious yet accessible," said Gulechha. Beyond jewellery, the brand is also focusing on building a premium in-store experience that mirrors the sophistication of fine jewellery outlets, complemented by seamless digital convenience. "We see immense potential in regional customisation, data-led product curation, and quick discovery—elements that are shaping the next phase of retail," added Gulechha. As the brand looks to expand both online and offline, Gulechha summed up its ethos: "At Kushal's, we keep the consumer at the center of everything. With strong product quality, design authenticity, and a seamless experience across touchpoints, we're redefining what it means to shop for jewellery in the digital age." Facts:
Entrepreneur
7 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Crafting Men's Confidence
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. What began as an ambition to offer Indian customers the same high-quality fashion that was being manufactured for global giants like Zara, Mango, and Marks & Spencer has today evolved into a profitable, Shark Tank-backed D2C menswear brand. The Bear House, co-founded by Harsh Somaiya, was born out of a belief that Indian consumers deserved better design, fit, and fabric—online. "We thought if an Indian factory can design and manufacture for global brands, why shouldn't Indian customers experience the same premium products and quality? At that time, there was a common perception that good quality products weren't available online. So we decided to change that narrative," said Somaiya. Built on the pillars of great design, fit, and affordability, The Bear House chose a D2C-first approach to maintain control over the entire customer experience. "That means no middlemen, no dilution of brand story," Somaiya explained. "This helped us build loyalty and get instant feedback, which shaped everything from fabric choices to fits." The brand's breakout success was its innovative take on flannel shirts—traditionally warm and heavy—which they re-engineered using lightweight 100% cotton to suit India's climate. "Our flannels have been a bestseller since day one and still contribute to 40% of our shirts revenue," shared Somaiya. With 85% of its sales coming from marketplaces like Myntra, Amazon, and Flipkart, the brand has built a strong digital footprint across over 20,000 pincodes and has a loyal customer base of 20 lakh. It has also stepped into offline retail with stores in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, and is eyeing 10–15 more stores by FY 2025–26. Quick commerce, though a non-traditional fit for fashion, is another frontier the brand is testing. "We've made select collections available on Zepto as a strategic experiment and are noticing good results," said Somaiya. "We're confident that quick commerce fashion will be essential going forward." Internationally, The Bear House has begun its foray into the Middle East and is exploring further global expansion. Closer home, tech-enabled personalisation and new lifestyle categories are on the roadmap. "From bootstrapping to now building a brand with depth, it's been incredibly fulfilling," reflected Somaiya. "At the heart of it, we believe today's men don't just want clothes—they want brands with soul." Facts:
Hans India
03-06-2025
- Business
- Hans India
Amid Seasonal Fishing Bans, Licious Keeps Seafood Flowing with Robust Coast-to-Coast Supply Chain
Bengaluru: As seasonal fishing bans have come into effect on India's coasts, D2C meat and seafood brand Licious rerouted procurement from multiple active coasts to maintain seafood availability across urban markets amid supply drops and price spikes in multiple states. The 61-day bans in place from April 15 to June 14 on the East Coast and from June 1 to July 31 on the West Coast enable marine ecosystems to regenerate in peak breeding season. This has led to supply visibly reducing with wet markets & traditional vendors. This has led to price rises of 40% to 80% in markets with consumers purchasing for household consumption across Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and other areas. Licious' supply chain strategy combines daily-demand forecasting, regional rerouting, and one of India's first and most advanced 0-4 degrees centigrade cold chains, enabling continued availability when others scale down. 'Our goal isn't to bypass the system, but to work within it. We choose to source same day catch from small boats and follow all government regulations when it comes to mechanised trawling while meeting customer demand across 20+ cities. During the ban, we leverage our in-house planning and demand forecasting mechanisms for an agile supply chain. In practice, that means moving fish from Kochi to Delhi overnight or rerouting via Tuticorin when East Coast hubs are restricted,' said Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta, Founders - Licious. Licious sources from multiple landing sites across Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Karnataka, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Goa - reducing overfishing and ensuring availability with 150+ cuts of fish and seafood. The company moves its inventory using a combination of truck, rail, and air transport, supported by a national cold chain infrastructure maintained at 0-4°C to keep products fresh and not frozen. Unlike the broader market, which sees product shortages in this period, Licious' graded and quality-assured range assures availability of 94 fish species. This includes favourites like Seer, Pomfret, Anchovies, Mackerals, and Pink Perch among others. Underlying the Licious supply chain is a demand model built on hyperlocal insights too; e.g., Vishu in Kerala drives demand for specific regional catches, while Bengali-dominated neighborhoods see spikes in freshwater fish consumption around Poila Boishakh. India's fish and seafood industry remains largely unorganised, with supply chains vulnerable to seasonality, policy driven restrictions, and logistical complications. With marine fish shelf life being extremely short, forecasting errors lead to waste, and that is what the Licious network is designed to prevent. Our operations during the fishing ban also point to an alternative approach that is both compliance-first and demand-led.
Fashion Value Chain
03-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Fashion Value Chain
BINNI Launches Maharani Collection for Modern Brides
Just ahead of the wedding season, D2C brand BINNI unveils The Maharani Collection—a regal and contemporary jewellery line curated for today's brides and bridesmaids. Drawing from India's royal heritage, the collection reimagines heirloom-inspired designs with modern aesthetics, offering a perfect blend of tradition and trend. Crafted with attention to detail, the collection features gold and silver-toned chokers, layered necklaces, beaded pieces, haslis, and mat chokers. Complementing these are statement earrings, jhumkas, chand balis, and danglers, along with kadas, cocktail rings, maang tikas, anklets, hathphools, and even embellished watches and sunglass chains for the ultimate accessory game. Using a mix of Pacchi kundan, quartz, pearls, semi-precious stones, and AD, the designs reflect traditional Indian motifs like peacocks, elephants, florals, and paisleys—making each piece a statement of individuality and elegance. Priced between INR 2,500 and INR 12,000, the Maharani Collection offers versatile styling options that pair well with both ethnic and western outfits, making BINNI a one-stop destination for this wedding season. Shop now: BINNI's Heritage Pachi Collection
Entrepreneur
27-05-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
D2C Travel Brand EUME Raises INR 25 Cr in Series A
The round was led by renowned investor Ashish Kacholia, with participation from existing backers Pradeep Rathod of Cello Group and Prithviraj Kothari of Arvog Financial. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Mumbai-based D2C luggage and travel accessories brand EUME has successfully raised INR 25 crore (approximately USD 3 million) in its Series A equity round. The round was led by renowned investor Ashish Kacholia, with participation from existing backers Pradeep Rathod of Cello Group and Prithviraj Kothari of Arvog Financial. This follows a previous INR 15 crore round led by Kacholia in June last year, signaling strong continued confidence in the brand's vision. The newly raised capital will be strategically deployed to scale EUME's retail presence across India, strengthen its core team, accelerate marketing, and enhance working capital. The goal is to cement EUME's position as a premium player in the travel accessories segment, targeting discerning consumers across both metro and Tier I markets. Founded by Naina Parekh and Pranay Parekh, EUME started as a design-led luggage brand and has built a loyal customer base through striking brand collaborations with marquee events such as the Tata Mumbai Marathon and SulaFest. The brand is now gearing up to open three flagship stores within the next 45 days — at Mall of Asia in Bengaluru, Oberoi Sky City in Mumbai, and Sarath City in Hyderabad — as part of its aggressive offline expansion strategy. "Our vision is to become India's premier luggage brand — and for that, strong marketing is non-negotiable," said Naina Parekh, Founder of EUME. "We aim to bring next-level product innovation rooted in convenience, paired with aspirational marketing that positions EUME as the go-to brand for every travel need." EUME's offerings span premium travel luggage, backpacks, and accessories, with plans to expand further across travel categories. The brand is growing rapidly across both B2C and B2B channels, including corporate gifting partnerships. Pranay Parekh, Co-founder, emphasised, "Offline retail is crucial for us now. Our pricing strategy and premium designs work brilliantly in both online and in-person experiences. We are also proud to be the official gifting partner for various corporates, reinforcing our presence in both retail and enterprise segments." Lead investor Ashish Kacholia summed it up: "EUME has consistently demonstrated bold vision and flawless execution. Their innovation, design language, and quality are unmatched. I believe EUME is a long-term winner in the travel category."
