Apparel April 2019 Apparel May 2019 issue | Page 86

ENTREPRENEUR SPEAK
ALONG WITH DISPOSABLE INCOME,
PEOPLE’S INCLINATION TOWARDS
INDIAN ETHNIC WEAR IS ALSO ON
THE RISE.
HOW HAS THE JOURNEY BEEN FROM
THE SINGLE 500 SQ. FT STORE TO THE
CURRENT EXPANSE?
The journey has always been full of challenges,
achievements, and life lessons. From learning
how to understand customers’ preferences to
how to edge out competitors, we have come
a long way from where we were decades ago.
By achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty,
learning from the challenges and failures, and
reforming our business approach as per market
trends, the brand ODHNI has now become what
it is. We carved our own path through the mist to
achieve a turnover of R80 crore and build three
luxurious stores in New Delhi’s posh markets.
WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES YOU
HAVE FACED ALONG THE WAY?
At the initial stage, entering into the main cut-
throat market competition brought along tonnes
of challenges. We were new to the apparel
market and almost a stranger to the fashion
world. Understanding women’s requirements,
networking with designers and suppliers, and
ensuring supply chain efficiency appeared
to us like a Herculean task at first. Also, the
competitors back then were always a step ahead
of us as they used to sell similar apparel products
at a cheaper price, attracting all the prospective
customers towards them. Store expansion
was also a roadblock for us for the first six to
seven years because we believed in opening a
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May 2019
store only on owned land rather than on rented
land. And the cost of a piece of land in an area
as posh as Pitampura was sky-high. But we
overcame all these challenges while adjusting to
the market and the competition. We encountered
lots of failures along the way, and we embraced
the achievements. We believed in ourselves,
remained honest and committed to customers,
and here we are—operating from three multi-level
luxurious stores.
HOW HAVE THE MARKET AND THE
CONSUMERS EVOLVED?
The ethnic wear market of India has grown
tremendously in the past five years, especially in
the luxury and designer wear segments. Along
with disposable income, people’s inclination
towards Indian ethnic wear is also on the rise.
Moreover, women choose ethnic clothing time
and again for every festive occasion. Also, the
recent fad in the market, that is, the fusion of
Western and Indian ethnic wear that appeals to
working women, is also a major growth driver of
the market.
WHAT ARE THE CURRENT CHANGES
YOU SEE THAT WILL RULE THE ROOST
IN THE YEARS TO COME?
The rise of the middle-class Indian woman who
stays at home or steps out to work, in terms
of income and fashion preferences, is going to
be a game-changer for the market. Simple and
easy access to global fashion trends encourages
women to experiment with and customise their
apparel to strike a style statement everywhere
they go. A recent example is the trend of scripted