Sujatra Makes Desi & Western Labels Rooted In Traditional Craft

The Origin Story

Colonel Sanders of KFC fame was a pioneer, but Indian entrepreneurs aged 60 and above also take the startup world by storm. One such example is Chitralekha Das, a music teacher passionate about creativity. At 61, she boldly transitioned to an entirely new domain and set up Sujatra, an ethnic wear label for women, although she had no professional training in fashion design. Launched in 2015, its progress was slow initially, but the founder’s focus on India’s rich couture culture and design diversity soon won appreciation. A year later, her son Bedprakash, an alumnus of IIM-Calcutta with experience in advertising, sales and digital marketing at Raymond, quit his corporate job and joined her venture to empower it with his business acumen.

The Differentiator

Run by a lean, women-led management team, Sujatra blends India’s vibrant art and craft with desi and Western apparel for unique and stylish creations. The brand’s flagship categories are kurtis and sarees, but every piece features artisanal designs and embellishments crafted with love and care. The startup rolls out more than 100 designs a month across categories to keep its collections fresh and trendy. The entire production cycle, from design to fabric sampling to manufacturing, is carried out at the Pune headquarters. But true to the concept of a decentralised workplace, Sujatra runs all other ops (finance, CRM and HR) from six cities.     

The Growth

In sync with the fast-evolving fashion space, the startup has expanded to 10 categories from its initial focus on sarees. Additionally, it has initiated franchise operations in Canada and the US to reduce shipping costs and delivery time. Sujatra recently surpassed 100K orders and clocked top-line growth of 135% in FY23.      

What’s Next

Sujatra will set up an offline distribution network in the current calendar year and grow its presence across online marketplaces to drive omnichannel growth. It also aims to double its production capacity and boost order fulfilment and CRM processes. The startup will further focus on brand promotion for a couple of years to reach its target audience.