This Startup Is Brewing Up A Storm In The Kids’ Fashion Market

When siblings Pooja Gupta and Raghav Gupta from Coimbatore were exploring gaps in India’s massive fashion industry, one segment that caught their attention was kids’ fashion. 

The market was filled with uninspired, one-size-fits-all designs and outdated lookbooks. The glaring whitespace led to the inception of Nap Chief, an activewear brand for children under 14 years of age. With this, the founders are on a voyage to transform the children’s fashion industry by combining comfort, style, and quality.

Nap Chief is redefining kids’ fashion by offering home and playwear that are both comfortable and stylish. 

The brand offers licensed merchandise — Harry Potter, Tom & Jerry, DC Comics, Marvel, Disney, ISRO, and more — which comprises a large portion of its total sales. In addition, Nap Chief offers a series of matching outfits for parents and kids under the ‘family twinning’ category.

Over the past few years, many D2C brands have emerged in the kids’ wear segment. In this cluttered market, Nap Chief competes with the likes of Mini Klub, Hopscotch, Kidsville, Includ, Ed-a-Mamma, Kidbea and Baby Forest, among others.

Nap Chief’s Revenue Doubles

The company’s net revenue for the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) surged 117% to INR 12.8 Cr from INR 5.9 Cr in FY23. Currently, the D2C brand serves over 1 Lakh registered customers on its website. It claims to have enjoyed a footfall of more than 22 Lakh unique visitors on its website in 2024. 

In 2024, Nap Chief launched 200 fresh designs and delivered more than 1 Lakh orders across 1,600 cities in the country. The company’s social media presence has also expanded, reaching 100K followers on Instagram.

The Coimbatore-based startup operates as a digital-first brand. Its website accounts for 60% of its revenue, while other online marketplaces such as Myntra, Amazon, FirstCry, Nykaa Fashion, Ajio, Tata Cliq, and Flipkart contribute 40%. In 2021, the D2C brand’s raised INR 2 Cr in funding from Tata Capital. 

What’s The Game Plan? 

For FY25, Nap Chief is projected to achieve a 95.32% increase in net revenue, crossing INR 25 Cr. In the long term, the D2C brand aims to expand its footprint in kids’ fashion by diversifying into new categories such as smart casuals, activewear, innerwear, and more — capturing a greater ‘wardrobe share’ in the market. 

Nap Chief is also planning to move towards an omnichannel presence by launching its exclusive brand outlets in top-performance cities like Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. With this, Nap Chief aims to achieve an annual recurring revenue of INR 100 Cr by 2026. 

[Authored By Anirudh Trivedi]