How She Built a Multi-Crore Modern Fashion Empire from Indian Craft | Aakriti Rawal | SS009

🎧 Stream Startup Seekho episodes on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1LxFmyS... In this episode of Startup Seekho, we’re joined by Aakriti Rawal, co-founder of House of Chikankari – a D2C fashion brand that blends tradition with modern aesthetics and has scaled to crores in revenue. From building an MVP with her mom, to getting featured on Shark Tank, and cracking the code on D2C, content-led growth, and customer trust — Aakriti shares her complete journey with zero filters. Whether you're an aspiring entrepreneur, D2C brand builder, or someone passionate about Indian textiles and culture, this episode is a goldmine of insights. Discover how she differentiated in a crowded market, navigated early growth, scaled to thousands of customers, and built a brand loved by celebrities and Shark Tank India alike. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 01:04 – 2 Phone Calls That Changed Her Life 03:27 – Why She Chose D2C & Discovered Chikankari as a Niche 11:05 – Why Brand Storytelling & Founder-Led Content Builds Trust 15:48 – How They Got Started with House of Chikankari (MVP) 21:12 – How They Decided Sizes in the Beginning 23:44 – How They Got Their First 100 Customers 31:15 – Journey from 100 to 3,000 Customers — What Worked 36:00 – How They Differentiated from Other Brands 38:31 – Discovering New Designs & Managing Inventory 48:55 – In-House Content vs. Agency – What Works for Fashion Brands? 50:53 – How She Got Celebrities to Wear Her Brand 55:02 – Life After Shark Tank India 01:00:21 – Aman vs. Piyush: Her Favorite Shark 01:01:20 – Tackling CAC, Return Rates & Fashion Industry Problems 01:04:08 – Untapped Opportunities in Fashion & Advice to Newcomers 01:06:31 – A Special Message for Moms (Her Mom is Her Co-founder) 01:08:38 – Moments When She Felt Like Giving Up 01:11:48 – Managing Roles & Dynamics with Her Mom 01:13:28 – Daily Rituals & Habits That Help Her Succeed 01:14:20 – Best Advice She Got & Tips for Young Founders 01:16:40 – Outro 💡 Follow Startup Seekho for more creator & founder journeys: 📌 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/startupseek... 📌 Clips Channel: @StartupSeekhoClips #AakritiRawal #HouseOfChikankari #StartupSeekho #SharkTankIndia #IndianFashion #D2CBrands #IndianCrafts #FashionEntrepreneur #WomenEntrepreneurs #D2CMasterclass #ContentMarketing #StartupPodcast #FounderStories #TraditionalFashion #Chikankari #BuildInIndia