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Women-Owned Brand Boosted Rs 40 Lakh On Shark Tank India
The journey of the Angrakhaa brand began around five years ago when two lady entrepreneurs Vishakha Bhaskkar and Asana Riamei joined hands and founded the inclusive women’s apparel line. Recently, the duo were able to secure a budget of Rs. 40 lakhs from the co-founder of CarDekho, Amit Jain, through their dynamic presentation on Shark Tank India.
According to the founder of the inclusive clothing company, the brand’s success has served as a form of validation for someone who has battled body image problems since a little kid. Vishakha Bhaskkar, one of the founders of Angrakhaa states, “I have battled with remarks about my body for my whole life, and this is something that begins in your own household. Some nasty relative passing a stray remark in front of 50 other people leaves a mark, regardless of what age you are. It’s humiliating, even if you’re an adult”.
Angrakhaa, a brand of fashionable clothes that welcomes women of all shapes and sizes has more than 400 patterns and offers a whopping size range from XXS to 5XL. Bhaskkar consistently had a lifelong passion for fashion and frequently experimented with unique designs and outfits. But like many of us, she often encountered unsolicited comments like “You dress up so beautifully for your weight”. Bhaskkar broke the norms and opted for a job instead of attempting college placements, where she began creating content on fashion for a Gurugam company. Bhaskkar’s turning point in life was when she met Riamei, the co-founder of Angrakhaa, at her next job with an anonymous designer. They formed a strong bond during their term at the company Bhaskkar pledged to Riamei that she would contact her once she finalizes deciding to launch her own business. Soon after Bhaskkar acquired some business management experience in Mumbai, she returned to Delhi and launched Angrakhaa in 2018. Riamei eventually joined her after a while, and they began their journey off modestly, with only 15 original pieces in their debut collection.
Behind Angrakhaa
According to Bhaskkar, she decided on the name “Angrakhaa” to represent the silhouette they liked. The company sells clothing categorized in both Western and Indian styles, and the majority of the designs are fitted at the waist, to enhance and create a sublime shape for everyone. The brand outfits are mostly made from cotton and rayon with designs created with comfort and ease in mind. The clothing is categorized into three sections: Indian Wear, Occasion Wear, and Summer Wear, and they often market in eye-catching sales. Bhaskkar was already well-known as a fashion blogger ahead of launching Angrakhaa because of her previous job. This made it relatively easier for the duo to promote the brand via social platforms, where it started receiving attention from the people around.
Regrettably, as a result of the founders’ inability to attain orders during the Corona pandemic, the brand faced a downfall. As luck would have it, the outsourcing business model prevented the company from going bankrupt as the duo failed to pay the wages. Thanks to the duo’s courageous mindset and faith in themselves, the brand diverged from reaching the bottom pit with the help of continuous support from loved ones. Amid the epidemic, the business owners enrolled in a variety of courses, including one with Meta, where they learned how to manage their brand’s internet presence.
Ardent fans of Angrakhaa have reacted overwhelmingly positively to the business since the episode Shark Tank India broadcasted on television. Accordingly to Bhaskkar, the brand sales have accelerated by three times since then and the followers on the Instagram page have increased from 63k to over 82k. Both Bhaskkar and Riamei are pleased to have Amit Jain on board as their investor and look forward to enabling them to develop the brand with a stronger focus on digital marketing. Future plans call for the business owners to grow the Indian market, which is gaining popularity, and hopefully to introduce the bridal line with an emphasis on bridesmaid attire and outfits for mehendi, haldi, sangeet, and such private events. Additionally, the brand intends to introduce bags and footwear collections soon.
Pic Credit: Angrakhaa
