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The Ethnic Entrepreneurs There is no dearth of options when it comes to choosing ethnic attire in the modern era. However, people have been more mindful of their ethnic wear choices as it reflects the individuals' roots. Aachho is giving ethnic fashion a contemporary twist.

By Punita Sabharwal

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Aachho
Anurag Singh Khangarot 34, Co-founder & Rimjhim Hada, 30, Founder & Creative Head, Aachho

In the modern era, there is no dearth of options when it comes to choosing ethnic attire. Ironically, the modern era is the time when people need to be more mindful of their ethnic wear choices as it reflects the individuals' roots. It is more than just pieces of fabrics sewn together, that have myriad emotions attached. Every ethnic ensemble echoes a unique culture and identity and there is always an untold "Aachho" story that deserves its moment of glory. Aachho means "too good' in the local Rajasthani dialect which is similar to Anurag's business philosophy of providing quality and beautiful ethnic products at an affordable price.

The inception of the company happened when in 2016 Anurag's wife, Rimjhim was searching ethnic wear online and she could not find authentic craftsmanship products. Aachho started off as an attempt to introduce authentic quality products at reasonable prices. According to Rimjhim, the creative director and the co-founder of Aachho, she would experiment with treasured bandhej and lehriya dresses of her mother to create something contemporary aiming to nail a unique look during her college days. She also gave a contemporary touch to an heirloom gold-zari Rajputi poshak at her and Anurags' wedding in 2015 by blending it with a new fabric.

With the customer return rate of the company being around 40%, Aachho is working on different collections as well as new product lines as the focus has been on revamping and revolutionizing ethnic wear in modern, contemporary silhouettes. Aachho is offering a wide range of ethnic wear which includes handblock, hand-painted, handcrafted products along with handcrafted jutti or footwear, jewellery, and handcrafted bags. Not only does the company deliver pan-India serving over 5 Lakh customers, but the company also delivers its good to over 220 countries.

Anurag on the growth of Aachho, "We envision Aachho as a lifetime journey aiming to build a multi-generational business legacy and hence we opted for a bootstrapped way. Adopting a lean business mode did enrich our business acumen which we are now leveraging across our different brands"

Anurag believes the highs for Aachho has been the validation of the products by customers, influencers, and celebrities. The dynamic couple feels the most joy when their customers, celebrities, and influencers share their looks by posting reels or pictures of them dressed up in Aachho products as well as tagging the company on Instagram. Aachho is a profitable company and has crossed the break even within the first year of its inception. The startup is self-funded with no liability or debt. With the thirst and a tendency to prove that "ethnic' is not just a sidebar reference rather it is a part of mainstream fashion has wanted them to contribute to the ethnic wear market. According to market estimates- the market for ethnic (Men and Women) is valued at approximately INR 17,000-18,000 Crores. The company is thriving with 1.75x growth experienced in 20-21 FY and clocked INR 19 Cr in 20-21 as it has also has started a footwear brand called Jaysole to serve its existing customer base. The company is also looking to scale its business from local to global. The co-founders aim to cross INR 75 Cr –100 Cr by the next FY as they aim to contribute to the ever-evolving market with an emphasis on capturing offline segments, mainly the Tier I & Tier II Cities as the majority of the company's esteemed clientele belong from these cities.

Punita Sabharwal

Entrepreneur Staff

Managing Editor, Entrepreneur India

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