How do you see the growth trajectory of your ‘Only Sarees’ brand over the next few years?
The ‘Only Sarees’ positioning is not a limitation—it is the core opportunity. We are operating in an ₹80,000 crore market that remains over 90% unorganised. While multi-category retailers can participate in this space, customers seeking a Baluchari or Kanjivaram saree are looking for depth, expertise, and authenticity.
This is the gap we are building for. From a single store in Kolkata in 1971, we have expanded to 68 stores across India and are opening a new store every 7–10 days. Our long-term target is 500 stores by 2030, which we believe is the scale required to take this category truly national.
Beyond numbers, what excites me more is the cultural shift. Younger women are now embracing sarees as everyday fashion, not just occasional wear. That fundamentally expands the market. Our responsibility is to serve this evolving consumer with the right product, trust, and accessibility across geographies.
How do you see the future of the saree industry evolving, especially in the context of sustainable and ethical fashion?
Sarees are not adapting to sustainability—they have always embodied it. Natural fibres, handloom weaving, and generational craftsmanship have been part of the ecosystem for centuries. Whether it is Banarasi, Baluchari, or Kanjivaram, these traditions have always been inherently eco-conscious.
What is changing is consumer awareness. Today’s buyers are asking deeper questions about sourcing, authenticity, and craftsmanship. This shift works strongly in favour of the saree.
Organised retail will accelerate this transformation by bringing structure, transparency, and accountability to a historically trust-based market. This will reposition the saree not just as a heritage garment, but as one of the most responsible fashion choices available today.
What are your strategic plans for expanding and strengthening this segment over the next five years?
Our strategy operates across three pillars: retail, digital, and craft.
On retail, we aim to scale from 68 stores to 500 by 2030, expanding across metros, Tier-2 cities, and underserved markets. A significant portion of this expansion will follow our FOCO franchise model, enabling faster growth while maintaining operational standards. We also plan to enter international markets, starting with the UK and the US.
On digital, the focus is on a fully integrated omnichannel ecosystem rather than standalone platforms. Our website, store-led video commerce, WhatsApp commerce, and AI-driven personalisation are all designed to create a seamless customer journey.
On craft, we are strengthening our direct engagement with over 15,000 artisans across 60+ weaving clusters. For us, supply chain integrity is not back-end—it is central to the brand promise.
Do you believe the unorganised nature of the saree sector continues to act as a barrier to structured growth?
Earlier, it was a barrier. Today, it is the biggest opportunity in Indian retail.
A market that is over 90% unorganised lacks consistency and scalability, but that also creates significant whitespace for organised players. Those who bring discipline and structure will define the category for the next two decades.
Being recognised as ‘Best Regional Retailer – East’ at the ET Great India Retail Awards 2026 is an early indicator that organised heritage retail is gaining institutional recognition.
Our focus is to formalise trust through transparency, standardisation, and reliability, while preserving the cultural essence of the saree.
Do you see growing demand for Indian sarees in international markets?
Yes, the demand is real and expanding. Importantly, it is no longer limited to the Indian diaspora. Global consumers are increasingly drawn to craft-based, story-driven fashion.
The saree has all the ingredients to succeed globally—exceptional craftsmanship, cultural depth, and strong heritage value. Our goal is to position it alongside other global heritage fashion categories where craft and provenance define value.
We already serve international customers through allsilks.com and are preparing to open our first physical stores in the UK and US within the next 24–36 months.
What are the key challenges Indian Silk House Agencies faces in 2026?
The biggest challenge is scaling authenticity.
As the brand grows, maintaining sourcing integrity while scaling rapidly becomes increasingly complex. Speed without control can compromise quality, which we actively work to avoid.
To address this, we have built a centralised supply chain system that tracks every product from weaving cluster to customer. We also operate with a leadership team of over 600 professionals, including experienced hires from leading retail and fashion brands.
We work directly with artisan clusters instead of intermediaries to ensure authenticity, even if it slows down operations.
Sustainable growth in this category depends on balancing ambition with execution discipline.
How is digital transformation impacting saree retail and customer behaviour?
Digital has become the first point of discovery, even for traditional purchases. Customers today are far more informed before they enter a store or make a purchase decision.
We are seeing strong omnichannel behaviour—digital exploration followed by in-store finalisation. Both channels are now complementary rather than competitive.
Technology, especially AI-led personalisation and assisted commerce, is also simplifying decision-making in a high-involvement category like sarees.
More importantly, digital platforms have helped bring sarees back into everyday fashion, especially among younger women. Through campaigns like Brides of India, Weddings of India, and World Saree Day, and platforms like allsilks.com, we are also taking Indian weaves to a global audience.
The saree is experiencing a cultural resurgence, and our focus is to ensure that momentum continues.