Abhishek: Yes.

Sanchita: Abhishek, so I'll start by telling you what exactly Mr. is. So everyone across the world is looking to what India is doing, what Indians are wearing, what Indians are talking, what Indians are speaking. As women, we have saree, have kurta, we have kurti to celebrate the Indian culture. And we proudly do it. A lot of women have started wearing sarees again. The discomfort initially which was attached to it has been reduced. But as men,

Abhishek: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Right. I Hmm.

Sanchita: What do you have to celebrate the Indian culture? T-shirts, shirts, polos, everything is beautiful. But what do you have on a daily wear basis to celebrate the Indian culture?

Abhishek: Yeah. T-shirts are always from the west not like from here. Yeah

Sanchita: Yes, so do understand that kurta is there, but kurta is very occasion specific for you. I honestly understand that kurta is too long for you to wear on a daily basis. A few people do wear it, but for the wider audience, it's very difficult to carry a kurta on a daily basis. Hence the short kurta comes into the picture. It is something that belongs to us. It is not something that's Western in a way.

Abhishek: Yeah. Right. Okay. Right.

Sanchita: Cutting down to it being a short thing is a western thing. But we have adapted into the Indian culture. Right? Hence the Mr. Sa name came into the picture. Mr. the modern Indian man. Sa is as we say in Rajasthan, Khamma Ghani Sa. Right? So it is for someone who modern yet connected to his roots. So Mr. Sa is not just a brand, but it is every man.

Abhishek: Mm-hmm. Thank you, thank thank Cool. Okay, ⁓ Right. day.

Sanchita: that is in India or sitting outside across the world. Right? Currently you are also Mr. Sa. Because every man is modern as well as connected to the roots. Deep in our heart we are connected to our roots. Our culture is something that we've been brought up with. Right? Hence Mr. Sa came into the picture. So we are creating short kurtaas for men. Currently just linen short kurtaas. Targeting so that you can proudly wear what you have of your own.

Abhishek: Yeah. Definitely. I know, yeah. Nice.

Sanchita: We are not trying to replace any t-shirt, shirt or shirts. We are just adding one more section in your wardrobe. So that while you travelling, you going on a date, you are going out with your friends, you can actually wear it. You just don't need an occasion to bring out that culture out of you.

Abhishek: Great. Mmm. Right, right, right.

Sanchita: That is about Mr. Saab. Yeah.

Abhishek: So you were trying to bring an alternative than a polo or like a shirt in the daily wear of mens with this particular segment. Cool. Cool. Okay. Yeah, yeah.

Sanchita: Yes, already a lot of people are building it, but no one is positioning in this way. And no one is just thinking about the short kurta. Short kurta is there for a lot of brands, but it is just a small segment of it. As we see the menswear is growing, the men's market in itself is growing right now. Right. We see a lot of investors have started investing into the men's grooming thing. And in general, the men market is growing. Men also need options and do understand that

Abhishek: Hmm. Great, great. I know. Yeah.

Sanchita: tapping into a niche helps you reach to a very, what I say, honest audience in that way. And I do understand that men are also very loyal to any brand. Correct. So hence the men's market, Mr. Sa, everything came into the picture for me.

Abhishek: Yeah. Right. I know once they like it they stick to them. Yeah. Sounds interesting, something which is very... As you said, the positioning. will see short kutas everywhere. I think Mainvar does that or like Mohay does that. They do have it, but there's no positioning of these particular that you can use them every day.

Sanchita: Yes.

Abhishek: I also used to consider them as something for like an occasion wear or something like that. Yeah, sounds good. So when did you start this and how long it's been?

Sanchita: So we've launched this this year on the 5th of February. It's been just four months for us. I've been working on this idea for almost a year now. So it was in the last June that I came up with the name. I was researching on this for almost one and a half year. Before quitting my job at Misho, I had this idea in my head, but was doing my thorough research before entering it before leaving the Misho thing. So it's been good one and a half years of research into what I'm trying to build. ⁓

Abhishek: ⁓ Mm-mm. Okay. Great.

Sanchita: One year of me doing the operations and everything and figuring out from where to source, how to do the packaging and everything. And it's been four months that we've launched the brand.

Abhishek: My next question was that what was your previous experience and what were you doing all this while?

Sanchita: So I am just another engineer who decided not to take the route of engineering, a common engineering thing, I guess. We go there just to explore what's coming up for us in the next few years of our life.

Abhishek: Yeah. You know, I'm a mechanical engineer now and I found that imagine how life turns you

Sanchita: I guess most of the engineers are not doing the engineering things. We all are a bhatka hua insan. So just another engineer. In college, someone told me that for non-tech, you need to do an MBA. ⁓ Tried entering the race, but couldn't complete the finish line over there. Started my career in hacker earth as an inside sales executive. Learned a lot about sales over there, how lead gen is done.

Abhishek: Yeah. ⁓

Sanchita: had a really good mentor who's been a mentor for me till life. ⁓ That was the entering thing for me into the corporate world. Right. So, and in turn, then I joined Exotel. Exotel is the IVR company. Right. So over there, I was working as a business evangelist. After that, I joined Incref. Incref was again a sales role for me. But one year into the company, one random morning, the founder called me and asked, will you EA? And I was like, yeah, I don't know what a year does.

Abhishek: Great.

Sanchita: And he also never had any EA. All he knew was I had always this key of doing something of my own. Right. So he told, you want to see how the management works. You want to see how the organization work. How are the top things done as an EA, will get that visibility. Right. And he always used to say that this to me that there's a very thin line between an EA and a peer. Right. Executive assistant and a personal assistant. A lot of founders miss it over there.

Abhishek: Right. Right. Yeah, I know.

Sanchita: And so he told me that I'll make sure that I don't get you involved in any personal thing. And you use as much as much of a caliber you want to use as an EF for me. So I used to research, I used to study, I used to communicate. So learned a lot from him over there. Alongside he gave me the LND thing as well. So I was taking care of the learning and development department as well. So it gave me an idea on how the training things also work. Then later I went to Mishra. Mishra I was working as an EA to Sanjeev. Worked over there for a year. I always entered Misho with the mindset that I'm here for just a short time because like everyone else, I also wanted to have that stamp of a good company. ⁓ honestly, Misho, I went to Misho with that thing only that at least I'll add some credibility, more credibility to my resume. By that time, I knew that if not now, then never for me at least because I was turning 30 soon and ⁓ everything around me is running fast.

Abhishek: Mm-hmm. Right. Right. Hey.

Sanchita: ⁓ Everyone around me told that Misho is going in IPO next year. You're doing a stupid thing of leaving Misho currently. But I knew either this or that for me and took that hard call. It was very difficult for me to leave Misho because there's a bubble in the world right now, right? That it is a dream company for a lot of people and I was leaving it in just a year. Left it, took a three, four month break. Was researching on this, traveled a bit.

Abhishek: Yeah. I

Sanchita: Like a lot of founders, do, like they take a break. So I traveled a bit and then started working on it. And it's been one year, one month, almost a year for me since I've been working on this. We have sold close to 110 Kortas till now in the past four months. And it's been all organic for us. Haven't spent any money on ads till now. We'll start working on that as well. But our main focus was just to grow till then.

Abhishek: I can see the tag on Instagram.

Sanchita: have a bit reviews on the website so that I can add that credibility when I'm reaching out to wider audience. So that has worked wonderfully for us. So that's about my career journey.

Abhishek: Yeah. Sounds interesting. mean, pretty much, I would say a good experience. You know, I think being an EA is also being a founder by yourself. I mean, you always think on the founders view, you know, either executing the tasks or like delegating the tasks. So I think it has been a lot under your maybe table. But then, yeah, I wanted to talk more.

Sanchita: Yes.

Abhishek: side like is there something different you guys are doing in terms of the material or like what is that nick you are adding then all other competitors in the market in terms of packaging or in terms of branding what is that in a usb that you want to like put it out

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. The number one thing is quality, right? So what we are selling for 2499 for the linen quality in the market, you will not get that quality for 2499. I've tried all the competitors. I've tried ordering all the linen in the market. This is somewhere priced above 4000 for what quality we are selling right now. Though for us the margins are less, but this is what initially we have to do to set that brand value across the world. Right? So

Abhishek: Right. Thank you. Mm-hmm. No.

Sanchita: that we are selling it a 60 Lee linen. So linen has different grades like 40 Lee, 60 Lee, 80 Lee, 100 Lee. So generally 60 Lee is being advised to use for men's clothing. So we are using a 60 Lee, it's 100 % pure linen. A lot of people have started coming back to me saying that it has become like our favorite jeans. Because you get to understand when you wear a pure linen, you know the quality of your body itself. Your body says that you're wearing something good.

Abhishek: Mm. Right. in. Right. Right.

Sanchita: So yes, the number one thing is the quality thing. The second thing is definitely our packaging. So recently our reel also went viral around our packaging thing. one thing I realized is that men also want to feel special. Gone are the days that men were like, okay, whatever we are getting, we are fine with this. They also want to see that effort. Experimental and you also want to feel that, we are also special.

Abhishek: Mmm. Boom. Yeah. Experimental. We have become experimental. Yeah.

Sanchita: Like a few years back, was why should women have all the fun? Why should men have all the fun? I'm saying the reverse way. Why should men have all the fun? With respect to packaging and having these things, why should women have all the fun? Our brands, the brands who are catering to women are thinking a lot around when a woman opens the box, how they feel. But no one is thinking in that way. A lot of people say, we are very simple. We don't need it. so what one thing that I did was when I initially launched the brand, right.

Abhishek: Yeah.

Sanchita: For the first two months, I handed the boxes myself within Bangalore. I saw that happiness on the face of men when they got to open that box. So we've created a black box. There are a few surprise elements which I cannot say unless and until you order, you'll get to know. So the packaging is something that people have started even gifting it to people because they don't need to give a second thought around it. So a customer who had bought one short kurta from me, the next day he had ordered five short kurta's.

Abhishek: Yeah. ⁓

Sanchita: saying this I'll give gift it to my brother-in-law's who are coming and meeting me tomorrow because it's a full package, right? And it's an experience. And he just asked me, you write the names outside like what pieces inside? Because I also want to give them this experience of opening this box.

Abhishek: Nice. I know. I know. Yeah.

Sanchita: So we've created an experience for you. We've tried to make you feel that you're paying something that's premium, so you're feeling that as well. So these two things are there. ⁓ That is the main focus for me, the quality, and you feel special when the box features to you.

Abhishek: Right. So I have an analogy here coming to T2C brands especially in clothing wear that you know I see a lot of aspirin brand for gen Z's are making good market if you see blue orange or like jaywalking they come under streetwear

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. Yes. Yes.

Abhishek: Right and also if you take Comet and there is something called as Gully Labs in the shoes segment which is also aspirational for Gen Z and if you take Gully Labs is particularly the I think the positioning of your brand and Gully Labs is the same bringing that culture into you know an aspirational market for global audience. Okay.

Sanchita: Mm-hmm.

Abhishek: So if you see this wave which is going on and you are also positioning in the same thing, do you think, are you being aspirational for genzies? Do you think that genzies can take your product and use it?

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. Yes, so I'll answer to that Abhishek. Honestly, a month back, I was just restricting my audience to somewhere in the age of 26 to 45. Because I used to think that only these men are the one who will be ready to buy something for the price range. Right? I met someone last month who is a Gen Z and he actually broke that stereotype for me in my head. So he told me very clearly that you're wrong over here that

Abhishek: Right.

Sanchita: Gen Z will not buy this thing because of the price range. Right? Everyone has to create content. Right? What you're wearing shows on the camera. So maybe they'll buy less, but they'll buy it. Because they want to look different and they want to look premium on the camera also. So for what quality you're selling, they are also your audience. To cater to them, we are trying to add designs that go along with them. So till now it was just solids. Right? You're working on the prints over there.

Abhishek: Thank Mmm. Mmm. date. Mm. Mmm. I Right.

Sanchita: so that it's catchy for them as well.

Abhishek: Perfect, exactly, yeah.

Sanchita: So because initially, as I tell you, we are working on linen right now. For a bootstrap company to create an inventory out of the linen thing is very heavy on the pocket. So we were just seeing how the market works for us, what is the demand coming, and then we'll start creating more. So solids is a very safe bet for any brand. If you see, we've had Indian names to it, if you might have seen the website. So we have six colors still now.

Abhishek: Yeah. I know. Right. Right. Yeah, I've done.

Sanchita: So best seller is more punky more punky is a bluish color that is the shade of a peacock's feather. Right. The second is bored. Bored is the color of morning. Right. It's a light peach color. And people found these names also interesting. Right. The third color is asked money asked money is the sky color asked man blue. The fourth is white. It's called sadabhar because white is always there in the fashion. The fifth

Abhishek: Yeah, yeah. Right? Right. I know, yeah. I would go for white if I had to.

Sanchita: ⁓ To my surprise, I thought that white is something that a lot of people will buy. But white is the less seller for me because a lot of people have whites already in their wardrobes. On demand, we added two colors after that. One is black. Black is Ama. Ama is the color of Amavasya, the night color. Right? And the sixth color is ⁓ henna, the color of Mehendi. So it's that greenish color. So we've tried to make sure that again,

Abhishek: ⁓ huh. Right. Hmm. I know, yeah.

Sanchita: Those colors are fast colors. They are almost in everyone's wardrobe. So that was a safe bet for me to go with solids first, see what the feedback is coming. And the next thing is print so that we can target even the Gen Zs. Something which we'll be probably experimenting with is that the anime thing is growing a lot. If we have an anime print on a short kurta, there is nothing in the Indian thing that is catering to anime and the Indian culture itself.

Abhishek: Yeah, you're Okay. in.

Sanchita: So we are trying to experiment. don't know how that will come out. But since the people are going a lot towards anime, you might have noticed that if we go back two years, right in the airports, there were no anime stores, but currently they are. Everyone has started selling anime in the malls itself. Figurines have been there in the market. So that market is also growing. So we are just trying to experiment what will work, what will not work, not making any predictions before that. So

Abhishek: Mm. I know. There are many, yeah. Yeah. Thanks. Thanks.

Sanchita: Prints is something that will give a clarity more on what prints are working for us, what people are asking for us. So.

Abhishek: Sounds good. I have an insight for you here, Sanchita. I was talking to a marketeer who has worked with all the Gen Z aspirational brands in India which are really doing good. Give me an insight. If you provide value to the age group of 18 to 24,

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. Okay.

Abhishek: If you provide value, they feel that you are giving the right value. They are ready to pay you 10,000 rupees as well. They don't look at the money, but at the value. But whereas when you look at 26 to 34, rather than value, it's the price range. are sorry, 26 to 34, rather than the price. I mean the value, they look at the price range. I have 3000 rupees in my pocket. So I'm going to check what all brands are available in the market. But whereas 18 to 24,

Sanchita: Okay. Mm-hmm.

Abhishek: looks at the value first not the price range then pays it so this is what you know markets mindset is right now and I have also observed it very keenly because being myself I look at the designs if I really like it even if it's above my pocket I try to get it out you know buy it check it out so this is something that you know as a brand owner you can play with

Sanchita: Hmm Mm-hmm. Nice. Aha. Nice interesting yes. True that, true that.

Abhishek: Yes, I mean you can go for a customized designs on your Kutas. A consumer can come in and ask you for a customized design of his name, of a picture of something else and you can ask a premium for it.

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. ⁓ huh. Nice.

Abhishek: He pays for it. That's how Jordans have worked. know, Nike's Jordans, they have customized designs and they ask you for a premium for it. So that is also a good market that you can look into it or like, which is very well working in the market.

Sanchita: Yes. interesting, adding to what you're saying, Abhishek. Now I realize the whole story thing. So when you said that 25 to 34, 36 age people, they look for pricing more than value over there, right? So when I was doing my research, I always had this in my head that maybe Gen Z is not my customer. Right? Initially, I used to have this. So whatever research I used to do, whatever questions I used to ask was the people in the range of 25 to 36.

Abhishek: Great. Great. Ready.

Sanchita: And I asked them, would you like to have your names or initials or customization? And they no, we don't need it. While the Gen Z needs it. Right? So this, whole thing comes into the picture for me over here that maybe I never thought from their perspective.

Abhishek: Yeah, exactly. As a consumer, I'll also add one more point. I'll take a very good brand which is in the market, Bombay Shed Company. Okay.

Sanchita: Correct.

Abhishek: they are like customized for your sizes and all. So what they do is they put down whatever you asked like two letters of your name. So my name is Abhishek Pinniday and ask them to put AP on the callers or like that feels very personalized to me. You know, I feel worth for what I am paying. Even Apple does that. They have the engraving of the names. So I feel that exactly. So

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. ⁓ huh. Late. Yes they have.

Abhishek: Because you said you were targeting 25-34, I was not happy with that. Try targeting 18-24.

Sanchita: This is a reality check which I've been getting for the past month, whoever I'm talking to right now. I guess because you are surrounded with people of your age, so you become, you break that wall around you. But this is what I guess meeting people gives you that perspective that you're thinking in the wrong direction.

Abhishek: Yeah. Exactly, exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I see all the way. tell you, I mean, we all of us are in a bubble. I'm in a bubble. You are in a bubble and we don't know what's happening outside a bubble. So sometimes we have to get out of it and think out of the box and you know, take that reality. I know that reality check is hard. We always feel we are right. But take that reality and try to work things out is what, you know, makes us go in the market.

Sanchita: Eric. Yes. Mm-hmm. Yes. As founders, we have to be open anyways, because we cannot be adamant if we have to grow our brands. We have to work the way the audience want us to. So, interesting, yes.

Abhishek: Yeah. Exactly. Maybe you might have come, tell me if you're coming with something which is customized, I'll be the one to order first. ⁓

Sanchita: Done, done, we'll work on this. But without customization also you should order. You'll love the experience of opening the box.

Abhishek: For sure, for sure. ⁓ Anyways, by the way, I'm moving to Bangalore next month, so probably I'll order once I'm there. For sure, for sure.

Sanchita: Then I'll come and deliver it to you. We'll also have a conversation around that then. Would love to see your expression also because it's a wholesome experience when anyone opens what you've paid. That smile is very beautiful when you see them opening the box, seeing that open everything bit by bit. And when they see that final product and they say, yeah, beautiful. We're loving it, what you're doing. So it's a very overwhelming experience as a founder for me because

Abhishek: Right. Right. Right. Right.

Sanchita: We've always worked in the corporate world working for others. When you start building for the people, it's a beautiful feeling to see come into picture.

Abhishek: Right. it. I know, I know. I mean, seeing the smiles on the faces of your customers is the ultimate thing you can never expect building a brand. I completely agree with that. So, coming to Mr. Saab, what is your vision for the next five years? Where do you want to place it and where do you want to take it?

Sanchita: Yes. I don't know about the next five years, honestly. All I want to be is I've heard from a lot of people that a lot of D2C brands come and they die in one or two years. Right. I don't want to be that another brand who dies in another two years. Right. ⁓ You've created that customer base till now. Maybe initially our growth will be slow, but we will be always focused more on organic growth because they are again more of loyal, honest customers.

Abhishek: Exactly. Mmm. Right.

Sanchita: We'll always try to give that quality instead of being a part of that rat race, creating margins more and reducing the quality that will never be in my radar at least. So my focus is just to grow, survive and deliver what I'm currently delivering. It's the quality thing. People should come back and say that we are very happy with what you're creating. So I'll tell you a small part to that. I belong to a family of clothes. Right? So my mother has her own boutique. My grandpa had his cloth shop. Right? And ⁓ I've been always, I've always wore good clothes. My parents might cut on some other thing, but they'll never cut on a quality of cloth. If I buy... Yes. They say, you visible. They've been very clear to me. If I buy something cheap or if I buy something...

Abhishek: Mm. ⁓ nice. Mmm. because they know them. Thanks.

Sanchita: that's not up to their quality mark. I still date I get scolding from them. I've always wore good quality clothes and I know it shows on you. So this is what I'll always want to deliver it to other people as well. As you said clearly to me Genzy, ⁓ they also want to wear something good I've realized in the past few months. ⁓ So this is what we want to deliver. I honestly don't have a very clear path on

Abhishek: Right. Mm.

Sanchita: how the next five years will be for me. The current focus is to add more customers, grow and survive. That's it. No numbers in head. ⁓ We'll try our best to grow. But honestly, there are no numbers in my head. That we have we have to much. Gradually, one step at a time, we'll grow there. ⁓ With whatever the market is giving back to us, whatever we are creating. Maybe too early to answer this, how next five years are going to

Abhishek: Right. Right. Right. Great, great.

Sanchita: So if one year down the line, maybe I'll be better to answer ki yaar aap agli 5 saal mere kaisa dikhne wale hai. But currently just figuring out ki yaar how to keep this brand surviving, how to grow organically, add more value to people and give quality to them. That's it.

Abhishek: Okay. I think being practical because you are in the early stage is the perfect way to handle it ⁓ because you are trying out something because I think you are trying to create this awareness of market it's not something which is there in the market you're trying to create that awareness then encroach the market so whatever you have told makes sense and ⁓

Sanchita: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Abhishek: It was great talking to you, Sanchita. I have more questions coming towards you but we'll do it in another part. I want to keep this very short because usually if it goes above 30 minutes, we are not getting the traction from YouTube, to be honest.

Sanchita: Sorry, attention spam is actually decreasing. ⁓

Abhishek: Yeah, see when they go to YouTube, they look at the time of the show. If they see it more than 45 minutes, they think it's a movie. So they don't try to watch it. So what they do, they look at it it's below 30 minutes and put it on 1.5 or 1.25. So it comes down to 12 minutes. So while they were eating or while they were driving, short drives and all of that, they'll finish this. So that's the theory behind this.

Sanchita: Nice, nice. Great Abhishek. It was really good talking to you. And the Gen Z thing is, I guess there are a lot of signals which I'm getting. Maybe I was wrong over there and I'll try to add things over there. Also, we have launched our US website day before yesterday. So we are tapping to the global market as well because I do understand that Indians sitting outside love what we are creating over here. So I just don't want to leave that part blank for me.

Abhishek: Yeah. Yeah. ⁓ cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Sanchita: We have created a website we are selling in US also now.

Abhishek: Right. Cool. Nice. And I think a lot of non-nationalist of Indians like all other Europeans or Australians, they tend... I see when I travel, see in Bali or Sri Lanka, they wear these kuttas a lot. Even we don't wear them as casual as they would. So maybe that is a very good market that you can target as well.

Sanchita: Yes. Yes. Drank, drank, drank, drank, drank.

Abhishek: ⁓ It was nice talking to Sanjita. Thanks for your time and thanks for being here on Vittal Spot. And I'll see you soon.

Sanchita: Thank you Abhishek, it was great talking to you.