Rajshree Upadhyaya | Business Remedies | By creating the modern Indian ethnic fashion brand Sudathi, three cousins Viren, Hiren and Darshan Lathiya have made their mark. This brand has emerged from the deep textile culture of Surat, which had a clear and specific purpose – to redefine how Indian women access ethnic fashion. It was started in the year, 2023, and they had grown up closely connected with the fabric and garment trade of Gujarat. Taking advantage of this generational exposure, they decided to create a digital first fashion label, Which could offer trend-driven ethnic wear at much lower prices compared to traditional retail brands. The name Sudathi, which is a symbol of a beautiful and noble woman, reflects the founders’ intention that they wanted to celebrate everyday Indian women instead of only premium or occasion-based fashion.
From the beginning, Sudathi adopted a direct-to-consumer model, which removed the layer of middlemen. This approach helped the brand focus on affordability without compromising on visual appeal or variety. Its online storefront soon filled up with a large catalogue of sarees, kurtis, lehengas, blouses, skirts, dress material and ready-to-wear ethnic outfits, Which were designed according to daily wear, festival needs and wedding functions. By taking advantage of Surat’s manufacturing ecosystem and maintaining strict control over sourcing and production, Sudathi was able to introduce new designs quickly. At the same time, prices were kept easy for customers in tier II and tier III cities. In a very short time, the brand gained tremendous recognition due to discovery on social media and value-driven purchases. Sudathi positioned itself as a high-volume fashion brand, which focused on frequent product launches and large choice instead of limited premium collections. The founders emphasized speed, variety and digital reach, which ensured that customers could browse thousands of styles in fabrics like cotton, silk blend, georgette and chiffon. This model helped Sudathi move ahead rapidly in the competitive ethnic wear market dominated by old players and regional boutiques.
The company also expanded delivery coverage in India
The brand’s rapid development gained national visibility when the founders appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4. They entered the tank seeking funding of Rs. 1 crore and presented a bold vision of building one of India’s largest online ethnic fashion platforms. After discussions, Sudathi secured a deal of Rs. 1 crore for 4 percent equity from Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal and Aman Gupta, which marked an important validation of its business model. This deal not only provided capital but also strategic advice, operational guidance and increased credibility among consumers and partners. After appearing on Shark Tank, Sudathi focused on strengthening its logistics, customer reach and brand visibility. The company expanded delivery coverage in India, increased availability of cash-on-delivery and worked on reducing turnaround time. It also invested in marketing initiatives to establish itself as an affordable yet fashionable ethnic brand, especially to attract young and middle-income customers who want frequent wardrobe updates instead of one-time purchases.
Focusing on democratizing ethnic fashion
By the year 2025, Sudathi reported good revenue growth and a rapidly growing customer base, which shows the scalability of its D2C approach. However, like many fast-growing online fashion brands, it also faced challenges related to quality consistency, delivery timelines and customer service, as seen from mixed consumer feedback. These issues highlighted the operational difficulties of managing large-scale volumes in a price-sensitive market. By the year 2026, Sudathi is operational and actively selling through its online platform, regularly updating collections and engaging customers on digital channels. The brand is focusing on democratizing ethnic fashion by combining Surat’s textile strength with technology-based retail execution. Sudathi’s journey shows how a young, digitally native brand can grow rapidly by combining affordability, variety and speed with India’s changing fashion consumption habits.
