New Delhi: Building a successful fashion brand takes much more than good designs. It requires a clear vision, strong execution, and a deep understanding of what customers want. For Mayank Jain, Founder of Kalpraag, the journey started with decades of experience in textile manufacturing and a dream to create a premium Indian ethnic wear brand that combines quality, craftsmanship, and affordability.
Coming from a third-generation textile manufacturing family, Mayank Jain grew up around fabrics and garment production. His family’s business began in 1965 and supplied premium fabrics to many well-known fashion brands across India. After taking over the family business following his father’s demise in 2003, Jain spent more than 20 years learning every aspect of textile manufacturing. However, one question stayed in his mind for years, if his company could produce world-class fabrics for other brands, why not create one of its own?
This thought eventually led to the launch of Kalpraag, a premium men’s ethnic wear brand inspired by India’s heritage, architecture, art, and cultural traditions. The company aims to offer designer-quality ethnic wear at accessible prices while giving every collection a meaningful story that customers can connect with.
According to Jain, the biggest gap in the market was not just about pricing but about creating an emotional connection with customers. He observed that many brands either focused only on luxury or only on affordability. Very few offered premium quality, beautiful craftsmanship, and meaningful storytelling together.
Kalpraag’s manufacturing background has become one of its biggest advantages. Since the company controls its own fabric production and manufacturing process, it can maintain high quality while reducing unnecessary costs. This allows the brand to deliver what Jain calls “affordable luxury” without compromising on craftsmanship.
One of the biggest milestones in Kalpraag’s journey came in 2024 with the launch of its Nayaab Collection. Interestingly-, the collection was planned during one of the toughest phases of Jain’s life. In June 2024, he suffered a serious medical emergency and spent time in the ICU. Instead of slowing down, he used the recovery period to plan the brand’s next chapter.
Working from his hospital bed, Jain continued preparing the Nayaab Collection while also planning Kalpraag’s first flagship store in Delhi. When the collection launched in August 2024, customer response exceeded expectations. The collection quickly gained popularity, repeat purchases increased, and brand awareness grew significantly. Jain believes this was the turning point that transformed Kalpraag from a passion project into a fast-growing fashion brand.
Despite his long experience in textile manufacturing, Jain believes building a consumer-facing brand is much more challenging. Manufacturing mainly focuses on producing quality products efficiently, but creating a successful brand requires winning customer trust every day. It involves understanding changing consumer preferences, offering memorable shopping experiences, developing unique collections, and continuously innovating to stay competitive.
Jain also highlighted how customer preferences have changed over the past decade. Earlier, ethnic wear was mostly limited to weddings and festivals. Today, customers wear ethnic clothing as a reflection of their personal style and identity. Buyers now pay close attention to fabric quality, comfort, craftsmanship, and originality. They are also more willing to spend on premium products if they see genuine value and authenticity behind the brand.
Although online shopping has become increasingly popular, Jain believes physical retail continues to play an important role in ethnic fashion. Customers often prefer to see and feel the garments before making a purchase. Kalpraag’s flagship store in Delhi showed that visitors were not simply buying clothes, they wanted to experience the brand, understand the stories behind each collection, and appreciate the craftsmanship.
The offline stores have also helped the company better understand customer preferences by observing which fabrics, colours, and designs attract the most attention. Encouraged by the success of its Delhi outlet, Kalpraag has expanded to Hyderabad and is preparing to open new stores in Gurgaon and Bhopal through its franchise model.
In an increasingly competitive ethnic wear market, Jain believes Kalpraag stands apart because of its focus on authenticity rather than simply competing on price or design. Every collection is inspired by India’s heritage and supported by decades of textile expertise. According to him, customers may appreciate a good design, but they remember brands that create meaningful experiences.
Looking ahead, Kalpraag is planning aggressive expansion both in India and overseas. The company has already entered international markets, including the United States, where Indian ethnic wear has received encouraging demand. Within India, Kalpraag plans to expand through exclusive stores and franchise partnerships, with a target of opening between 15 and 25 stores over the next few years. However, Jain says the company’s goal is much bigger than opening more outlets. He wants Kalpraag to become a globally recognised Indian fashion brand that proudly represents the country’s craftsmanship and cultural heritage.
Sharing advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, Jain says every business should begin by solving a real problem instead of simply chasing success. He believes patience, resilience, consistency, and a commitment to quality are essential for building a lasting brand. While trends continue to change, authenticity and excellence remain timeless qualities that help businesses earn customer trust and achieve long-term success.
Today, with an estimated valuation of around ₹200 crore and growing recognition in India and international markets, Kalpraag’s journey reflects how traditional manufacturing expertise can be transformed into a modern consumer brand. By combining premium craftsmanship, meaningful storytelling, and a customer-first approach, the company is steadily building its position among India’s fastest-growing premium ethnic wear brands.
