Aanchal Saini built Flyrobe into India’s fashion rental leader

Flyrobe is a fashion rental store that helps one rent gorgeous dresses and accessories from world-class brands at a minimum price.  Without cutting a hole in your pocket, men and women can get their perfect look for special occasions.

Meet Aanchal Saini, the woman behind Flyrobe.

About Aanchal Saini

Aanchal left her career as a lawyer at the Delhi High Court to choose a different kind of success, one rooted in ownership, uncertainty, and building something of her own.

For seven years, Aanchal worked as a practising lawyer, handling litigation, arbitration, CBI matters, and matrimonial cases. A high-paying role at a large law firm was within reach. At the same time, her family encouraged her to start her own practice or build something independent. Between logic and instinct, Aanchal chose to take the leap.

Together with her husband and his brother, she resigned from her job. The three of them pooled their savings and stepped into an idea that very few people in India understood at the time—renting clothes.

Origin

In 2015, fashion rental was not a trend. It was a concept that needed explanation.

Aanchal had noticed a simple contradiction. Cupboards were full, yet everyone said they had nothing to wear. Expensive outfits were worn once and then forgotten. Weddings demanded heavy spending for garments that rarely saw a second use.

That gap became the foundation of the brand.

The founders first started with a brand called Rent It Bae and invested close to two crore rupees of their own money. The idea was straightforward. Instead of buying a dress for a few thousand rupees and wearing it once, people could rent it for a fraction of the cost and return it after the event.

Initial Growth as Rent It Bae

The early days were hard. There were no examples to follow and no systems in place. Every process had to be created from scratch.

They began with western wear and accessories, but even the smallest details posed challenges. Something as basic as tagging garments became a problem because the ink on labels would fade after a few dry cleans. Every obstacle required experimentation and patience.

When the team ran out of money for marketing, something unexpected happened. Media houses noticed their work. The Economic Times wrote about them. The Hindu featured them. Even the BBC covered their story. That organic attention brought customers and helped the business survive its most fragile phase.

Acquiring the market leader Flyrobe

In 2020, Aanchal and her team made a bold move. They acquired Flyrobe, the largest fashion rental company in India at the time, which had raised nearly seventy to eighty crore rupees from investors.

Aanchal often describes it as a small local brand acquiring a global giant.

After the acquisition, she became the CEO of Flyrobe. Under her leadership, the brand transformed. It moved away from Western party wear and focused deeply on ethnic and wedding wear. Today, Flyrobe serves both men and women and has become one of India’s most recognized names in wedding fashion rentals.

Customers of Flyrobe

The customer mindset has evolved significantly over the years. A decade ago, people rented because they could not afford expensive outfits. Today, they rent because it is a smarter choice.

Flyrobe’s core customers are between 20 and 40 years old. This stage of life is filled with weddings, celebrations, and milestones. Millennials and Gen Z prefer spending on travel, experiences, and investments rather than buying outfits they will wear once.

Even parents now support renting. Instead of spending one or two lakh rupees on a lehenga, families prefer saving or investing that money elsewhere.

When fashion becomes emotional

One story remains close to Aanchal’s heart.

An NRI family wanted their foreign daughter-in-law to wear a traditional red lehenga for her Indian wedding. They rented it from Flyrobe. When the bride walked in dressed in a full Indian bridal look, the groom’s mother had tears in her eyes.

That moment reinforced what Aanchal had always believed. This business is not just about clothes. It is about emotion, culture, and belonging.

Flyrobe scaling high

Today, Flyrobe operates twenty-one stores across India, with its head office and warehouse in Delhi. Each city has its own social media presence because fashion tastes vary widely across regions.

After Covid, the brand gained strong momentum through franchising. Without relying on external funding, Flyrobe expanded organically by partnering with local entrepreneurs.

The company is now profitable, with zero cash burn. It is on track to reach around twenty crore rupees in revenue in the coming financial year. The long-term vision is ambitious. One hundred stores across India in the next two to three years.

Aanchal’s Core Values

Aanchal believes deeply in investing in people. She often says that trying to save money on talent is never a good idea. “Paying good people well is worth it, even if they earn more than you.”

Her personal mantra is simple. Never give up.

She also believes that life only makes sense in hindsight.

“Early experiences, even the confusing ones, eventually connect. The dots always come together. Fashion is emotional, but business is mathematical. When both are handled with honesty and discipline, the result is something that lasts.”

Check out Flyrobe here:

https://flyrobe.com/home/

Connect with Aanchal Saini:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aanchal-saini-/

If you’d like your journey to be featured in our Meet The Mahilas series, write to us at hello@mahila.money.

We’d love to hear your story and share it with women across India.

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Shiny Hoque
Shiny Hoque

Shiny is a content writer, community builder and trainer with eight years of experience creating spaces where people learn, write, and grow.
She helps people find their voice and build confidence through stories and learning.

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