Indian ethnic wear is loved across the world, but for years, buying it online came with doubt. Was the fabric real? Would it match the photos? Was it worth the price?
Meet Aparna Thyagarajan, co-founder of Shobitam, who saw this problem clearly while living outside India for over two decades. People loved Indian craftsmanship but couldn’t access it with confidence. That gap is what led her and her sister Ambika to start Shobitam, a brand built on trust, quality, and cultural pride.
“We are building the #1 cross-border ethnic platform from India to the world.”
What Shobitam is building in the Indian ethnic space
Shobitam sells timeless, authentic Indian ethnic products to customers around the world who value craftsmanship, quality, and cultural heritage.
The brand operates through its website, app, and physical retail stores, serving customers across 47+ countries with ethnic apparel, jewelry, home decor, and special collection pieces.
Shobitam delivers heirloom-worthy pieces to the doorsteps of customers anywhere in the world.
Why Aparna started Shobitam
Aparna and her sister Ambika shared a deep love for textiles, fashion, and storytelling. They also saw two sides of the same problem:
- Artisans struggled to reach global buyers
- Customers struggled to trust what they found online
Shobitam was created to solve both by bringing transparency, scale, and trust to Indian ethnic fashion.
The first sign that Shobitam would work
Within just three days of launching, Shobitam received its first order from a customer in France.
“A French customer wrote to us appreciating the beauty and authenticity of Indian craftsmanship, and that early validation stayed with us. “
What actually helped Shobitam grow
1. Turning customers into brand believers
Shobitam focuses deeply on customer experience; every call, message, suggestion, and piece of feedback matters.
“We are proud to say that we have received over 12000+ 5-star customer reviews so far in 5 years and growing. This is our #1 metric as a company for Shobitam!”
Aparna doesn’t rely on dashboards alone.
Her team reviews real customer voices every week.
2. Going omni-channel with Indian ethnic fashion
Shobitam started online, but in 2025, the brand opened its first two physical retail stores in Bengaluru, bringing their Indian ethnic collections into the offline world as well.
Where Shobitam is headed next
Shobitam is now focused on:
- Deepening global distribution
- Strengthening partner brands
- Expanding high-performing categories
- Scaling worldwide through 2026
The company is also looking to partner with design- and craft-led Indian brands to help take them global.
Aparna believes that quality and customer trust must be rock solid before a business focuses on growth.
Her biggest challenge today is time and bandwidth, as Shobitam continues to expand across markets.
A big win for an Indian ethnic brand
Capital: Shobitam started with less than ₹75,000 in initial capital.
Revenue: As of last year, the business had reached ₹43 Cr ARR.
From a 9-member team at the end of year one, Shobitam has grown to 120+ people globally in five years, shipping to 47+ countries and serving hundreds of thousands of customers.
Along the way, the Shobitam family also grew with the addition of House of Blouse and Isadora Life.
How to buy from Shobitam
- Shop Indian ethnic wear: https://www.shobitam.com
- Follow Shobitam: https://www.instagram.com/shobitam/
If you are a design- or craft-led Indian brand, Shobitam is open to partnerships to help take Indian products to global customers.
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.
