How to Build Saree Brand: Strategy, Systems, AI & Profit | Prasad Chalavadi | FO498 Raj Shamani
4/18/20261 hr 29 min
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(00:00) - Intro
(02:46) - How can one build a saree business in India?
(17:19) - What would 30 people in the backend do in a saree business?
(21:14) - Was there a strategy behind targeting the middle class and upper middle class?
(32:08) - Introducing international shopping experience to Indians
(43:16) - How does he keep track of things happening in his store?
(45:00) - One or two AI patterns that surprised him
(50:51) - What's the biggest mistake he made and regrets?
(58:08) - How does he beat giants like Tata & Reliance?
(1:00:00) - Top 3 data points which are very important for him
(1:02:52) - India's wedding economy
(1:06:40) - Gen Zs are going to keep our culture alive
(1:10:20) - Have sarees moved from daily wear to occasion wear?
(1:15:44) - Are ready draped sarees becoming a trend?
(1:17:20) - How he manages inventory
(1:18:28) - Is he facing competition online?
(1:23:03) - One opportunity in his industry in which people can build a business
(1:26:26) - What's one problem in his life he would pay someone to solve?
(1:27:41) - BTS
(1:28:22) - Outro
In today’s episode, we sit down with Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi, Founder and Managing Director of SSKL.
We talk about how he started by selling just 300 sarees from a basement, why the saree market is still highly unorganized, and how he identified a large opportunity in it.
The conversation also covers how he scaled using cluster-based expansion, why controlling the supply chain improved both cost and quality, and how trust and pricing play an important role in emotional categories like sarees.
He also explains how systems like data, MIS, and the smart use of AI in retail can improve sales, forecasting, and customer understanding. This episode breaks down practical lessons on building and scaling a business in India.
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About Raj Shamani
Raj Shamani is an Entrepreneur at heart that explains his expertise in Business Content Creation & Public Speaking. He has delivered 200+ speeches in 26+ countries. Besides that, Raj is also an Angel Investor interested in crazy minds who are creating a sensation in the Fintech, FMCG, & passion economy space.
Clips
Showing 10 of 15Transcript preview
First 90 secondsRaj Shamani· Host0:00
अगर कोई young entrepreneur देख रहा है और उसको भी unorganized से organized sector में जाना है तो कैसे-कैसे कर सकता है? How to make saree in the country and make it a big business?
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest0:07
Do you think is there any man in this planet who understand his woman 100%? The same way this business is extension of the woman. Nobody really understand the power of the saree to an Indian woman. It is an emotion. It is not a product.
Raj Shamani· Host0:23
Tell me, the wedding economy India के साथ ये बहुत बढ़िया चीज है। जो Indians wedding में spend करता है ना, कोई भी किसी भी किधर नहीं spend करता है। Our Indian calendar is very intelligently designed.
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest0:34
Out of 365 days, generally 300 days is about festivals, weddings, celebrations. And thanks to social media, एक बार आप Instagram में picture डाल दिया, they don't want to repeat a saree. They want a new one.
Raj Shamani· Host0:47
Do men love you or hate you?
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest0:50
Men don't love us. Women never buy anything in the budget. They always exceed.
Raj Shamani· Host0:54
What's the most expensive saree you sell?
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest0:56
7.8 lakhs.
Raj Shamani· Host0:58
Do you think Gen Z at scale पहनेगा ये sarees?
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest1:03
Of course, yes. Fashion is a circular. We are trying to recreate the 50, 60, 70 years age old sarees now, and we are calling it as a vintage. And Gen Zs are going gaga about it because they want to celebrate the culture and heritage, what their grandmothers used to wear- Okay. All those things.
Raj Shamani· Host1:18
You said AI gives you so many different patterns based on your 20 years of data.
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest1:22
Correct.
Raj Shamani· Host1:23
Give me one or two patterns that surprised you.
Nagakanaka Durga Prasad Chalavadi· Guest1:25
We have a, you know, a punching system. We have an intelligent surveillance system with AI. For example, if