Sujatra, an Apparel Startup, Raises Undisclosed Debt Funding for Growth

Sujatra, an apparel startup, raised an undisclosed amount of debt funding round from India's largest revenue-based financier and Peter Thiel-backed Velocity as well. The funds will be used for research & development and for geographical expansion. The brand has recently announced its expansion into Canada, making its designer ethnic wear more accessible to customers worldwide. Additionally, the company aims to spread the idea of designer Indian ethnic wear inspired by traditional art forms in the North American market.

Specializing in designer ethnic wear, Sujatra offers a modern aesthetic in the women's wear market. It was founded in 2016 by 69-year-old entrepreneur Chitralekha Das. Initially, the brand combined Indian art forms, paintings, and fabrics to create unique saree designs. Over time, the brand entered modern aesthetics in the women's wear market. Now they have a wide product range comprising sarees, kurtis, dresses, tops, and blouses. The brand's USP is its contemporary take on traditional Indian art forms, they believe innovation is the key to establishing India in the world apparel market.

The launch of international operations will assist in cutting down the excessive international shipping costs from India, and the order servicing time will also reduce drastically. This will increase the brand's foothold in the Canadian market, where quality, delivery time, and flexibility are of prime importance.

Mr. Bedprakash Das, Chief Executive Officer, Shares, "This funding will help us with expansion and focus more on research and development. We are strengthening the quality checks and with the infusion of these funds, we will also implement new technologies. During our research, we found shopping for ethnic wear abroad can often turn into a disappointing experience due to limited design options, extended delivery time, exorbitant shipping costs, no provision for returns, and most importantly - no facility for size customization or proper fittings. We intend to change all this and offer a closer-to-home experience of shopping. We will offer a 7-day return window, size exchange facility & will also offer custom stitching options through our international operations hub located in Greater Toronto Area, Canada. "