After transforming how India shops for fresh food online, Shruti Gochhwal is now setting out to redefine how women experience Indian wear with Sharmeeli. Tapping into the ₹1.68T ethnic wear market, the brand offers premium-quality clothing designed for today’s modern Indian woman. Prior to launching Sharmeeli, Shruti spent six years heading operations and finance at Zappfresh, where she played a key role in scaling it into one of India’s most trusted D2C startups in the fresh food space.
She then founded Amaltas Couture, a bridalwear label known for its hand-embroidered lehengas and a growing community of happy brides. Her latest venture, Sharmeeli, is the wild child of Amaltas, solving the lack of high-quality, wearable Indian fashion that falls between mass and couture, priced under ₹10,000 – without the noise of mass production and fast fashion.
Shruti has partnered with Santosh Galidevara, a former Army Major and Paratrooper who brings his discipline, focus, and structure to run the day-to-day operations of the brand. She has also onboarded Renu Solanki, who has spent years working closely with fabrics and karigars, leading sourcing and craftsmanship for the brand ensuring every piece lives up to the promise.
Sharmeeli was born from a simple belief that Indian wear should be beautiful, well-made, comfortable, and wearable – without falling apart after a few washes. In a market full of fast fashion and machine-made shortcuts, Sharmeeli brings back the charm of handcrafted detail and high-quality fabrics. Each piece is made in small batches to ensure it lasts longer, fits well, and feels good.
“I’m thrilled to bring Sharmeeli to life,” says Shruti. “I built Sharmeeli to protect something I love – Indian craft, fabric, identity – from getting lost in the noise of fast trends and Western wear. It’s a reminder of where we come from and the joy, comfort, and meaning Indian wear holds.”
India’s ethnic wear market is expected to cross ₹1.68 trillion by 2025. This demand is driven by the evolving preferences of urban Indian women, particularly those in the 20-40 age group, who are seeking fresh and innovative fashion solutions. These consumers crave Indian attire that reflects their contemporary sensibilities – bold, independent, and effortlessly elegant. Sharmeeli is perfectly positioned to cater to this demand, offering exquisite, handcrafted designs with wearable silhouettes.
The D2C model of Sharmeeli has enabled them to remain deeply rooted in relevance and responsiveness to the needs of their customers. The brand claims to grow with intention, not just scale.
