Retail Expansion, Category Depth, Global Exploration to Power Suta’s Next Phase of Growth

At a time when India’s ethnic and contemporary wear market is becoming increasingly crowded and trend-led, Suta has built a differentiated growth story rooted in craft authenticity, disciplined execution and community-led scale. What began as a niche handloom venture has evolved into a national fashion brand powered by deep artisan partnerships, data-led decision-making and a franchise-driven retail model. 

In this interview with Financial Express BrandWagon, Sujata Biswas and Taniya Biswas, Founders, Suta, share how they are scaling the brand without diluting its core values, leveraging technology while preserving craftsmanship, and building an omnichannel, category-led roadmap for Suta’s next phase of growth. (Edited Excerpts)

What enabled Suta’s transition from a niche handloom brand to a national player?

Our growth has always been rooted in purpose. One of our key decisions was to deepen what worked best instead of constantly chasing newness. We focused on strengthening our bestsellers by using data-led insights and building a stronger, more reliable supply chain. This meant onboarding more weavers and artisans and investing deeply in long-term relationships rather than transactional sourcing. 

Another important decision was building a franchise-led retail model where our customers themselves became partners in opening stores. Today, we have 19 stores, and many of them are run by people who truly believe in the brand. This has helped us scale without losing our soul. 

Equally important has been organic community building. From the beginning, Suta has grown through conversations, storytelling, and genuine relationships with customers, artisans, and partners. We’ve focused on building trust, listening closely, and growing with our community rather than pushing growth at any cost.

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How do you define Suta’s value proposition, and what are the brand’s strategic priorities today?

At its core, Suta stands for innovation, comfort, and uncompromising quality. While similar products may exist in the market, the quality and detailing we deliver are difficult to replicate.

We are transparent and honest in how we work with our artisans, with our customers, and as a brand. A strong differentiator however, is that we offer a complete, seamless product experience, from saree to fall and edging, petticoat, and stitched blouse, everything comes together effortlessly, both online and offline.

As we scale, our biggest priority is to retain the essence of Suta as a homegrown brand run by two sisters and a passionate team. 

How has your consumer profile evolved, and how does data shape product, pricing and communication?

Our target consumer profile has remained consistent. What has changed is the number of customers. We define our customers by mindset -- someone who is independent in thought, confident in decision-making, and comfortable being themselves.

Moreover, consumer data plays a critical role in our decisions. While metros initially contributed the most, data helped us understand the untapped potential of Tier II cities. We also use customer insights to guide product launches, store-wise merchandising, pricing sensitivity, and communication. We obsessively listen to our customers, through conversations, feedback, and behaviour, that shapes our launches along with when and where we launch it.

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How are you using systems, technology and planning to improve speed-to-market and inventory efficiency, while evaluating new categories?

We rely on a mix of structured advance planning and technology to improve speed-to-market and manage inventory efficiency. Our ERP and inventory management systems provide planning support and visibility, while forecasting is an area we are actively strengthening. Given the longer lead times involved in working with weavers and artisans, we plan through annual launch calendars, placeholders and early sampling, often starting nearly a year in advance.

Category expansion is approached cautiously through pilots, with limited quantities, select stores and controlled online exposure to refine products before scaling. Technology and automation are enablers rather than replacements for craftsmanship, supporting areas such as demand forecasting, inventory planning and data analysis, while the human element remains central to how Suta operates.

How do you assess the role of physical retail versus online, and what does omnichannel mean for Suta in practice?

Today, our revenue is fairly balanced across channels, with about 45% coming from our website, 20% from marketplaces and 35% from retail, which we began just two and a half years ago. While online remains important, we see significant long-term potential in physical retail, as stores strengthen over time by becoming part of local communities.

For us, omnichannel is about consistency and continuity across platforms, stores, website, app and marketplaces. We have already ensured that new launches go live simultaneously across channels through rigorous planning. Services like buy-online-return-in-store or order-online-pick-up-in-store, along with cross-channel loyalty programs, are still works in progress as systems integration evolves. Over the next one to two years, our focus is on building a more seamless, fully omnichannel Suta experience.

Where will Suta’s next phase of growth come from?

Growth will come from multiple directions. Geographically, we’re expanding across India and exploring international markets through pop-ups, partnerships, and our first international store in Mauritius. In terms of categories, we’re focusing on menswear and women’s kurtas and dresses this year. These categories have strong potential and could evolve into distinct sub-brands under Suta.

Retail expansion, category depth, and global exploration together will define our next phase of growth.