Prakruti Rao Gupta and Navin S Rao are co-founders of The Kaftan Company, an
internationally selling kaftan brand renowned for its extensive range of high-quality, stylish
and comfortable kaftans.
Prakruti worked for Mercedes-Benz Financial in Canada as a Project Lead before she moved
to Dubai to join the Fiat-Chrysler Group. However, soon after her marriage, and during her
Dubai stint, she was diagnosed with cancer. She and her husband Navin then moved to India
for her treatment and being closer to the family. As she battled cancer, her entrepreneurial
spirit took over, and she launched a garment manufacturing entity known as Shibori Designs
which was later merged with The Kaftan Company. The Kaftan Company took roots when
after her cancer treatment, Prakruti was looking at creating an innovative and niche entity
in the world of fashion. After extensively looking at various options, the MBA from Schulich
School of Business – Toronto, zeroed in on kaftans as the ideal option. She is a highly
promising businesswoman who has successfully completed Goldman Sachs 10000 women
entrepreneurial program at IIM and ISB, as well as the UN Women Industry Disruptor
Program.
At The Kaftan Company, she is joined as a co-founder by her husband, Navin S Rao, who is a
B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from Canada. Navin worked for Mercedes-Benz Canada in
the Marketing and Communications department, and later moved to Dubai to work with a
specialist armored vehicle manufacturer. After he moved to India with Prakruti for her
cancer treatment, he played an instrumental role in launching and establishing luxury
automobile brands Ferrari and Maserati in India. Subsequently, when The Kaftan Company
took roots, he joined Prakruti and continues to support the growth of the brand. During his
stint with The Kaftan Company, he further bolstered his skills by pursuing an M.B.A from the
University of Bologna, Italy with specialization in Design, Fashion and Luxury Goods.
Together, the husband-wife duo has taken the company from strength to strength. Their
kaftans are available on leading online ecommerce platforms such as Myntra, TataCliq, Ajio,
Shoppers Stop etc. The Kaftan Company has experienced a 5x growth in the last two years,
and has 80% customer retention which showcases incredible loyalty driven by the excellent
product experience.
The Kaftan Company is India’s most recognized brand for Kaftans, established in 2016. It is
led by co-founders Prakruti Gupta Rao and Navin Rao. The aim of The Kaftan Company is to
provide buyers with the widest range of loungewear and kaftans using innovative designs
and incorporating sustainable practices that deliver great customer experience.
Kaftans are an internationally renowned fashionwear and have been associated with royals
and celebrities for centuries. During her search for a sophisticated, fashionable, yet easy-to-
wear dress option, after her battle with cancer, Prakruti realized that kaftans were an ideal
option. However, there was not much choice available in terms of design and fashion. This is
when she decided to select kaftans as the go-to option for the versatility, comfort and style
that the royal dress could offer. She identified a niche which was different from the typical
fashion or ethnic wear, yet, highly impactful and comfortable. Kaftans presented ample
scope to create an inclusive apparel collection that scored equally high on fashion, comfort
and elegance parameters. Thus, The Kaftan Company was born, and today, it has become a
well-known name in the segment of kaftans and all related fashion.
With over 500 SKUs on offer, The Kaftan Company offers a comprehensive line of kaftans for
each and every occasion. Whether it is a simple day of relaxing at the beach, a shopping trip
to the mall or sundowner cocktail party, the kaftan proves to be an elegant, comfortable
and handy option for all occasions. The Kaftan Company’s range of products has been
extremely popular in the loungewear segment and is now witnessing growing demand for
options in nightwear, maternity wear and everyday fashion!
The production process is guided by the thought that every woman should not only look
gorgeous, but also feel comfortable in what she wears. To achieve this goal, each kaftan is
meticulously crafted to ensure an ideal and seamless fit. No matter what size or style
preferences a customer might have, kaftans are available in innovative designs and
variations to meet all expectations. The Kaftan Company has chosen from a wide range of
luxurious and sustainable fabrics with focus on the latest trends to deliver an always-trendy
experience.
Further, keeping in sync with the global concerns, the manufacturing process is highly
sustainable with virtually zero waste generation. Natural fabrics are selected to reduce
waste generation and overall carbon footprint, and the company strives to build sustainable
partnerships. On-demand production as per orders from boutique channel partners leads to
high quality and timeless creations with a bespoke element customized to each client’s
needs.
The entire production process is fair and ethical and carried out by special artisans and
traditional production staff that works in a family-like environment. The company also has
inclusivity and women empowerment at its heart with nearly 80% of the staff being women.
Since its inception, the family owned and bootstrapped enterprise has grown from strength
to strength. The kaftans are available on leading online e-commerce platforms such as
Myntra, TataCliq, Ajio, Shoppers Stop etc. The Kaftan Company has experienced a 5x growth
in the last two years and has 80% customer retention which showcases incredible loyalty
driven by the excellent product experience.
Selected as Asian Designer Week’s upcoming new designers list and expanding
internationally, The Kaftan Company aspires to become a globally renowned destination for
kaftans and building an empire therein. At present, the kaftans are primarily sold through
online channels and channel partners, but there are plans to enter exclusive brand physical
retail in the years ahead. Presently, the kaftans are shipped globally with a stronger
presence across India, UAE, and Botswana, and new markets are set to be added in the
years ahead.The Kaftan Company Bucks Economic Recession by Growing 200% in the LastTwo YearsThe brand, renowned for its stylish Kaftans, is redefining the traditional attire into a globalleisurewear
Hyderabad, 24/2/22: The Kaftan Company, India’s most recognized brand for Kaftans, has
grown by 200% in the last two years. Established by Prakruti Gupta, and Navin Rao in 2016,
the company aims to provide global buyers with the widest range of loungewear and
kaftans through design innovations, and adherence to sustainable practices. The growth can
be attributed to innovation and great customer experience provided by their Kaftans.
The origins of The Kaftan Company lie in the resilience and entrepreneurial spirit shown by
the husband-wife duo of Prakruti Gupta and Navin Rao. Prakruti was diagnosed with cancer
while working with Fiat-Chrysler Group in Dubai. She and Navin moved to India for
treatment and with the aim of being closer to the family. As she successfully combated the
disease, Prakruti’s entrepreneurial spirit led to the establishment of a garment
manufacturing facility known as Shibori Designs. The MBA from Schulich School of Business,
Toronto, was keen to create an innovative and niche fashion brand.
Since Kaftans are a globally renowned fashionwear and have been preferred by royals and
celebrities alike for centuries, they caught her attention. The businesswoman who has
successfully completed Goldman Sachs 10000 Women entrepreneurial program at IIM and
ISB, instantly realized that this was the garment that she wanted to transform to a
contemporary global wear. Her co-founder and husband, Navin S Rao, has done his
Mechanical Engineering from Canada and has also done his MBA from Bologna Business
School in Luxury goods from Italy. He also played a pivotal role in the launch of Ferrari &
Maserati in India.
Speaking about this, Prakruti Gupta, Founder, The Kaftan Company, said, “I decided to
embark on my entrepreneurial journey afresh after treatment and channelled my passion for
stylish, comfortable and high-quality wear to first establish Shibori Designs, and eventually
zeroed-in on Kaftans. The comfort, flexibility, and sophistication of Kaftans made me realize
that they were an ideal option for those seeking good leisurewear. With support from my
husband Navin, we have today built a world-class brand for Kaftans that is turning this royal
garment of ancient times, into a fashionable loungewear in sync with contemporary
sensibilities. Our design process is guided by the principle that every woman should not only
look beautiful, but also enjoy what she wears. Each kaftan is crafted to ensure an ideal and
seamless fit for customers, irrespective of size or style preferences. We use luxurious and
sustainable fabrics with virtually zero waste generation during the manufacturing, and our
designs are inspired from latest trends to deliver a fantastic user experience.”
Sharing his thoughts, Navin S Rao, Founder, The Kaftan Company, said, “We started The
Kaftan Company at a time when we were both going through a transitional phase after
having returned to India. The pandemic hit when the brand was gaining sales momentum
and global recognition. We had the honour of becoming a part of the Asian Designer Week’s
upcoming new designers list, and even in the wake of the pandemic induced slowdown, we
have grown steadily and impressively. As people worked from homes, took long and slow
vacations, the demand for high-quality leisure and lounge wear increased substantially, and
that’s a demand we are trying to fulfill.”
The Kaftan Company uses digital printing and natural fabrics to reduce waste generation
and the overall carbon footprint of the manufacturing process. The founders believe in
sustainable fashion and take various steps, starting from design developments to production
and dispatching, to ensure that all three dimensions of sustainability is achieved to the
maximum – environmental, social and economic.
The founders have also built an enterprise that has inclusivity and women empowerment at
its core with 80% female workforce. While The Kaftan Company is already present on
leading online platforms in India, and local markets in UAE and Botswana, their aim is to
establish a global footprint with physical outlets in different cities and countries in the years
ahead.
Since its inception, the couple-preneurs bootstrapped enterprise has grown from strength
to strength. The kaftans are available on leading online e-commerce platforms such as
Myntra, TataCliq, Ajio, Shoppers Stop etc, as well as their official website
www.thekaftancompany.com. They recently also launched an app to make it easy for their
customers to shop and stay in vogue with the latest offerings. The Kaftan Company has 80%
customer retention which showcases incredible loyalty driven by the excellent product
experience. In the years to come, The Kaftan Company aspires to become a globally
renowned destination for loungewear and nightwear and building an empire therein.
