In this compelling interview, Raamesh Chandra delves into the heart of entrepreneurship with Pooja, a dynamic and rising star in the fashion industry. From the excitement of launching her venture to the overwhelming response that turned rumours into reality, Pooja opens up about her remarkable journey. With heartfelt candour, she reveals her life mantra and shares a powerful message for aspiring entrepreneurs: follow your passion, no matter your background, and start small if needed. Join us for an inspiring conversation filled with drama, determination, and invaluable insights for anyone dreaming of making their mark in the business world.

Raamesh Chandra: So to start the interview, could you please introduce yourself and explain what “swaye” means?

Pooja: “Swaye” means to influence. This word resonated with the brand’s vision when I came across it. That’s how the name Swaye was born. My sister, who is my co-founder, and I brainstormed many names, but Swaye was the first and final name we settled on.

Raamesh Chandra: Great. Can you tell us more about yourself and what inspired you to start Swaye?

Pooja: I’m Pooja from Indore, and I’m a co-founder of Swaye Fashions. We started ‘Swaye’ after seeing a gap in the market. When travelling abroad, we noticed there were brands in certain price ranges not available in India. Ordering them was time-consuming, involved shipping issues, and often meant paying in advance without a guarantee of timely delivery. We wanted to create a platform offering a curated range of brands, easily accessible without the hassles of long wait times and customs.

Raamesh Chandra: What is the vision of Swaye, and how does it influence your selection of brands?

Pooja: Our vision is to offer trendy, high-quality products at an accessible price point. People in India spend similar amounts on brands like Zara but could get better quality and trendier options from our curated range. We aim to bridge the gap for fashion-forward individuals who want to stay up-to-date without the delays and issues of international ordering.

Raamesh Chandra: You identified a market gap and started Swaye. What challenges did you face initially?

Pooja: Initially, it was time-consuming to develop the website and explain our vision to developers without having the products in hand. Contacting brands and getting approvals for importing products was also challenging. It took nearly a year of planning before we launched.

Raamesh Chandra: What is your target audience, and are you currently focusing only on female clothing?

Pooja: Yes, currently, we are focusing on female clothing. Our target age group ranges from 16 to 50 years old. In the future, we may expand to include menswear as well.

Raamesh Chandra: How has the response been in terms of sales and revenue since you started?

Pooja: The response has been amazing. We didn’t expect such a positive reaction so soon. We started in February, and although it’s been just a few months, we have already seen significant interest and orders.

Raamesh Chandra: How do you manage the operations, from design to manufacturing and delivery?

Pooja: We import curated products from various brands. The stock is kept with us in India, which allows us to deliver within three days. We handle everything online, and it’s just me and my co-founder managing operations for now.

Raamesh Chandra: What are your future plans for swaye?

Pooja: This year, we plan to launch a few more collections. In the future, we aim to include menswear and possibly have our own manufacturing unit under the Swaye brand.

Raamesh Chandra: How do you stay ahead of fashion trends and ensure relevance in a rapidly changing industry?

Pooja: I keep up with market research, fashion weeks, and industry trends by reading articles, listening to podcasts, and staying informed about upcoming styles. This helps us decide what products to add to our collection.

Raamesh Chandra: Are you considering opening physical stores, or will you remain an online-only business?

Pooja: For now, we are focusing on the online platform as it’s working well for us. We might consider physical stores in the future, but currently, we believe online presence reaches a broader audience without geographical limitations.

Raamesh Chandra: Do you use any software to manage your operations, and how big is your team?

Pooja: We don’t use any specialized software yet. Our team is small, just me and my co-founder. As we grow, we plan to hire more people for social media and operations to ensure smooth functioning.

Raamesh Chandra: How do you ensure customer satisfaction and handle feedback?

Pooja: Customer satisfaction is crucial for us. We receive feedback through social media and WhatsApp, which helps us understand what products are liked and make improvements. Positive feedback and repeat customers indicate that our efforts are paying off.

Raamesh Chandra: What makes Swaye stand out from other fashion brands or stores?

Pooja: Our unique selling point is the curated collection of high-quality, trendy products that are not easily available in the Indian market. We offer a range of international brands with better fit and quality at competitive prices.

Raamesh Chandra: Finally, could you highlight a few of your favourite brands available on Swaye and what makes them special?

Pooja: We have brands like PLT from the UK and Glassons from Australia. The quality of their fabrics and the fit are exceptional, which keeps our customers coming back for more.

Raamesh Chandra: That’s fantastic. Thank you for sharing your journey and insights with us, Pooja. We wish you and Swaye Fashions continued success.

Pooja: Thank you, Raamesh. It was a pleasure talking to you.

Raamesh Chandra: And how has the journey been so far? I know this is a start for you guys, but how has the journey been?

Pooja: It has been really nice. It has been overwhelming, actually. People were just, you know, everything was just like a rumour. There were a lot of people who were in the fashion industry.

Raamesh Chandra: So what has been your life mantra in, say, being an entrepreneur? How does it feel? And what message would you give ahead to the budding entrepreneur who plans to be an entrepreneur in the near future?

Pooja: The only message I would like to give is that if you like something, even if you have not studied that, you should pursue it, maybe in a small manner or anything. You can start small, but do anything of your own interest. That would make you very happy. That’s all I want to say.

About Shreya & Pooja Mantri: 

Shreya Mantri and Pooja Mantri, the founders of Swayè, have always harbored a vision of entering the fashion industry despite their strong backgrounds in finance. Their vision was to create a platform which brings together premier brands from around the globe in India .
Shreya Mantri pursued her Masters in Finance from Mumbai, while Pooja Mantri attained her Masters in International Business Finance from Heriot Watt University.

For more information regarding Swaye, you can visit https://swaye.in/

-This interview was scheduled by Aanchal, Feature Writer at Indian Startup Times