In conversation with Sidhant Keshwani, Founder and CEO, Libas, on modernising Indian wear, omnichannel growth, Tier 2 expansion, profitability and global ambitions
India’s ethnic wear market is undergoing a sharp transformation, driven by younger consumers, evolving fashion sensibilities and the rise of omnichannel retail. Few brands have captured this shift as effectively as Libas, which has emerged as one of the country’s fastest-growing Indian wear labels.
In this exclusive interaction with BW Retail World, Sidhant Keshwani, Founder and CEO, Libas, discusses the company’s growth strategy, why Indian wear needed reinvention, the importance of speed in fashion retail, expansion into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and Libas’ ambition to become a global Indian wear powerhouse.
Libas has seen rapid growth in the ethnic wear segment. What have been the key strategic levers behind this success, especially in such a competitive market?
Fashion is an extremely competitive category, and only a handful of brands have been able to scale nationally. Early on, we identified a clear whitespace in the market—Indian wear was gradually becoming less relevant and, in many ways, perceived as outdated.
We saw an opportunity to reposition Indian wear through the lens of fast fashion. While global brands such as Zara and H&M were driving rapid trend cycles in Western wear, that same speed of innovation was largely absent in the Indian wear segment.
That became our core thesis. We focused on modernising Indian wear, making it trend-led, contemporary and more relevant to younger consumers. Over the last four to five years, that strategy of combining fashion agility with Indian silhouettes has been a major growth driver for us.
With consumers shopping both online and offline, how are you balancing the two channels? What role does omnichannel play in your growth strategy?
We no longer look at retail as online versus offline. That debate is outdated. The future of retail is an integrated ecosystem where the same consumer interacts with the brand across multiple touchpoints.
A customer may visit a store over the weekend, browse products online during the week, and place a quick commerce order for a last-minute occasion. Consumers move fluidly between channels, and brands need to adapt to that behaviour.
For us, the objective is simple—we need to be present wherever the customer chooses to shop. If we are missing from any relevant channel, that demand can easily shift to another brand. Our focus is therefore on building a truly omnipresent retail ecosystem.
Competition from D2C brands and marketplaces is intensifying. How does Libas differentiate itself?
Product quality is important, but quality alone is no longer enough. Our real differentiator is speed of execution. We want the Libas shopping experience to feel similar to Instagram—every time a customer visits our platform or enters our store, they should discover something new and exciting.
We track trends very closely. If a customer is inspired by something they have seen online or in the market, we aim to have a relevant offering available quickly. That agility across design, merchandising, inventory planning and marketing gives us a competitive edge.
What consumer trends are shaping your product roadmap, particularly in occasion wear and premiumisation?
The biggest shift has been the broader modernisation of Indian wear. Consumers are now wearing ethnic styles in far more versatile ways—daily wear, office wear, college, brunches and smaller occasions.
Historically, Western wear dominated many of these use cases. But that is changing rapidly. Indian wear today is seen as younger, more stylish and more contemporary. Brands like Libas have played a role in accelerating that perception shift.
This creates opportunities across categories—from everyday kurtas to occasion-led collections and more premium offerings.
What is the single biggest trend shaping the Indian wear market in 2026?
Co-ord sets continue to be one of the strongest trends in Indian wear. They have been performing exceptionally well for the last two to three years and remain highly relevant.
The reason is simple—they offer comfort, convenience and versatility. Consumers appreciate pieces that are stylish yet effortless to wear. We expect this trend to continue for the next few seasons.
Do you see sustainability becoming a major purchase factor in this category?
Sustainability is undoubtedly important, but if we look at current market realities, actual consumer demand is still relatively limited. The percentage of shoppers actively seeking sustainable products remains small.
That said, it is an evolving space. As brands, we need to continue investing in responsible sourcing, better practices and more sustainable operations so that we are ready when consumer demand scales meaningfully.
As Libas scales rapidly, how are you managing supply chain agility, inventory and profitability in a volatile demand environment?
We have been profitable for a long time. Before raising external capital, we operated as a bootstrapped business, and that experience instilled financial discipline across the organisation.
That discipline has helped us build a resilient business model where growth and profitability can coexist.
Today, much of our expansion is being driven through our own channels—particularly our mobile app and offline stores. We opened around 35 stores last year and plan to add another 50 to 60 stores this year. Over the next two years, our target is to cross 200 stores.
Volatility is a constant in retail, but entrepreneurs learn to adapt quickly. That ability to stay agile is critical.
How important are Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets to your next phase of offline expansion?
Like many brands, we began with metros and Tier 1 cities. As those markets mature, the next phase of growth naturally comes from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
We have already seen this shift online, where a significant portion of our growth now comes from these markets. We expect a similar trajectory in offline retail as well. Consumers in smaller cities are increasingly aspirational, digitally aware and brand conscious. That makes these markets strategically very important for us.
Where do you see Libas over the next two years?
Our long-term vision is to build a global Indian wear fast-fashion brand. We want to take Indian silhouettes, modernise them and scale them internationally—much like Zara or H&M have done in Western fashion.
We are also evaluating international store expansion in key global markets. The larger ambition is for Libas to become a recognised ambassador of Indian fashion on the global stage.
Libas is often appreciated for sizing, fit and fabric quality—areas where many brands still struggle. How central are these factors to your strategy?
They are extremely important. We invest heavily in comfort, fit and value for money because those remain top priorities for today’s consumers. Fashion can attract customers once, but consistency in fit, comfort and quality is what builds long-term loyalty.
