In conversation with BW Retail World, Devansh Jain Nawal and Ackshya Jain, Co-founders of the Culture Circle discusse India’s booming resale and luxury market, Gen Z demand, Tier II expansion, authentication-led trust and global growth plans
Culture Circle started as a streetwear platform. How has the business evolved today?
We are no longer just a streetwear play. While we began with sneakers and hype culture, we are now expanding strongly into luxury as well. That includes premium watches above Rs 2 lakh, handbags such as Hermès, and other aspirational lifestyle categories.
Our growth has been built on clear customer-led advantages: price comparison across 10,000+ sellers, one of the largest collections in the market, guaranteed authenticity, Cash on Delivery and size exchanges.
What differentiates Culture Circle in India’s resale market?
Devansh Jain Nawal: First, customers can compare prices across thousands of sellers in one place. Second, we offer unmatched assortment with more than 2.5 lakh SKUs live, compared with far smaller inventories elsewhere. Third, we guarantee authenticity through our partnership with Check Check, a leading global authentication company.
We are also among the few platforms in India offering COD and size exchanges, both of which matter greatly for trust and convenience.
How large is the market opportunity in India?
Even we were surprised by the demand. Initially, we believed Rs 20–25 crore would be a peak opportunity. We crossed that much earlier than expected.
India is clearly a strong market for resale, luxury and streetwear. Consumer appetite is expanding faster than many assumed.
Can you share Culture Circle’s current scale and growth numbers?
Devansh Jain Nawal: We closed FY26 at Rs 160 crore GMV. In FY25, we were around Rs 30–35 crore, so that is over 5x growth in a year.
Our March run-rate itself was close to Rs 21–22 crore for the month, which gives us strong momentum going forward.
What role are Tier II and Tier III cities playing in this growth?
A significant one. Metros contribute 50–60 per cent of our business, while nearly 40 per cent comes from Tier II and Tier III cities such as Indore, Surat, Nagpur and the Northeast.
Consumers in these markets often lack premium offline retail options, so digital platforms become the gateway to aspirational consumption.
What is driving demand in smaller cities?
Rising incomes are one factor, but social media is another major driver. The more consumers engage with social media, the more they aspire to own products linked to status and self-expression.
That behaviour is now visible strongly beyond metros.
And what is driving Tier I city demand?
Cities such as Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru will continue to grow because they attract wealth, talent and younger professionals. Young consumers tend to spend heavily on trends.
For example, Kodak retro cameras priced around Rs 4,000 are currently among our fastest-selling products, with 80–90 units sold daily.
What are the hottest product trends right now?
Labubu remains relevant, though it has cooled slightly. Right now, Kodak retro cameras are one of our strongest categories.
We have also seen strong traction in Pokémon cards over the past month, especially among collectors and Gen Z consumers.
Why do trends like these take off so quickly?
Social proof. People naturally follow what they see others doing online. When enough users post products on Instagram or other platforms, it creates desirability.
Luxury, collectibles and trend-led products all benefit from that behaviour.
How does Culture Circle monetise while keeping margins healthy?
Marketplace margins are naturally thinner, so we have added higher-margin revenue streams.
One is collaborative brands built with retail partners. The second is our own in-house brands across apparel, jewellery and other categories. Those businesses are scaling and improving overall profitability.
How do you attract new users while retaining existing ones?
Customer feedback drives everything. We do not guess what to launch — we ask users directly.
Whenever we launch a new category, revenues usually rise within one to two weeks. Existing users buy more, while new categories also attract fresh customers.
Trust remains a major concern in resale and luxury commerce. How do you solve for that?
Trust is non-negotiable. If there is ever a choice between faster delivery and stronger authentication, we choose trust.
Products are checked internally by our authentication team, and eligible orders also receive external certification. Customers see the certificate before the product ships.
We also mask parcel value during delivery to reduce fraud risk.
What comes next for Culture Circle?
We are preparing to launch in the UAE and Europe shortly. The platform and seller network are ready, and we are completing registrations.
Internally, our target for FY27 is to move closer to Rs 1,000 crore ARR through deeper India penetration and global expansion.
