Who Is This Person Behind 1st Global Fashion Brand That Is Proudly Indian; Founded Company With Loan Of Rs 10,000, Sold Clothes On Bike, Now Has Turnover Of Rs 400 Crore

Some challenges in life demand sustained effort over extended periods of time in order to be overcome. Giving up is a surefire way to fail, whereas making the most of the challenges increases the likelihood of success. Kamal Khushlani, a Mumbai resident, transformed every challenge into an opportunity and built an empire in the menswear sector. Know the story of an entrepreneur who started Mufti with just Rs 10,000 and grew it to a multi-crore business.

Who is Kamal Khushlani?

Kamal Khushlani is the founder and managing director of Mufti, a Mumbai-based Indian menswear brand. The fashion brand operates above 350 exclusive outlets and has a presence in above 120 large-format stores and above 1,200 multi-brand stores. Kamal started Mufti as the first global fashion brand that is proudly Indian.

Struggle Days Of Kamal Khushlani

Kamal was raised in a middle-class family and had lost his father when he was 19 years old. Despite having always desired to launch his own business, he lacked the fund to do so. To meet his daily expenses, Kamal also worked for a video cassettes company. But Kamal had a passion for the retail fashion sector, so in 1992, he established the Mr. & Mr. Shirt Company and started manufacturing and selling men's shirts.

Start Of Mufti Brand

Kamal wasn't happy with his business, even if Mr. & Mr. Shirt Company was prospering. While making shirts, Kamal discovered that although menswear came in a range of styles, all the brands sold the same items. He conceived the idea to start a brand that would provide progressive fashion for men.

Without the necessary capital, Kamal decided to borrow Rs 10,000 from his maternal aunt to launch his own men's clothing business. Kamal launched Mufti in 1998 as a line of fashionable men's clothes. In the early stages of his entrepreneurial career Kamal had no employees and no office. He used to ride his bike to the workshop while loaded with clothes. He used to personally visit locations to sell the clothes. This continued for some time. Mufti eventually began to rise in popularity. 

The company that began with Rs 10,000 eventually grew to be worth millions of dollars. The founder had claimed that the business is on track to generate a revenue of Rs 450 and will generate approximately Rs 900 crore in revenue over the following five years. The company made Rs 395 crore in revenue during the 2019 fiscal year.