Meet the IIT Delhi Duo Behind DaMensch, The Indian Men’s Wear Brand That Clocked ₹91 Cr Revenue in FY24

For years, men’s innerwear in India was treated as a commodity. 

The products were functional, inexpensive, and almost indistinguishable from one another. While global markets experimented with new fabrics and fits, Indian consumers were left with limited choices. 

Advertising did little to change perceptions, recycling the same images of hyper-masculine men to sell the same old vests and briefs.

It was this gap that inspired IIT Delhi graduates Anurag Saboo and Gaurav Pushkar to launch DaMensch in 2018. They set out to challenge convention by building a brand that focused on quality, comfort, and storytelling. 

Meet the Founders

Anurag Saboo and Gaurav Pushkar first met as students at IIT Delhi, where they graduated in 2012. Their professional journeys overlapped from the beginning. After college, they both joined Snapdeal, where Anurag worked on front-end product development while Gaurav managed back-end systems.

Their partnership strengthened when they moved to Nykaa, then a young e-commerce company still building its foundation. At Nykaa, they were tasked with setting up the product function. However, because the company was still small, they gained exposure to other departments.

“Though the core job was to take care of product and technology, since the company was small, we were close to marketing, analytics, and brand functions. It gave us exposure to how brand ecosystems work,” recalled Gaurav.

Nykaa gave them a close-up view of how consumer brands are built. At the same time, as consumers themselves, they were unimpressed with the essential wear they had been using for years. 

This dissatisfaction soon became the base for an entrepreneurial idea.

Why Essential Wear?

Unlike other apparel categories, essential wear in India remained stagnant. 

Fabrics were outdated, stitching lacked finesse, and most products looked and felt the same. Both founders realized they had been wearing nearly identical innerwear for over a decade.

“The garment that I was using for the last 15 years was the same, maybe some color changes here and there, but essentially the same. We realized this stagnancy was a huge opportunity,” said Gaurav.

The insight was that Indian men were underserved in a category that was part of their everyday lives. This was an untapped opportunity for innovation.

The name they chose reflected their intent. DaMensch, from the German word Mensch meaning “the man,” was meant to represent the modern man.

“DaMensch essentially means ‘the man.’ We’re creating products for today’s men, not about being macho, but smart, intelligent, and ambitious,” explained Anurag.

With this, the brand was born.

Breaking Away from Macho Stereotypes

Changing the product was only half the story. 

Advertising had long relied on muscular actors equating strength with a vest or brief. DaMensch wanted to break that cycle, focusing on inclusivity, sensitivity, and authenticity.

In 2020, DaMensch launched #TheNewMachismo, redefining masculinity as empathy rather than aggression. In 2021, #TrueShades showcased the emotional side of men while promoting the skin-tone vest range. 

Industry experts described these campaigns as “a refreshing take on innerwear advertising.” 

By challenging convention, DaMensch connected with millennial and Gen Z consumers who no longer identified with outdated macho tropes.

Product Innovation: Solving Everyday Problems

For DaMensch, product innovation was not about flashy features but about solving real consumer problems. The company focused on identifying even subconscious pain points and designing products to address them.

A good example is the skin-tone vest. Many men complained that white vests were visible under shirts. Instead of repackaging the same white vest, DaMensch launched vests in five different shades designed to match Indian skin tones.

“We realized the solution wasn’t white. Your vest color should match your skin tone. That’s why we launched five shades, and it is still the highest-rated vest on Amazon today,” said Anurag.

Another part of DaMensch’s approach was rigorous prototyping and testing. Before launching a new category, they collected feedback from hundreds of customers and iterated until they got it right.

“We are never shy to reiterate, even at the cost of delay. That is why in most categories, we are the best-rated brand on Amazon,” explained Gaurav.

The team also developed a cultural practice of reading customer feedback every two weeks. They did not immediately brainstorm solutions but internalized the issues so they would inform every decision moving forward.

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Positioning the Brand

DaMensch clearly defined its audience from the start. The brand focused on men aged 25 to 40 who were urban, aspirational, and quality conscious. 

These consumers were willing to pay more for products that offered superior fabrics, better fits, and long-lasting value.

Unlike legacy players who competed in the mass and low-margin segment, DaMensch deliberately positioned itself in the mass-premium zone. This allowed them to introduce innovation while avoiding the trap of constant price wars.

“We decided to be in the mass-premium, premium zone. High-quality fabric, better stitching, and overall quality control can only be delivered at that price point,” explained Anurag.

Marketing and Storytelling

DaMensch’s marketing strategy has been built on storytelling rather than discounting. The brand’s own website and Instagram became platforms to explain product benefits and share the philosophy behind them.

“We have to communicate our story, make consumers understand the problem they are facing and the solution. That is why our focus has been our own platform and social media,” said Anurag.

This approach positioned DaMensch as a brand rather than just a label, helping build direct relationships with customers, ensuring stronger loyalty and higher repeat purchases.

The brand has reinforced its identity with several campaigns that combine social commentary with product innovation:

• #TheNewMachismo (2020):Challenged outdated ideas of masculinity by redefining strength as empathy (Marketing in Asia, 2021).

• #TrueShades (2021): Highlighted emotional vulnerability in men while introducing multi-tone vests (afaqs!, 2021).

• Sustainability Messaging:Emphasized long-lasting fabrics and eco-friendly practices (Conwert, 2022).
  

These campaigns not only drove attention but also positioned DaMensch as a progressive and thoughtful brand, aligning product innovation with meaningful social storytelling.

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The Economics: Profitability First

Many D2C startups in India have pursued rapid growth at the cost of profitability. DaMensch chose a different path. From its first sale, the company has been contribution margin positive.

“We have never lost a rupee while selling our products,” recalled Anurag.

This was made possible by three strategic choices. First, DaMensch eliminated middlemen by selling directly to consumers. Second, the company avoided heavy discounting, offering only combo deals that preserved unit economics. Third, DaMensch prioritized customer retention.

As Gaurav explained, “Unlike most fashion brands, we rarely discount. When we do, it is in combos that don’t hurt unit economics.”

The philosophy was clear: one customer buying multiple times in a year was more valuable than many customers buying once.

Funding Journey

DaMensch’s disciplined growth has attracted steady investor support. In 2022, the company raised ₹122 crore in Series B funding led by Matrix Partners and A91 Partners. In 2024, DaMensch secured another ₹21.6 crore as a Series B extension from existing investors.

Matrix Partners, one of the earliest backers, emphasized DaMensch’s ability to combine strong economics with consumer love.

 As Matrix VP Sudipto Sannigrahi explained, “They are focused on core categories that can be worn daily, leading to high repeat purchases. Their inventory is timeless, and their contribution margins are healthy. This is why we love backing them.”

Revenue and Diversification

DaMensch has been growing steadily year after year. 

In FY 2022, the company clocked around ₹59 crore in revenue, a sharp jump from just over ₹21 crore the year before. That momentum continued in FY 2023, with revenue rising to ₹77.5 crore, and by FY 2024, DaMensch had crossed the ₹91 crore mark.

The numbers tell a simple story: a brand that started with just one category has managed to nearly triple its topline in three years. 

This growth hasn’t come from chasing every trend in the market but from picking categories that feel essential and then doing them better than anyone else.

Expanding into Loungewear

Loungewear was the first big step beyond innerwear. 

When DaMensch introduced T-shirts and shorts, the response was immediate - within a month, the new line was already contributing 20 to 25 percent of overall sales. That early success gave the founders the confidence to start planning for 10 to 12 more categories in men’s essentials.

The guiding principle for all categories is non-seasonality. DaMensch designs timeless products that do not depend on fashion cycles. This reduces the risk of unsold inventory and minimizes the need for clearance sales.

The Offline Push

For its first few years, DaMensch operated entirely online. But by 2023, the founders realized that offline retail was essential for trust and visibility. In just twelve months, DaMensch went from having no physical outlets to operating 25 exclusive stores across India.

Offline presence allows consumers to touch and feel products, which is particularly important in apparel. It also helps DaMensch expand into tier 1 and tier 2 markets where offline shopping remains dominant.

This shift marked the company’s transition from a digital disruptor to a truly omnichannel brand.

Challenges in the Market

Despite its achievements, DaMensch still faces significant challenges.

1. Competition:Incumbents like Jockey and Van Heusen have strong distribution networks and brand recall. Convincing customers to switch is difficult.
   

2. Consumer education: Getting Indian men to pay a premium for innerwear requires persistent storytelling and trust building.
   

3. Balancing growth with economics: Resisting deep discounting in a competitive market is an ongoing challenge.

The founders are aware of these hurdles but remain committed to disciplined growth.

As Anurag noted, “Paid marketing is not an option for brand building anymore. It is about solving for existing consumers first”.

The Road Ahead

Looking forward, DaMensch has three main priorities.

First, expanding product lines. The company plans to add 10 to 12 new categories within men’s apparel and essentials.

Second, growing offline presence. From 25 exclusive stores, the goal is to scale to more than 100 in the coming years.

Third, exploring international markets. With products already built to international standards, DaMensch sees an opportunity to reach global consumers with similar profiles.

“Our product quality is of international standard. We are exploring opportunities to take DaMensch global,” said Anurag.

Despite these ambitions, the founders emphasize measured growth.

“We are fine with 3 to 4x growth annually, as long as it is sustainable,” he added.

Author's Note: All quotes, figures, and insights in this article have been sourced from publicly available interviews, podcasts, and published articles.

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