How Indore Brothers Built a ₹70 Crore Valued Brand in Just 2 Years

Growing up in a business family, he caught the business bug early on. His dad ran a successful sanitary ware and tiles business. Even as a kid, he loved assisting him and soon started helping him with sales and purchase maintenance. Those moments weren't just chores; they began a lifelong love for entrepreneurship.

"I'm not the most clear-headed person, but when it came to my career, I was absolutely certain. I always aspired to be an entrepreneur, and as the saying goes, 'an apple never falls far from the tree,' it proved true for me," Agam said while talking to Startup Pedia.

But wait, the story of his entrepreneurial journey didn’t start with Robot Banao. It traces way back to his school days, when he was just starting to learn about the rudiments of the business world.

"My first-ever startup was launched in school with a friend who was four years older than me. With the onset of Amazon and eBay in India, our curiosity to explore the online world piqued and resulted in exploration of an e-business," Agam asserts.

During his 10th standard, Agam borrowed a few bucks from a friend and invested it in a dropshipping business model, generating a revenue of more than Rs. 1.5 crores over the two years. He along with his younger brother Saksham would procure electronic products like mobile LED panels, LCD Screens, Spinners, and Xiaomi bands from China and sell them on Amazon. 

The Road To Indore

Agam and Saksham’s family was almost sure that they’d join the family business, but the brothers had bigger plans. 

Agam Choudhary & Saksham Jain - Co-founders at Select Brands

“The idea was to build enduring brands, to create a lasting impact across generations. Hailing from a humble background in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, we witnessed many individuals thrive in conventional business models, but we yearned to pioneer a different narrative—one that focused on innovation, job creation, and collaboration with top talents,” Agam reflects.

They didn’t pooh-pooh the idea of joining their father’s business, but convinced him about their future vision. Which started with educating them on all fronts.

“While our exposure to traditional business practices was invaluable, we recognized the need to cultivate a broader skill set—mastering the art of networking, honing effective communication, and immersing ourselves in real-world branding dynamics,” explains Kyari Founder.

To gain exposure to first-tier and second-tier cities, Agam shifted to Indore. The journey of his second startup, RobotBanao, began when Agam was in his second year of college.

"I aspired to crack IIT; however, I couldn't make it to the list, so I pursued my bachelor's in industrial production from Indore. Where I started another startup with the capital earned from the first venture," says Agam. 

In 2018, he started RobotBanao, a startup that sells various Robotics equipment online. He was regularly involved till 2021. Then he began automating the operations from the same year, and it's still part of the company’s portfolio.  

"RobotBanao is still an EBITDA-positive company ," says Agam. 

Select Brands Take Flight

Agam and Saksham aimed to create a large-scale business, which didn’t seem possible with RobotBanao due to its small market size. They studied over 20-25 industries in the D2C spectrum, including cosmetics, home decor, electronics, kindergarten kids, and fashion, for about 3-4 months.

"We observed something really astounding – almost all the brands in the market were burning hardcore capital without achieving profitability. They were engaged in competition on marketing bids or product USPs, struggling with proper positioning. The business was very fragile to take it further 5-10 years," explains Agam.

After this extensive research, they were quite clear in their heads about what they wanted to build. And this clarity paved the way for the inception of the D2C brand - Select Brand in 2022. The initial investment for this venture was Rs 50-60 lakh – which he earned during college days. 

The duo, brothers turned entrepreneurs, envisioned building a house of brands across 10-12 different categories.

"‘Do siblings clash when making decisions?’ we ask. ‘I'm the visionary, brimming with enthusiasm and ideas, while Saksham is the steady executor. He keeps me grounded when my visions stray too far into the future’, Agam chuckles.

Agam Choudhary & Saksham Jain - Co-founders at Select Brands

Kyari Sprouts Up

In their exploratory phase, the brothers recognized the immense potential of the plant market, yet noticed a significant gap waiting to be filled. This realisation sparked the birth of Kyari in April 2022, as part of the Select Brands family.

“In the modern world, we are distancing ourselves from greenery, so selling plants online made sense. People were apprehensive at the beginning, but our breathable packaging and timely delivery helped us carve out our space in this niche”, points Saksham. 

Kyari’s stress-buster, low-maintenance, and vastu plants are a total hit among people. More than just the plants, their planters have made people’s lives much easier as they deliver self-watering planters along with the plants. These operate on a set-and-forget model and require watering only once a week.

Agam recalled how before he started Kyari, he had never bought a single plant in his life. Now, he runs a team of 70 people, around 40 in the office and 30 at the warehouse. 

Kyari's founders began with Jade Plant and noticed overlooked aspects in the plant market, such as aesthetic preferences, budget-friendly options, and plant care issues. They launched their first collection of self-watering plants in 2022, addressing these problems and earning a positive response. Starting with 13 plant types, they now offer around 80 varieties.

Agam explained their approach to manufacturing and sourcing, emphasising a supply chain model focused on plant care during transit. They initially operated from Indore and then relocated to Pune to partner with experts in plant care. Currently, they have one facility in Pune and Kolkata. Additionally, all planters are designed in-house and manufactured by external production units.

Kyari has achieved a remarkable 8X growth in a span of two years. “Coming from a business family, profitability has always been a core focus. I believe profit is key to basic financial survival. Resilience is as important as performance for me.”, mentions Select Brand Founder Agam. 

Beyond Milestones

Agam notes that most of their sales come from tier 1 towns due to higher spending capacity. Their product, which combines a plant with a unique planter, is priced at Rs. 300, offering a solution compared to cheaper plants available in tier 3 towns. 

Kyari’s plants are sold on their official website and various e-commerce platforms, including Amazon. Around 30-40% of sales come from online marketplaces, with a significant 60-70% generated through their website.

Agam reflects on Kyari's sales journey, spanning nearly two years. “We started with challenging initial months but gradually grew our sales in the first fiscal year (FY-23)”

Indore based startup Select Brand is valued at 70 crores. After getting an investment of around Rs. 6.5 crore, the brand hired a good team for exponential growth.

While speaking about numbers, Agam also highlighted the key challenges that he faced during the journey. “Being young entrepreneurs without any previous job experience, we used to expect a lot from the team, which wasn't fair. Thankfully, our team members pointed it out, and we learned our lesson fast. We've completely changed our modus operandi and adapted quickly. Right now, our main challenge is putting together a tight-knit team in Indore, especially since hiring from metro cities is a bit tricky.

The Next Chapter

Kyari has covered the 0-1 journey in a span of just 1.5 years of the brand launch. “With a solid capital base, we aim for Rs 50 crores in sales next fiscal year (FY-24), focusing on expanding the product portfolio. Additionally, we plan to launch two more brands under the Select Brand umbrella" Saksham elaborates. 

“Success, to me, encompasses far more than just numerical achievements. It's about waking up each morning with a determination to tackle challenges head-on and returning home each evening with solutions in hand. It's about experiencing the everyday happiness that comes from making a difference, from living each day with purpose and meaning.” Saksham concludes.

FAQs

What is a Select Brand? 

Indore-based Select Brand aims to be an umbrella brand for multiple D2C brands. Currently, it has a brand under it called Kyari that sells a wide range of plants. 

Who are the founders of Select Brand? 

Indore-based Select Brand was launched by two brothers, Agam Choudhary and Saksham Jain, in 2022. 

Valuation of Select Brand? 

The Brand is valued at Rs 70 crore.