Spykar Emphasizes Made in India Strategy Amid Fast Fashion Rivalry, ETRetail

New Delhi: After a year of cautious consolidation, Spykar Lifestyle is preparing for sharper, accelerated growth with plans to expand its exclusive store network by over 30 per cent and deepen its product offerings across both fashion and accessories.

The denim-focused brand grew 6-7 per cent in FY25, aligned with its strategic pause to stabilise operations, clean up inventory, and reinforce product-market fit, the company said.

“There was no push for growth last year. It was a course correction year,” said Sanjay Vakharia, Co-founder and CEO, Spykar Lifestyle. “Despite that, we grew and now we are ready to move faster and more sharply.”

Spykar is betting big on its own retail stores, with plans to take its current network of 300 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) to over 400 across 200 cities by the end of FY26.

“Our own stores give us the deepest penetration and the most control. For the next couple of years, this will be our strongest focus. We are already present in 160 cities. We want to cover 40 more,” Vakharia told in an interview with ETRetail.

He shared that while large-format retailers and trade channels play a role, expansion via those routes often depends on third-party growth. In contrast, EBOs allow Spykar to set the pace.

Spykar has maintained near-equal distribution across its four main channels that includes trade, large format retail, EBOs, and e-commerce, each contributing 20-25 per cent to overall sales.

The denim brand has also entered quick commerce. “Yes, Spykar is available on quick commerce platforms now,” said Vakharia. “Honestly, I also wondered – who needs jeans in 10 minutes? But the demand is real, and we are seeing encouraging results,” he shared.

Talking about the challenges with decentralised inventory and fulfilment in q-commerce, he said it’s consistent with Spykar’s philosophy of moving with the tide and staying visible across all consumer touchpoints.

Competing in fast fashion with fit, value and agility

As global majors and homegrown fast fashion players vie for consumer attention, Vakharia said Spykar has an edge as a made-in-India, for-India brand. “We are not in the cheap fashion race. Our customers look for value, not just price,” he said.

“While international brands target the top 20 cities, Spykar is already in over 500 towns. That’s our advantage.” He added that Spykar’s customised fits for Indian body types, local manufacturing, and consistent product evolution help it stay ahead in the denim category.

“Among the top six or seven denim brands in India, we are the only Indian name. We have held that space for over three decades, I think that says something.”

Collaboration and diversification to fuel brand relevance

Spykar recently announced its collaboration with actor and martial artist Vidyut Jammwal, anchoring the brand in India’s growing fitness and wellness movement.

Spykar’s product portfolio now extends beyond denim and casualwear to include perfumes, belts, wallets, backpacks, and a growing innerwear and loungewear line under the ‘Underjeans’ label.

The company sells across D2C, marketplaces like Myntra, Flipkart, Amazon, and at offline stores.

With over 25 distributors covering 28 states, a robust omnichannel play, and rising consumer confidence in Indian labels, Vakharia believes Spykar is well-positioned to hold its ground as India’s No. 2 or 3 denim brand behind Levi’s while keeping agility at its core.

“We are plugging gaps across product, communication, and experience. The next two years will be more agile, more focused, and a lot more action-driven,” he said.

• Published On Jul 26, 2025 at 10:21 AM IST

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