This Indian Perfume Brand Sold 20 Lakhs Without Ads

This Indian Perfume Brand Sold 20 Lakhs Without Ads

Ali Syed, founder of Okami Parfums, left a policy career (Ministry of External Affairs, Asian Development Bank, UN Ukraine) to build a made-in-India fragrance brand inspired by Japanese perfumery’s muted, restrained style. After his 2021 skincare startup SuperSkin failed, he built Okami with an obsessive focus on product and packaging, no samples, no discounts, targeting serious perfume users rather than beginners. The brand grew almost entirely by accident: two viral tweets (one from a Substack writer, another from investor Sanjay Bakshi, a repeat customer) drove over ₹20 lakh in sales between August and December with zero ad spend. Okami is bootstrapped, profitable, and holds a 17% recurring customer rate without retention marketing. Ali argues India’s gap isn’t manufacturing but storytelling, comparing it to how India exports huge carpet volumes yet has no globally recognized carpet brand. He’s open to the right VC partners, plans to diversify beyond perfume, and eventually wants to take Okami global. Stay tuned to ChaiNet to listen to the full conversation. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com [https://chainet.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

AI is Finally Coming to the People Who Actually Do the Work

On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Ankush Jagga, co-founder of UnfoldXR, AI for frontline workers who fix ACs and pick your Blinkit orders. Ankush has built three startups with two exits. Now he’s building for the workers the world forgot to serve. We talk about what happens when a technician hits a new problem, how quickly commercial pressure shapes his product, and his goal of impacting one million lives by 2030. If you run a frontline business this one’s for you. Listen to Ankush Jagga on ChaiNet now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com [https://chainet.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Building for 15 years & then handing over the Baton

On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Kathy Walkling, co-founder of Eco Femme, a social enterprise that pioneered washable cloth pads in India and reached 27 countries. Eco Femme created livelihoods for rural women, ran free education for girls, and proved that purpose and profit can coexist. Then, after 15 years, Kathy handed it over and moved back to Australia. We talk about why she believed in cloth pads, how she built without outside funding, what 15 years of slow growth does to a person, and what it felt like to let go. If you’re building something you hope outlives you, this one’s for you. Listen to Kathy Walkling on ChaiNet now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com [https://chainet.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Your Ads Are Ignored for a Reason, let's see what

On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Shivam K, founder of The Teaser Company, a creative shop that has worked with over 100 D2C brands. Shivam trained as a screenwriter at FTII and wrote ads for Honda and McDonald’s. He believes most founders are fixing the wrong problem. We talk about what kills an ad in three seconds, why high-production ads often fail, the five links in a creative chain, and whether AI excites or scares him. If you’re about to increase your ad budget without fixing the creative first, this one’s for you. Listen to Shivam K on ChaiNet now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com [https://chainet.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

A Harvard Doctor, a Goat Farm, and the Most Unlikely Business Strategy is Kindness

On this episode of ChaiNet, we sit down with Dr Brent Ridge, co-founder of Beekman 1802, one of the world’s most recognised goat-milk skincare brands. No funding, no plan. Just an idea that kindness could be a business strategy. We talk about cold-walking into Henri Bendel with a bar of soap, why they bootstrapped for a decade, what happened on QVC, and what happens to a kindness brand when AI starts shopping for consumers. If you think kindness is soft, this one’s for you. Listen to Dr Brent Ridge on ChaiNet now. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit chainet.substack.com [https://chainet.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]