A hush-hush industry.
A stigma nobody wanted to talk about.
And a tiny brand daring to break the silence.
It all began as a small idea when lingerie shopping was more of a whispered secret than a fun outing. One day, the founding team realised that Indian women deserved better than ill-fitting bras and awkward conversations at male-run shops.
They had no intention of being just another undergarment brand; they wanted to give women the joy of choosing styles, colors, and fits that felt downright exciting. And so, in 2013, a bold little startup from Noida set out to rewire an entire industry.
Meet Pankaj Vermani, Founder & CEO of Clovia, the D2C lingerie brand that’s sending shockwaves through a ₹50,000 Cr Indian market.
Clovia’s approach was radical.
Instead of pushing the same old beige and black, they said, “How about polka dots, bright florals, and special cuts for every body type?”
While skeptics muttered about taboo topics, Clovia marched ahead and launched an online store that invited women from every nook and cranny of India to shop minus the discomfort.
Fast-Forward To 2020—A Year No One Could Have Predicted
The pandemic forced everyone indoors, but that only amplified the need for comfortable, reliable clothing.
Clovia capitalised on the moment by focusing on loungewear, activewear, and cozy nightwear. Women who once endured underwires all day suddenly wanted a bralette they could lounge in.
Clovia’s online sales soared.
By FY20, they had already recorded a 50% growth over the previous year, and 85% of their sales were coming from digital channels.
As physical stores shut doors, Clovia’s website and mobile app kept rolling. Shoppers discovered the joys of having intimate-wear delivered discreetly at home.
The brand’s D2C model looked like pure genius.
And it didn’t hurt that they also built an agile supply chain that let them churn out new styles in small batches, cutting down waste and capital risk.
An absolute game-changer. Clovia has been thriving since then, and how?
Over 5 Mn women have tried Clovia. They aim to reach 50 Mn in the next four years.
Take a look below.
Most of this growth is driven by e-commerce.
About 65-70% of sales come from online channels, thanks to a strong digital presence and user-friendly interface.
But offline is catching up too.
They operate over 70+ exclusive brand outlets (EBOs), and have a presence in 2,000+ multi-brand outlets (MBOs) and around 600 large format stores (LFS).
Now, they move between 600,000 to 700,000 pieces every single month, which is about 1 item sold every 3 seconds.
Big Data Meets Big Style
Clovia built in-house algorithms to predict demand, manage inventory, and even guide sizing.
A standout is the Bra Fit Test.
Five quick questions about body shape, comfort preferences, and usage, and voilà—the perfect bra size is recommended.
This has a 70% conversion ratio and leads to 5X customer LTV compared to direct product browsing.
Behind the scenes, Clovia crunches over 1,000 data points—fabric types, color trends, raw materials, return rates, and user feedback.
Their intelligence system then suggests what to produce next.
As a result, 75% of their inventory is under 30 days old. That means fresh designs hit the store almost every week.
From raw material sourcing to final packaging, Clovia tracks each step digitally.
Factory partners use a custom app to update real-time production data.
Their teams can spot bottlenecks in minutes.
This approach keeps costs lower, margins higher, and customers happier.
How Clovia Leveraged Bigger Possibilities Beyond Big Cities
India is more than just its metros.
Clovia recognised that.
They discovered an underserved market in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, where women had limited access to trendy intimatewear.
By focusing on online channels and strategic offline pop-ups, they captured these regions.
Almost 65% of their revenue now comes from non-metro areas.
Interestingly, the average order value from smaller cities is 20% higher than from metros.
Why? Because customers there love to buy in bulk once they trust a brand.
The Clovia Secret – Speak Your Customers’ Language, They’ll Speak Back
Clovia has always been about ‘joy.’
To amplify that message, they roped in youth icons like Shraddha Kapoor and Manushi Chhillar.
These ambassadors embody confidence, fun, and a sense of authenticity that resonates with the brand’s core audience—women who value comfort, style, and happiness all at once.
On social media, Clovia stands out by turning everyday problems into lighthearted jokes. Their “let’s talk bras!” approach is direct.
They focus on real bodies, real stories, and real solutions.
This authenticity has amassed a loyal following of 444K+.
Knock Knock! ‘Who’s There?’ – Reliance Retail!
In March 2022, Clovia found a powerful partner: Reliance Retail.
Reliance acquired an 89% stake in Clovia’s parent company, Purple Panda Fashions, through a combination of primary investment and secondary share purchase.
This deal catapulted Clovia into a new league. It joined the ranks of Zivame and Amante, other intimatewear brands Reliance had snapped up.
Now, with Reliance’s operational might and extensive retail network, Clovia has the resources to scale faster.
They’re exploring more product categories and also eyeing expansions into global markets.
Clovia Is Just Warming Up
Given the synergy between their in-house tech, predictive analytics, and ongoing product expansions, the goal of acquiring 50 Mn customers isn’t a pipe dream.
With Reliance fueling offline growth, and the brand’s consistent digital traction, Clovia has carved itself a prime seat at India’s retail table.
At the core of it all is a simple principle: if you solve real customer problems—such as poor lingerie fittings—and add a splash of joy, people will pay attention.
Clovia’s story is living proof that sometimes, the quietest corners of an industry are where the loudest success echoes.
Now, with one foot firmly in Indian hearts and the other stepping into new geographies, Clovia seems poised to keep that momentum going for a long time to come.