Shruti Gochhwal, Co-founder of Zappfresh, has ventured into the women’s fashion segment with the launch of Sharmeeli, a new brand focused on premium Indian ethnic wear.
Targeting the Rs 1.68 trillion ethnic wear market, Sharmeeli aims to cater to the evolving preferences of the modern Indian woman with high-quality, design-forward collections.
Prior to launching Sharmeeli, Shruti spent six years heading operations and finance at Zappfresh, where she played a key role in scaling it into one of India’s most trusted D2C startups in the fresh food space.
She then founded Amaltas Couture, a bridalwear label known for its hand-embroidered lehengas and a growing community of happy brides. Her latest venture, Sharmeeli, is the wild child of Amaltas, solving the lack of high-quality, wearable Indian fashion that falls between mass and couture, priced under Rs 10,000 – without the noise of mass production and fast fashion.
Shruti has partnered with Santosh Galidevara, a former Army Major and Paratrooper who brings his discipline, focus, and structure to run the day-to-day operations of the brand. She has also onboarded Renu Solanki, who has spent years working closely with fabrics and karigars, leading sourcing and craftsmanship for the brand ensuring every piece lives up to the promise.
Sharmeeli was born from a simple belief that Indian wear should be beautiful, well-made, comfortable, and wearable – without falling apart after a few washes. In a market full of fast fashion and machine-made shortcuts, Sharmeeli brings back the charm of handcrafted detail and high-quality fabrics. Each piece is made in small batches to ensure it lasts longer, fits well, and feels good.
“I’m thrilled to bring Sharmeeli to life,” says Shruti. “I built Sharmeeli to protect something I love – Indian craft, fabric, identity – from getting lost in the noise of fast trends and Western wear. It’s a reminder of where we come from and the joy, comfort, and meaning Indian wear holds.”
