Brands
India’s fashion powerhouses celebrate 25 years of Lakme Fashion Week
MUMBAI: India’s fashion world threw a dazzling bash as Lakme Fashion Week marked its 25th anniversary with a glittering gala that brought together the country’s design royalty. The spectacular event, hosted by Lakme, the Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) and Reliance Brands on 30 March, was a runway romp through a quarter-century of catwalk history.
Hollywood actor and former White House staffer Kal Penn played master of ceremonies, bringing his trademark wit to proceedings as Hindi cinema heavyweight Kareena Kapoor Khan made a triumphant return to the ramp. Draped in white, the superstar—who has twice been the face of Lakme—delivered a nostalgic speech that had fashion-watchers swooning.
The silver jubilee extravaganza featured a who’s who of Indian fashion, with 30 celebrated designers including Rajesh Pratap, JJ Valaya, Namrata Joshipura, Varun Bahl, Manish Malhotra, Ashish Soni and Tarun Tahiliani strutting their sartorial stuff. Former Lakme models including Lisa Ray, Lisa Haydon, Indrani Dasgupta, Sarah Jane Dias, Shimona Nath and Archana Akil returned to strut down memory lane, reviving the magic of past finales.
FDCI chairman Sunil Sethi raised a toast to the “design-soaked journey. This year the celebrations were robust, reflecting on how we shaped design and its sinuous curves through crafts and heritage. Let’s raise a toast to the future, forward with insightful and innovative ideas that will change our relationship with style. “
Lakme India vice president Sunanda Khaitan highlighted the brand’s “unprecedented” commitment to democratising fashion. She added: “Lakmes longstanding and consistent commitment to furthering fashion in India is unprecedented. It has given fashion designers, makeup artists, and models a world-class platform to showcase their creativity. While fashion may sometimes feel like it’s only accessible to a select few, Lakme’s contribution to LFW has made it a cultural phenomenon, merging fashion and beauty. For the past 25 years, Lakme, through innovations debuted each season, has led the charge on beauty, bringing beauty trends to India. We have collaborated closely with the best fashion talent in the country to curate their collections, complementing the beauty trends for the season.”
Said Reliance Brands group vice-president Jaspreet Chandok: “The platform’s 25th anniversary was not just a celebration, it was a powerful reflection of how far Indian fashion had come and the limitless possibilities that lie ahead. This Gala brought together pioneers and pathbreakers of the industry in an unprecedented showcase of design excellence. From iconic designers to global talent like Kal Penn joining us as host, the evening was a historic tribute to creativity, culture, and collaboration.”
With supermodel Ujjwala Raut hosting the red carpet alongside fashion pundit Jessel Tank, the evening was a feast of fabrics and famous faces—proving that after 25 years, India’s premier fashion showcase remains as catwalk-crazy as ever.
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
