Brands
Mensa Brands acquires leather brand Estalon
Mumbai: Mensa Brands has acquired Kolkata-based leather goods manufacturer and seller – Estalon. The acquisition marks Mensa Brands’ foray into the growing leather goods segment, which holds immense potential in both domestic and international markets.
With the partnership with Mensa, Estalon is poised to grow at five times of the market, with a focus on both increasing presence in existing markets and expansion to new markets, said the statement. “Mensa will harness the power of data-based insights, digital marketing, and its expertise in enhancing operational efficiencies to turbocharge growth,” it added.
“We envision Estalon becoming a leading global leather accessories brand from India with its strong product line and quality leather workmanship,” said Mensa Brands founder and CEO Ananth Narayanan. “The Estalon team has decades of experience in leather manufacturing, and we believe that with Mensa’s complementary skills in technology, operations and brand building, it is poised to achieve a high growth rate of 5X of the market in the next 3-5 years,” he added.
Estalon has largely been a family-owned business with expertise in leather manufacturing. Currently, Estalon sells majorly in the US through Amazon.
“Mensa team’s expertise and enthusiasm will help expand our brand’s footprint and achieve the growth goals we have set together,” stated Estalon founder Mohammed Mobashir. “We are focused on better serving existing customers and reaching new customers, by introducing new products, launching on n
New channels, and fine-tuning the customer experience.”
Mensa partners with digital-first brands operating in different categories, including fashion and apparel, home and garden, beauty and personal care, food, and others. It recently acquired High Star, a denim brand serving fashion-forward and digital-first consumers.
Brands
Ascenta elevates Adheip Bakshi to sales director amid growth push
Move aligns with expansion plans and flagship Basalt Hills development
MUMBAI: Ascenta has elevated its co-founder Adheip Bakshi to the role of sales director, signalling a sharper focus on scaling operations and expanding its market footprint.
Bakshi, who has been instrumental in shaping the company’s sales and marketing strategy since its early days, brings over a decade of experience in real estate sales and operational planning. He has played a central role in building Ascenta’s channel network and refining its go-to-market approach.
The leadership move comes as the company gears up for its next phase of growth, anchored by Basalt Hills, a 20-acre low-density villa estate positioned within the emerging Mumbai 3.0 corridor. Designed as a hospitality-led, lifestyle-focused community, the project combines serviced plots, bespoke villas and curated infrastructure within a natural basalt landscape.
Speaking on his new role, Bakshi said, “I’m excited to take on this role at a pivotal stage in Ascenta’s journey. Our focus remains on building a disciplined, channel-driven sales ecosystem while aligning closely with evolving buyer expectations for lifestyle-oriented developments. Basalt Hills is a strong reflection of this direction, and we aim to scale thoughtfully while maintaining the integrity of the product and experience.”
Commenting on the elevation, Ascenta founder and managing director Karan Bahl said, “This elevation reflects a natural progression, recognising Adheip’s contribution to the business and his ability to scale sales operations in a competitive luxury segment. As we expand our portfolio of boutique, design-led developments, strengthening leadership across functions remains a key priority.”
With this leadership shift, Ascenta appears to be doubling down on structured growth while keeping its focus firmly on design-led, premium real estate, a space that continues to evolve with changing buyer aspirations.
