Rangita represents affordable elegance
Rangita represents affordable eleganceRangita, the flagship brand of Stellaro Brands, has quickly carved a niche in the Indian ethnic wear market by blending traditional aesthetics with contemporary design. With its vibrant colours, playful prints, and intricate detailing, the brand celebrates affordable elegance for the modern Indian woman. From its digital-first launch to opening offline stores, Rangita has built a strong omnichannel presence, combining premium craftsmanship with mass accessibility. Speaking to Fibre2Fashion, CEO Himanshu Chakrawarti shares insights into the brand’s journey, offline expansion, and vision for the future of Indian fashion.
Could you provide an overview of Stellaro Brands and the vision behind launching Rangita?
Stellaro Brands, part of the AceVector ecosystem, is building consumer-first brands tailored for Bharat’s evolving aspirations. Our flagship brand, Rangita, was launched to address a large white space in the ethnic wear market. Rangita is a contemporary ethnic wear brand that reimagines traditional aesthetics for the modern Indian woman. We offer high-quality yet delightfully priced apparel for the modern Indian woman. Rangita represents affordable elegance, combining traditional aesthetics with modern sensibilities, designed for women who celebrate life through style, self-expression, and cultural pride. Our curated range includes kurtas, sets, dresses, and bottoms designed with rich colours, lightweight fabrics, and inclusive styling. With strong traction on leading marketplaces and a growing offline presence, Rangita blends premium craftsmanship with mass accessibility.
What inspired Rangita’s transition from an online-only model to opening physical retail stores?
Our foray into offline retail was driven by data and demand. Digital insights showed high engagement from customers in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While e-commerce gave us scale, we noticed that ethnic wear buyers in Bharat value the tactile experience of touching fabrics, trying products, and experiencing store ambience. Going offline allowed us to meet customers where they are and extend the trust they built online into a physical shopping experience.
How does Rangita’s offline debut fit into Stellaro’s overall multi-channel strategy?
Our offline expansion is not a shift but a continuation of our customer-first approach. With digital commerce as our backbone, our stores complement our D2C website, online marketplaces, and quick commerce partnerships. Together, this forms an omnichannel presence that offers customers choice, convenience, and continuity. Offline retail also acts as a brand experience centre, enhancing visibility and creating deeper engagement in key markets.
What are the key factors that influenced your decision to choose Visakhapatnam and Kakinada for Rangita’s first physical stores?
Consumer data guided us. Both Visakhapatnam and Kakinada showed strong demand on our website and marketplaces, high conversion rates, and repeat purchase behaviour. These cities are aspirational, fashion-forward, and ready for organised retail. By launching in high-traffic malls in these locations, we were able to offer an elevated shopping experience while staying deeply relevant to our target customer.
How have customers responded to Rangita’s new physical stores?
The response has been overwhelmingly positive. We have seen strong footfalls, high conversion rates, and encouraging repeat visits. Many customers have told us the stores feel premium but are priced just right. We have also had online customers walk into our stores to try and buy, validating our omnichannel strategy. Importantly, all our stores have turned operationally profitable.
What challenges did you face during the offline expansion and how were they addressed?
Scaling offline comes with its own set of challenges—from store design and staffing to inventory planning and local partnerships. Finding the right locations, preserving brand consistency across formats, and integrating tech-enabled retail systems were key focus areas. We leaned heavily on our digital DNA to streamline backend operations and train in-store teams to deliver a warm and consistent experience.
In what ways do you believe Rangita’s presence in physical retail will influence its market reach and customer base?
Offline stores amplify trust. They bring the brand closer to the customer and enable discovery beyond the algorithm. For many first-time buyers or occasional ethnic wear shoppers, a physical touchpoint bridges the gap between aspiration and action. Stores also help expand our customer base to women who may not be active online shoppers. This unlocks a new layer of Bharat consumption.
Could you share insights into the marketing strategies used to promote Rangita’s offline stores?
We focus on hyperlocal, community-led marketing, from influencer walk-ins and regional creator partnerships to mall activations and vernacular campaigns. Digital geo-targeting and WhatsApp commerce tools help us build recall before a store opens. Post-launch, our staff engagement, in-store visual storytelling, and regular events create a lively and immersive brand environment.
Are there any specific operational advantages that the offline stores have brought to the business?
Absolutely. Offline stores offer real-time feedback loops on sizing, design preferences, and price sensitivity. They also double up as fulfilment nodes for local deliveries and offer a cost-efficient channel for returns or exchanges. This improves the last-mile experience. From a data standpoint, they help us refine inventory planning and design drops in more granular ways.
What are the future plans for expanding Rangita’s physical retail presence?
We plan to deepen our offline presence through a cluster-based expansion strategy. The goal is not just expansion, but sustainable, store-level profitability with a sharp eye on unit economics.
Can you discuss the role of technology in enhancing customer engagement and experience in retail?
Technology is integral. From real-time inventory sync across channels and AI-driven design testing to video commerce, technology helps us offer a seamless and a superior experience.
What strategies do you think are most effective for balancing online and offline sales channels in today’s retail environment?
The key is integration, not isolation. Unified pricing, synchronised inventory, shared loyalty programmes, and consistent branding are critical. Online drives reach. Offline drives trust. When both are optimised, they reinforce each other and lift overall brand equity.
How do you foresee the growth of tier 2 and tier 3 markets in India impacting the retail sector over the next few years?
Tier 2 and 3 markets are India’s biggest growth engines. With rising disposable incomes, mobile-first behaviours, and a hunger for organised fashion, these regions will define the next retail boom. Brands that understand regional nuances in language, fit, and styling while offering aspirational value will lead. Our store successes in cities like Kakinada and Kurnool are early indicators of this shift.
How do you think consumer expectations in the fashion industry have changed post-pandemic, and what adjustments are brands making to accommodate these changes?
Consumers today value versatility, comfort, and conscious pricing. They are also more digitally savvy and open to discovering new brands. At Rangita, we have adapted by making our festive wear more breathable, expanding inclusive sizing, and launching monthly drops to keep collections fresh. Post-pandemic, it is not about over-the-top fashion. It is about clothes that move with your life, mood, and moments.
Looking ahead, how do you see the landscape of Indian fashion evolving?
Indian fashion is becoming more expressive, experimental, and inclusive. There is a strong shift towards rooted yet modern styles, what we call everyday celebration. Gen Z and young millennials are embracing Indian wear beyond festivals, for college, brunches, work, and casual outings. The boundaries between festive and daily wear are blurring. This creates opportunities for brands that can blend comfort, heritage, and style.
