Introduction
Today we have Sumit Joria, who quit his comfortable job to build a new-age Gen Z women’s fashion brand that is worth ₹200 crores. There’s a completely new consumer class evolving in India, and it is only a matter of time before India tectonically shifts from Millennial consumers to Gen Z consumers. NEWME has become the talk of the town amongst Gen Z for its immaculate fashion styles and trendy clothes and is the choice of thousands of women in India.
By the way, NEWME is not just any fashion company – it is a tech company, and you will see how in this episode. We dive deep into core insights into how Sumit built his mega fashion tech company.
Sumit’s Background and Entrepreneurial Journey
Sumit comes from a city called Jodhpur and was born into a typical Marwari family. Business runs in their DNA. Despite financial setbacks, his family ensured access to the best education they could afford. Technology was always his passion, and he loved gadgets.
His early corporate journey started at Airtel, where he learned a lot about consumer insights, which helped him understand the pulse of India. Witnessing the rise of startups like Flipkart and Paytm gave him a new perspective. In 2015, Rocket Internet reached out to him, and he joined them in Myanmar, which fueled his entrepreneurial spirit. Later, he joined Meero as India CEO, but it was clear that his future was as an entrepreneur.
Birth of NEWME
After two major stints, the idea of NEWME was born with three other co-founders. Their mission was to empower young women in India to express themselves through fashion. Sumit noticed that the Gen Z audience in India lacked platforms tailored to them. While Millennials had platforms like Flipkart and Myntra, Gen Z had no dedicated brands.
Fashion and beauty were identified as the top areas of spending for young women. They believed that fashion is no longer just functional but aspirational, expressive, and a form of validation – summarized in their model as F = A + E + V.
Solving for Indian Gen Z Women
They focused specifically on Gen Z women because:
- Women form a larger consumer base in fashion.
- Brands like Zara, H&M, and Mango were aspirational but unaffordable for most Indian women.
- Women’s fashion supply chain is more complex than men’s, presenting a larger challenge and opportunity.
The Market Opportunity
According to a BCG report, Gen Z is the next big consumer class in India, with over 200 million members. Sumit estimates at least 50 million Gen Z women on Instagram are potential customers. Even capturing 1-1.5% of this market would make NEWME a large brand.
The market is shifting from unbranded to branded fashion, creating massive growth potential.
Acquiring the First Users
They started by building a campus community of Gen Z women. Interestingly, although the founders were men, the early team was composed entirely of Gen Z women. These team members drove product and brand decisions and encouraged their friends to try NEWME.
Unique Marketing Strategy
The first major activation was a pop-up in a Mumbai college. Instead of selling products directly, they allowed users to scan QR codes and order online. They even introduced a “buy by earning” model, where users could win products by creating content or completing activities. This approach helped NEWME learn critical insights into Gen Z behavior.
Understanding Gen Z Buying Habits
Key insights into Gen Z behavior included:
- They seek freshness – new styles every time they browse.
- They want curation, not confusion.
- Quality matters more than price.
Even with limited budgets, young women allocate ₹1,500/month to fashion. NEWME aims to be the top recall brand for one purchase per quarter.
Cracking the Supply Chain
Traditional brands take 5–6 months from design to store shelves. At NEWME, the process is completed in 7–8 days:
- First sample in 3–4 days.
- Live on platform by Day 5.
- Data science models predict demand.
- Factories start production by Day 6.
- Product in customer hands by Day 8.
This reduces wastage by 90%, enabling better pricing and fresher products.
Building the NEWME Brand
NEWME’s brand identity revolves around chameleon branding – a nod to Gen Z’s ever-changing style. The brand avoids standardization and creates excitement at every touchpoint:
- Social media and app communication is tailored to the moment.
- Packaging says “your new skin has arrived” instead of “your clothes are here.”
- Trial rooms in stores are designed to be fun, content-worthy spaces.
Conclusion
Sumit Joria and his team at NEWME have redefined fashion retail for Gen Z in India by combining cutting-edge supply chain innovation, a deep understanding of consumer behavior, and a strong brand identity. Their commitment to learning from their audience and solving complex challenges from day one has made NEWME one of India’s fastest-growing fashion-tech brands.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is NEWME?
NEWME is a fashion-tech brand focused on Gen Z women in India. It combines trendy styles with technology-driven supply chain and marketing models.
Q2. Who founded NEWME?
NEWME was founded by Sumit Joria and three co-founders.
Q3. How fast can NEWME deliver new fashion designs?
NEWME has a 7–8 day cycle from design to customer delivery, using advanced data modeling and agile production.
Q4. Why does NEWME target Gen Z women?
Gen Z women are underserved in the fashion market, with high aspirations and evolving style needs that NEWME aims to fulfill affordably and quickly.
Q5. How did NEWME acquire its first customers?
By building communities in colleges, empowering Gen Z women as early team members, and launching interactive, QR-code based pop-up experiences.
Q6. What makes NEWME’s supply chain unique?
Its technology-enabled demand prediction model and agile manufacturing reduce inefficiencies and deliver fresh fashion in under 10 days.
