Startup Stars: How STRCH is pushing the limits with innovative premium activewear

Adgully has been turning the spotlight on the entrepreneurs who fought against all odds to bring their dreams to fruition in our special series – START-UP STARS. We at Adgully wholeheartedly support the ‘Vocal for Local’ movement and have been featuring numerous local/ homegrown businesses, brands, and Apps in the country launched in the last few years.

In this interaction with Adgully, Prithvi Bhagat, Founder and CEO, STRCH, shares the brand’s vision of pushing limits with premium activewear using innovative fabrics like Graphene and engineered Nylon. Backed by 64 years of textile expertise, STRCH aims to offer high-performance, India-specific designs while maintaining sustainability. Overcoming market challenges, the brand focuses on quality, affordability, and trust, with strong celebrity and athlete endorsements. Expansion plans include sport-specific products and global positioning as a premium activewear leader.

Why did you choose the name ‘STRCH’ for your brand? Is there a specific meaning behind it, and does the unique spelling hold any significance in representing the brand’s ethos or identity?

The name STRCH really is self-explanatory as to it was going with our garment configuration and also with the idea of the brand having no limits or stretching your limits. The spelling is just making a mark in the head of customers easy to remember and something commonly. We wanted to create a soul to the brand that anything you do you should be able to STRCH your own limits whatever your body size or capacity is.

STRCH is redefining activewear in India with innovative materials like Graphene. Could you elaborate on the vision and mission behind STRCH, and how it aims to disrupt the Indian activewear market?

To disrupt the market, we are launching products for the niche and premium sector, the people who travel the world and purchase from brands like Gym Shark/ Lulu Lemon. We being the textile hub why can’t we achieve that? So, we have launched exclusive fabrics like nylon, which has been engineered for Indian body type/ weather/ usage. And the cloud-like feeling fabric that it’s a second skin.

Launching a brand like STRCH in a competitive market must have had its challenges. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced in the journey, and how did you overcome them to establish STRCH as a premium activewear brand?

The market is highly competitive in India in the mass segment, but for the premium brands you have to spend excessively and go to the global brands, for which we have made it affordable with a class apart fabric which is not available in India with other brands and global brands in India. Besides, due to companies burning money and dumbing products in the market with the help of market places and influencer marketing, the challenge is to make customers believe and trust in the brand and product. Also, activewear is a long usage product which cannot be treated as use-and-throw, which is why we are giving a lot of options like fast fashion brands but long lasting products with celebrities believing in us and coming on board to create the trust factor.

What unique features of STRCH’s products set them apart from the standard offerings available in the market? What are the key market trends and drivers influencing the demand for premium activewear in India, and how do they compare to global markets?

We have been lucky with self-funding for now as we have a background in the textile field for 64 years and an export business which is funding us for now. But it surely is a slow process. Also, we don’t want to be one of those brands which are just burning money and creating a topline, but want to create a sustainable business for the long term – a success story of India going global.

India has introduced several initiatives to support startups and the textile sector. Have any specific government policies or programs benefited STRCH, or do you see potential advantages for the activewear industry as a whole?

Innovation in India for textile is much easier than the world as we have huge advantage of textile being one the biggest industries in India. It helps a lot to source new things, plus geographically we have a great option of learning from other countries around us. With our population and now the exposure to global niche products which are focused on particular usage, along with the acceptability in the Indian market to try new products since the Covid period, surely there is a lot of scope for textile in India.

How does STRCH’s engineered Nylon enhance the performance and durability of its products, compared to conventional materials?

Since the Covid period, activewear and athleisure has seen a massive spike, but there is lack of premium brands in this category in India. We wanted to change this and specially worked towards Indian body types, introducing more colours, focusing on both men’s and women’s wear, and giving added feature with our specially engineered fabrics. We have given multiple added features for which the customer is not paying extra, but it is all included in the fabric, such as UV protected/ anti odor/ quick dry/ soft feel. So, it’s like a one-stop shop for all. I am sure in a few years we will surely be competing with global brands and like other textile products, India will surely be a global leader in activewear.

As a relatively new brand, STRCH has already made an impact. Could you share more about your plans for expansion? What are the strategic goals for scaling the brand, and how do you plan to position STRCH in both domestic and global markets?

STRCH has made an impact with the policy of being a one-stop shop for apparels, focusing on activewear. Also, the idea of being available pan-India and the support that we have received from celebrities and athletes helps us create the best products, with the focus on extreme fabrics which feel like an extra skin rather than some plastic feel.

Our expansion plan includes having more focused products for specific sports, so it becomes easier for customers to purchase accordingly and also creating products as now these are lifestyle products.