How Did Ishara Reach Honey Singh, Bigg Boss and Kareena Kapoor?
Honey Singh, Bigg Boss, Kareena Kapoor—these people have already been reached by Ishara. How did this happen?
What Does Vidhi Do?
I run Ishara. Ishara is a fashion accessories brand for modern consumers who want different, designer-style accessories at affordable prices.
I started Ishara when I was 18 years old while I was studying Economics Honours at Delhi University.
Starting Ishara at 18 While Studying at Delhi University
Internships and Early Experience
From the second month of college, I started doing internships. I did an internship at an NGO where I taught children. I also worked with the placement cell, did an internship related to psychology, and worked in business development at a startup in the housing sector.
In one of my internships, I was leading a team of around 1,000 people under a senior structure. That experience taught me how to manage my time and work under pressure while balancing college.
How the Idea for Ishara Started
I have loved earrings since childhood, especially big and different designs.
When I was in college, my friends used to ask me where I got such unusual earrings from.
In 2018, I started sourcing one-off pieces from AliExpress because at that time there were very limited western jewellery options available in India. In local street markets, you would mostly find oxidized jewellery, jhumkas and Indian jewellery.
I noticed a gap in the market for affordable and different western jewellery.
Brands like H&M had jewellery in the ₹500–₹900 range. I wanted to create something affordable enough for a student to buy from their pocket money.
How Vidhi Started Ishara With ₹15,000
My initial investment was ₹15,000, which I took from my mother.
We calculated the cost of packaging, the initial lot, courier and other expenses. I started with India Post because at that time services like Shiprocket were just starting.
My plan was to reinvest the profits into the business and not ask my family for more money.
Also Read: How Nitesh Built a ₹3 Crore Digital Product Business From a Laptop
How Instagram Became the First Sales Channel
I started with Instagram because creating an Instagram page did not require money.
At that time, Instagram was mostly photo-based. Reels had not become popular yet.
It took me around one to two months to prepare the page, brand name and logo.
My initial customers were my college friends. For the first three to four months, most of my sales came through my own circle.
Initial Customers and China Sourcing
Initially, I sourced products from China through AliExpress. I used to buy six units of each design.
Later, I tied up with Indian vendors who were importing products from China.
For example, if a product cost me ₹50, I would sell it for around ₹150–₹180.
I wanted to keep the price below ₹300 so that students could afford it.
The Bigg Boss Turning Point
Around December 2019, before COVID, a stylist messaged me on Instagram.
The stylist was sourcing for Bigg Boss Season 13 and was looking for products for actress Mahira Sharma.
At that time, I did not even know what a stylist or sourcing meant.
The stylist explained that the products would be selected, worn on national television, credits would be given, and the products would be returned after the season.
They selected around 30–35 products from my Instagram.
The cost mentioned was around 300.
I stocked extra pieces because I expected that there could be traffic after the products appeared on television.
How Mahira Sharma Helped Ishara Grow
After around two months, Mahira Sharma wore Ishara earrings.
The credit “by Ishara” led to a huge increase in followers overnight.
There were comments and DMs coming continuously.
Later, in another episode, she wore pink cupcake-shaped earrings. They were visually very different and attractive, and that again brought strong growth.
In the first year, the revenue was around ₹1 lakh, and that same month itself generated roughly ₹1 lakh.
This was the point when the business changed from a side hustle into something I wanted to focus on long-term.
How Ishara Reached Kareena Kapoor, Honey Singh and Other Celebrities
After that, my relationships with stylists started growing.
Products were sourced for different projects.
The Crew Movie Opportunity
For the movie Crew, one Ishara product was selected from around 500 options.
Rhea Kapoor was the head stylist, and one of the team members was connected with me.
The piece was purchased, and later I saw Kareena Kapoor wearing it in the movie.
Similarly, through stylists and project-based sourcing, our products reached Honey Singh, Sunidhi Chauhan, Ananya Panday and many others.
Also Read: How a 21-Year-Old Built a Digital Marketing Agency and Earns ₹7–8 Lakh Per Month
How Ishara Manages Product Design, Sourcing and Manufacturing
Today, our product model includes our own designs, contract manufacturing and sourcing from Indian as well as overseas markets.
In India, there are fewer manufacturers who can match the quality and pricing of western jewellery available from China.
Ishara’s Team and 9,000+ Monthly Orders
Today, we have a team of around 20 people.
The team handles listing, product sourcing, advertisements, editing, reels and content, social media, customer support, Shopify, website backend and warehousing.
We currently receive more than 9,000 orders every month across marketplaces and our website.
How Ishara Sells on Myntra, Nykaa, Meesho and Amazon
Our sales channels include our own website, Myntra, Nykaa, Nykaa Fashion, Meesho and Amazon, along with some smaller platforms.
Our biggest sales come from our own website and Myntra.
Product Photography and Marketplace Listing Process
For marketplace listings, we need product photography according to the platform’s requirements, including specific backgrounds and image sizes.
Videos are also important for conversion.
We shoot everything in-house. We use real models and even team members for photography.
We keep retouching minimal and use natural light because we want the product to look realistic.
The listing sheet includes the SKU, manufacturer, packing location, product details, material, colour, gemstone, dimensions and other information.
After uploading the images and videos, the platform approves the listing and the product goes live.
Marketplace Costs, Returns and Fast Delivery
The total cost on marketplaces can be around 30–40%.
When returns are included, the total cost of doing business can reach around 50%.
Our return rate on marketplaces is around 23%.
Returns also happen on our website.
One reason can be that the product does not match the customer’s expectation from the image, or there can be a delay in delivery.
We are trying faster delivery and warehouse options such as Myntra M-Now, Amazon fast delivery and Flipkart Minutes.
How Ishara Gets 40% of Orders From Its Website
Around 40% of our 9,000+ orders come from our website.
Marketing Strategy: Influencers, UGC and Instagram Reels
We focus strongly on influencer marketing.
We work with celebrities, reality shows and music videos.
We also use UGC videos and maintain relationships with fashion and beauty creators.
Some collaborations are based on barter and PR, while we also pay for UGC creatives that can be used for advertisements.
We also create reels in-house.
For our website, marketing mainly happens through advertisements.
Instagram reels are also a major focus.
How Ishara Grew to 100K+ Instagram Followers
Our Instagram account grew organically over around seven years and crossed 100,000 followers.
The 23 Million View Raksha Bandhan Reel
One Raksha Bandhan reel received 23 million views.
It took around 15 minutes to make.
The video was normal and low quality, and it was not even shot on an iPhone.
There are other reels that can take three hours to make and still get only around 2,000 views.
It is all about hit-and-trial and consistency.
Also Read: From YouTube Content to ₹1 Crore in 3 Months: How Vardan & Suhani Built a Hair Oil Brand
How Ishara Started Marketing With Almost No Budget
For the first three to four years, we did not spend money on marketing.
Orders mainly came through word of mouth and referrals.
How Ishara Manages 800 Active SKUs
Currently, we have around 800 active SKUs.
Managing the warehouse is difficult.
The performance of products on our website and marketplaces can be very different.
Some unique products had high returns on marketplaces because customers did not understand how to use them.
So we simplified the marketplace assortment and kept more straightforward and repeatable products there.
Customer Relationships and the Personal Touch
I value customer relationships and maintaining a personal touch.
Some of our early Instagram customers still know me by my name.
Our team also tries to communicate with customers respectfully and personally.
[Internal Link: How Nitesh Built a ₹3 Crore Digital Product Business From a Laptop]
How to Start an Online Business With Low Investment
For someone starting a new business, Instagram can be a low-investment starting point, especially for college students.
Marketplaces can be added later.
WhatsApp groups, Facebook groups and live shopping can also work.
Why Consistency Matters More Than Overnight Success
Consistency is very important.
You should not expect overnight success.
It took around four years of full-time work and around seven years overall to build this business.
How to Find a Winning Product
Start with something that you personally have an interest in.
Then research the market and trends.
Use Your Own Interest
Your own interest can help you understand the product better and identify what you would personally want to buy.
Research Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and Pinterest
You can research products and trends through Instagram, YouTube, Reddit and Pinterest.
You can also visit physical markets in Delhi, Mumbai and Kolkata.
Visit Physical Markets and Calculate Your Margins
After finding a product, calculate the cost, online selling price and expected margin.
You also need to understand the customer’s problem, identify the market gap and find a way to differentiate your product.
Also Read: From Job to ₹5 Lakh/Month: How Shruti Built a Candle Packaging Business
What Gross Margin Should an E-commerce Business Keep?
For ecommerce sellers, a gross margin of around 65–70% is needed, according to Vidhi.
But a high gross margin does not mean that the business will automatically have high net income because there are many other costs involved.
Ishara’s Average Order Value and Pricing Strategy
The average order value on our website is around ₹750.
On marketplaces, it is around ₹500–₹550 because customers often buy only one piece.
Our website usually has a better price.
Marketplace prices are slightly higher to cover commissions and other costs.
Final Takeaway
Thank you.