They conceived a business idea to revolutionize the custom-made apparel industry. Youthful vigour and a strong resolve took these young entrepreneurs to a decision that was going to change their entire lives. Here’s the story of QuadB.
#1 How QuadB created its place in the market
As two observant industrial engineering freshers at PEC, Bandhul, and Litesh conceived the idea the led to QuadB. It all started with mutual unhappiness with the second-rate quality of club t-shirts provided at the quality. But when most of us just express disappointment and move on, Bandhul and Litesh saw an unfilled gap. An opportunity.
Founded in 2014, QuadB gave a better option to the unobserved but vast customer base looking for custom-made clothing. Their clients today range from IITs, and IIMs, to JP Morgan, L’Oreal and Microsoft to name a few.
The duo bootstrapped. QuadB rented out machinery from different vendors. Their initial customers were college students and small businesses. Slowly, word started getting out about the difference that QuadB offered. The clientele grew and growth accelerated beyond expectations.
By this time, the founders graduated and entirely confident that they had a unicorn-grade idea, immersed themselves fulltime in QuadB. Gradually, the start-up had to rapidly scale up operations to adjust the rapidly increasing demand and a growing list of admirers.
With an innovative approach and the promise to deliver ‘quality that lasts a lifetime’, QuadB brought a wave of change in the market of customized merchandise.
#2 The Customized Clothing Market in India and Potential
Of the total apparel market, which amounts to an industry worth a total of 40 billion USD, 9% is governed by the customized clothing market. This industry, largely borrowed from the west, is currently valued at 3.6 billion USD and according to our database, is estimated to grow to a valuation of 5.3 billion USD by 2022.
The customized clothing industry in India is estimated to grow to a valuation of 5.3 billion USD by 2022.
Where earlier the customized merchandise was trending only in a few tier 1 cities, our database shows that now this market has expanded up to tier 4 cities. In addition to this, there has been a significant rise in the number of SMEs in the apparel industry who wish to become autonomous. This want will result in an increase in the demand for manufacturers who are in the trade of custom apparel. This means that the market for customized merchandise is going to observe a phenomenal evolution in the next five years.
#3 How QuadB self-funded its Rise
With humble beginnings, QuadB bootstrapped hard and made the complete and efficient usage of resources at hand the core of the early strategy. With no factory, Litesh and Bandhul outsourced work to various manufacturers. QuadB implemented technologies JIT and VAL, foreign to players in India. Consequently, the company saw improved operations and significantly increased productivity.
Then came the next juncture in their start-up journey. The need to scale up had become vital and QuadB needed capital. Interestingly, Litesh and Bandhul crowdfunded a sum of Rs. 20 lakh which was used to expand production.
QuadB crowdfunded a sum of Rs. 20 lakh which was used to expand production.
QuadB set up a factory and assembled its own production line. However, bootstrapping still, their operations were labour-intensive in nature as opposed to using capital-intensive foreign machinery. This inadvertently saved money which the duo utilized to enhance QuadB’s production and maintain the impeccable quality of the merchandise. In no time, with collective and ruthless hard work, QuadB was able to pay off its debt.
#4 Learnings picked up in the startup journey
“The biggest lesson the entrepreneurial sector has taught me is the value of ideation,” opines Litesh. “Initially, we had made the mistake of directing all our focus only on the realization of a concept and not on its contemplation. It was only after suffering through failures that we realized our mistake, that ideation and its actualization always go hand in hand.”
Another concept that QuadB has now become familiar with is strategizing around said ideas. It is not enough to only develop new ideas and work haphazardly to achieve it; to successfully run a business, you need to create personalized strategies to attain desired results.
“Product Optimization is another term we have become familiar with during our time in this industry,” continues Litesh, “No matter how ideal a product is, it loses its desirability over time. In order to stay in the game, it is important to keep making changes in your products.”
It is not enough to only develop new ideas; to successfully run a business, you need to create personalized strategies to attain desired results.
Over time, not only has this process helped QuadB maintain a certain level of distinction, it has directly seen in the company’s profits.
In addition to this, QuadB also now specializes in Process Designing. Transformation of a company’s vision into a perceptible means of accomplishing it is imperative to the success of any business. “It is because of the optimum process designing that QuadB has been able to make its mark in the apparel industry.”
#5 New innovations in the pipeline
At present, QuadB is the only company to offer its customers the option to choose from over fifteen different fabric materials and the opportunity to completely customize their clothes, right from the design to the stitch of the fabric.
The entire manufacturing process is kept transparent to build a certain level of trust and ensure open lines of communication with our clients. With a rich assortment of fabrics and a product design only limited by your imagination, we guarantee quality and quantity to our customers.
Apart from this, QuadB has also been largely responsible for introducing, through our manufacturing process, the concept of JIT and VAL in India. JIT (Just In Time) refers to a Japanese method of inventory control that calls for the replenishment of materials, goods or labour exactly when their need arises in the manufacturing process whereas VAL (Virtual Assembly Line) is the virtual production of anything before its actualization.
These borrowed techniques are most effective in reducing cost and increasing work productivity. JIT and VAL are two production techniques which have helped tremendously with the success of our company.
#6 Message for prospective customers of QuadB?
“At QuadB, it is not a one-time transaction ─ Ours is a promise of a lifetime,” states Litesh, “We hold our customers at the highest pedestal and work to fulfill their wish to the letter. We do not believe in limitations; our clients have the opportunity to ask any customized product of us and we promise to deliver. QuadB takes full responsibility for its products and if you’re looking for quality, we’re the company for you.”
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