Every saree has a special place in our hearts, along with the memories that come with it. There is a certain pleasure in draping a saree, especially for an occasion or a special moment. Making saree shopping more fun and accessible, designer Sangeetha Rajesh has come up with Pinit, an app that sells sarees online and delivers them within minutes. The app comes with special features and a variety of sarees to choose from. CE interacts with the designer to find out more about the app.
Tell us about the app, Pinit.
This is a saree store that comes to your home. In today’s busy schedule, everyone prefers quick commerce. We want services to be done immediately, be it a blood test or groceries. I have been in the saree industry for more than 16 years, so I thought, why don’t we start something like this for sarees? With all these ideas, we developed this business plan. Now, you can download the app, book your slot and within 45 minutes, we are there at your doorstep. People don’t need to go to a physical store or have any apprehension about the colour or fabric. They can book a slot and buy the saree from their living room itself.
Why the name Pinit?
When we want to buy a saree, we think about the saree and the blouse, but it is the safety pin that makes it comfortable and convenient and gives the saree a good look as well. Hardly have we given importance to the most important element in saree draping. So, we are that safety pin that makes you comfortable and convenient and helps you get a good look. That is Pinit. As a founder, I want everyone to resonate with the thought that I am having.
Can you tell us about the collection?
We are in our first phase, so we have sarees ranging from 1,000 to 10,000 rupees. When you open the app, you can first choose your budget, and then the fabric of your choice. We offer around 12 designs with three to four colour shades. most importantly, we will be arriving at your door step within 45 minutes to one hour.
Can your app be accessed from anywhere in Hyderabad?
We are covering 95 percent of Hyderabad. we have already received several bookings. The remaining five percent, we are unable to cover due to some pincode issues. We will however be covering them soon.
Is it only sarees that we can find on the app?
My expertise is in sarees, and so I am more keen on expanding pan-India. From Hyderabad, it will go throughout Telangana, then Andhra Pradesh, and to Bengaluru, Delhi and then Mumbai. I am keen about spreading myself as a saree store initially. It all depends on how we grow.
Were there any challenges in designing this app?
Initially, there were quite a few challenges I been the first person to get this idea. It becomes difficult to make people understand, since they do get doubts about the fabric. Some people also fear the sarees being stolen while they are being delivered. Right from finance to manpower, everything is a challenge when it comes to getting the right people on board. We are trying to bring awareness.
How do you want to take this forward?
We also have e-commerce platforms, but we are now focusing on the slot-booking mode. We are going to start with 30 autos. We are also coming up with a franchise model, so people can buy a single unit from us. I am going to rope in a lot of women entrepreneurs because that is how we will grow. They just have to buy an EV auto and then sell the sarees. I have plans of getting 200 autos to run in Hyderabad. We are also coming up with a saree truck for wedding shopping, where you can shop in your parking space itself. You can also hire my business for a day, and we will support.