Archive · 17 Jan 2026
D2C Brands Embrace Indian Culture for Growth
Some companies in India that sell things directly to customers are using Indian culture to make their products special.
They use things like art, music, and traditional crafts to make their products more interesting.
Two examples are Gully Labs, which makes sneakers with Indian designs, and Zouk, which makes handbags that celebrate Indian culture.
These companies think that using culture helps them sell more products, especially to younger people.
They also believe this is not just a temporary trend but a long-term way to build strong brands.
Both companies are doing well, with many customers buying from them again and again.
Zouk even has over one million followers on Instagram, which is a big deal.
These companies also work with many artisans from all over India to make their products.
D2C brands like Gully Labs and Zouk are using Indian culture to build brand identity.
Gully Labs blends contemporary sneaker designs with Indian hip hop, dance, football, and traditional art.
Zouk focuses on Indian culture in product design and brand values, with over 1M Instagram followers.
Both brands report high repeat purchase rates and significant traction in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
Zouk works with over 2,000 artisans across India, initially facing scalability challenges but now seeing it as an advantage.
- Who
- Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Gully Labs and Zouk
- What
- Are using Indian culture to build brand identity and drive growth
- When
- This trend is becoming core to brand identity, not just limited to festive campaigns
- Where
- Primarily in India, with significant traction in tier-2 and tier-3 cities
- Why
- Younger consumers seek products that reflect their identity and heritage
- Gully Labs
- Blends contemporary sneaker silhouettes with Indian culture
- Zouk
- Proudly Indian handbag brand with 1M+ Instagram followers
- Repeat Purchase Rates
- 15–22% across six-month cohorts for Gully Labs
- Artisans
- Zouk works with 2,000+ artisans across India
- Business Distribution
- 50% of Zouk's business from tier-2 and tier-3 cities