Desi Tales is betting on cotton and craft for comfortable kids' festive wear

Indian children often struggle with uncomfortable ethnic outfits at family events, leading market leader Desi Tales to create a niche for cotton ethnic wear and nightwear priced between premium and low-cost segments. Founders Rachana and Mihir Shah, who experienced the issue with their own nephews, launched the Bengaluru-based brand in 2022 as a weekend venture.

The duo procured products and sold them through apartment pop-ups, eventually launching a website in 2025. Desi Tales' cotton and craft pieces are designed to be durable, prevent poking and itching, and withstand children's everyday wear. The brand's prints combine ethnic elements with quirky trends from adult and women's wear. Some pieces are handmade by women artisans in Gujarat and Rajasthan using Sanganeri block printing.

Desi Tales currently sells around 500 SKUs across ethnic wear, nightwear, co-ord sets, and family combos. The brand's revenue is split roughly 35% for traditional wear, 30% for nightwear, and 25% for father-son combo sets. With a strong focus on quality, Desi Tales has managed to serve over 40,000 customers while maintaining low dead stock levels.

The brand's growth has been entirely bootstrapped, and the founders plan to expand their workforce and open two more retail outlets in the near future.