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Noel Tata, the founder of Westside and Zudio, shared his insights on building these successful retail brands at the 24th Hindustan Times Leadership Summit. When Trent, Westside's original store, opened in 1999, a shareholder inquired about their intentions to sell cut pieces. This highlighted the unfamiliarity of modern retail in India at the time.

Tata emphasized that Trent was a pioneer in retail, being one of only two significant shops in the country. He spent 69 years avoiding the front stage, focusing on building the company from the ground up. One of the biggest early decisions was to sell private labels instead of other companies' brands. This decision led to the company becoming the first D2C business in India, designing products themselves and owning the entire chain from fabric to customers.

Initially, they expected the format to support around 10 stores in India. However, in the last decade, consumption has skyrocketed across different socio-economic categories, leading to the current 320-odd stores, with a goal of reaching 500-plus stores. Tata attributed this growth to the economy and India's increasing consumption.

In 2016, Zudio was launched with the same idea. It started with 6,000 sq ft air-conditioned stores in the metros, with prices ranging from ₹199 to ₹999. These prices have remained unchanged for the past 10 years. Zudio now has over 1,000 stores and has never sold online, with sales reaching 15,000 crores and about 400 million units annually. The company has also chosen not to advertise, focusing on product quality instead.

Tata stressed the importance of India's consumption story, noting that one in six people on Earth resides in India. Demand has spread to tier-2 and tier-3 towns, showcasing the country's economic growth. Tata shared this message with other consumer companies like Titan and Voltas, highlighting the increasing disposable income for non-food items as incomes rise throughout all consumer companies.