Leaving the Metro Grind for Mysuru
Supreeth Kashyap, a 30-year-old computer science graduate from The National Institute of Engineering, Mysore, reached a turning point in 2018. After spending time in the high-pressure environment of a tech job at Accenture in Bengaluru, he decided he had enough. He traded the crowded streets and constant noise of India’s tech capital for a quieter life in his hometown of Mysuru.
He did not leave just to rest. Kashyap moved back with a clear focus on building a business that creates local jobs. He believed that the push to relocate to Tier-1 cities left too many talented people in smaller towns with limited options. By anchoring his startup, Wellbi, in Mysuru, he sought to prove that a successful company could thrive outside the shadow of major metros.
Scaling an Apparel Brand
Wellbi launched in 2021 as an apparel company focused on sustainable, organic athletic wear. The startup journey began with a modest investment of ₹10 lakh, sourced from Kashyap’s own savings and family loans. As the business model found its footing, the company secured an additional ₹3 crore in angel funding to ramp up production and distribution.
Growth came quickly. The company reported ₹11 lakh in revenue during its first year, jumping to ₹70 lakh the following year. By fiscal year 2025–26, the brand hit a turnover of over ₹6 crore. Today, the business is bringing in ₹1 crore in monthly revenue, with projections aimed at hitting ₹16 crore by March 2027. Currently, the company maintains a team of 10 full-time employees and supports a network of 40 artisans.
Learning from Early Mistakes
Kashyap describes himself as an accidental entrepreneur who lacked a business background. He admits that he made early missteps by prioritizing visual aesthetics over actual product-market fit. In the beginning, he spent too much time and money on high-end fashion photoshoots instead of refining the core utility of his apparel.
He also identified a failure in his early hiring strategy. At one point, the company employed 14 people to generate ₹20 lakh in monthly revenue. Now, with a leaner team of 10, the company generates five times that amount. He learned that hiring too many people too quickly for specialized roles held the company back. He shifted his focus to finding multitaskers who could wear multiple hats during the startup's critical growth phases.
Future Growth and Industry Impact
Wellbi is now planning to enter the international market through Amazon in the US. Despite this expansion, Kashyap maintains that the brand is not a fast-fashion enterprise. The company focuses on the breathability and long-term comfort of its fabric rather than chasing fleeting retail trends. He credits his customer base, which includes founders from companies like Frido and Bounce, for the brand's early traction.
The broader significance of Kashyap’s work lies in the changing geography of Indian business. By providing employment in Tier-2 regions, he is part of a wave of entrepreneurs challenging the necessity of metro-centric operations. Whether this model can be sustained as the company scales into global markets remains to be seen. For now, it stands as a concrete example of how someone can step away from a corporate career to build something meaningful on their own terms.