Sarees Continue to Dominate Occasion Wear: Taneira CEO

The Indian saree market was valued at $5.76 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $10.33 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of approximately 7.35% from 2025 to 2033. Largely dominated by unorganised saree retailers, there is a rising affinity towards saree draping in India. Working women, especially in metros, have found their bonding with saree more strongly these days. 

Adorned as a symbol of tradition and authority, there are brands like Taneira who are making the saree an extension of popular outfit choices, especially on special occasions. Taneira was launched by Titan Company Limited (part of the Tata Group) in February 2017. In a conversation with FE Retail, Taneira CEO, Ambuj Narayan, shares insights into the growing appeal and commercial potential of the saree business in India.

Excerpts:  

The saree market in India is highly fragmented. As far as I know, there are a lot of unorganized retailers, and traditionally, the saree segment has been trend-driven as well. So how do you position Taneira to capture both the premium handloom buyer and the modern value-conscious consumer?

Yes, you're absolutely right, the saree market is highly fragmented and unorganized. But it’s also one of the oldest categories, more than 5,000 years old.

How we differentiate in this market is, firstly, we are strongly design-focused. Some of the best designers work with us, co-creating with weavers to bring out designs that are loved by our customers. These are aesthetics you don’t typically find in other stores. So, we stand out with our unique design identity, bringing contemporary elegance to a traditional category.

Secondly, we bring the best of India under one roof. We have over 100 weaving clusters across the country and curate collections from all of them. Whether it's Banarasi, or Pochampally, you’ll find it in our stores, even in cities including Madurai. No other brand offers this level of diversity in one place.

Thirdly, our store experience is a key differentiator. Our staff are knowledgeable and offer detailed information about the sarees and the craft clusters they come from. That storytelling element is unique to our brand and appeals to both handloom lovers and value-conscious customers.

Another important point: we deal only in pure and natural fibers- silk, cotton, and plant-based fabrics. That commitment is central to our identity.

What kind of shift have you seen in saree wearing and retailing? 

Over the last few years, we’ve seen many new brands enter the saree space, and adoption is growing helped by celebrities and influencers. E-commerce is growing rapidly, and younger women are embracing sarees both for work and occasions. Sarees continue to dominate occasion wear. That hasn't changed. In fact, it’s been reinforced.

Have you observed any specific trends in saree retailing whether in design, fabric, or occasion?

Yes. One big shift is that customers now expect an experience. We offer an easy browsing format in our stores, where customers can explore the full collection independently. Unlike traditional stores where sarees were shown to a seated customer, we offer open access.Many new brands now also follow this easy-browsing and workwear-oriented model. That’s a notable shift in saree retailing.

How many stores do you currently have?

We have around 80 stores.

Taneira is aiming for significant revenue milestones through rapid store expansion and product diversification. What strategic levers are you using to drive volume and value growth?

We’re in a growth phase. In the past three years alone, we’ve opened 60 stores, showing our aggressive growth intent. We plan to open 10–15 stores annually.

Second, we’re expanding within the ethnic wear category beyond sarees. This includes ready-to-wear outfits, unstitched kurta sets, blouses, kurtas and inner skirts and trousers, all aligned with ethnic wear.

Third, we’re strongly targeting the wedding segment. Sarees remain the go-to choice for weddings both for brides and guests. We've curated collections for this segment and highlighted them in recent campaigns.

Fourth, we’ve introduced accessible price points in the last 12–18 months across sarees and ready-to-wear, which have seen strong response. These four levers are driving our volume and value growth.

If I ask you to name two unique selling propositions (USPs) that help Taneira stand out among other saree brands, what would they be?

As I mentioned earlier, the top two would be design differentiation and our immersive in-store experience. These are the two core pillars of our brand positioning.

What about your digital presence?

We are present on our own e-commerce site as well as on marketplaces. Customers can access the brand both online and offline.

But offline is your core?

Yes, offline is our core, and that’s also how the category largely operates.

Would you be able to share your online vs. offline sales split?

E-commerce currently contributes around 5% to 7% of our sales. Offline makes up the rest. But there’s a strong omni-channel component. Many customers discover us online and then buy in-store, or they order online and pick up in-store.

How do you see consumer buying behaviour evolving in the ethnic wear category, especially post-COVID and with rising digital adoption?

COVID and the period after gave e-commerce a real boost. We launched our e-commerce platform during this time, and it’s growing well. We're also present on marketplaces.

But sarees are very much a touch-and-feel product. So omni-channel is the right strategy. Many customers discover us online but prefer to make the final purchase in-store. We’re investing in improving online offerings and using social media and digital tools to engage customers.

Taneira competes not just with saree brands but with ethnic wear retailers like Fabindia and Biba. How do you ensure strong brand differentiation?

First, in ready-to-wear, we use only pure and natural fibers. Second, all our collections are designed in-house and there is strong design freshness. We offer daily wear, work wear, and occasion wear in ready-to-wear as well.

We ensure that every time a customer visits, there’s something new in-store. That freshness and fiber quality differentiates us.

What are the top two or three metrics you track to measure the success of Taneira’s retail and digital strategy across geographies?

First is customer satisfaction. We are highly focused on it. Our NPS (Net Promoter Score) is between 88 and 90, which is among the best in the industry. Our Google ratings are also excellent.

Second is repeat customers. We track this closely and currently have 35–40% repeat rate, which shows brand loyalty.

Finally, we track like-to-like growth, and we aim for e-commerce to contribute 10–12% to our overall top line.

Taneira has ventured into everyday ethnic wear. How will the brand evolve without diluting its saree-focused identity?

We will always remain a saree-focused ethnic wear brand. The ready-to-wear segment complements sarees, it doesn’t compete with them.

Our customers wear both sarees and kurtas, so it makes sense to offer both under one roof. The brand language remains consistent, and we’ve seen strong adoption of our ready-to-wear collection, including unstitched kurtas.

As the retail landscape shifts to omni-channel experiences, are there any specific innovations you are implementing?

Yes. We want to offer a seamless online-offline journey. Our website, taneira.com, lets customers browse inventory from both warehouses and stores and pick up in-store if they wish.

We're also leveraging AI to train our store staff and enhance customer service. We're digitizing our supply chain, and we’ve developed a weaver app that improves backend efficiency and productivity.

We’ve also launched Weavershala, a programme to modernize weavers' workplaces and enhance their design capabilities. It's about giving them a hygienic environment and supporting the next generation of weavers with pride.

One more innovation is Saree Run, an industry-first initiative promoting inclusion, health, and empowerment. Women participate in sarees across cities to celebrate the versatility of the garment, from homes to boardrooms to athletics. We’ve done 10 such runs across India, with thousands participating.