When Himanshu Adlakha and Nikita Malhotra launched Winston India in October 2021, they did not have an e-commerce website, a retail network or an established brand presence. Their first batch of 5,000 hair trimmers was sold through an Instagram page, with a small group of influencers helping them reach customers.
The entire inventory was sold within a week, giving the Faridabad-based couple an early indication of demand for their products. Five years later, their personal care appliances business has grown into a company with annual revenue of Rs 32.85 crore, according to financial data from Tracxn.
Founded with an initial investment of Rs 30 lakh, Winston's journey has involved expanding its product portfolio, entering online marketplaces, securing investment on Shark Tank India and gradually building an offline presence.
The business has also remained profitable through its first four financial years, even as it expanded its operations.
Winston was not Adlakha's first entrepreneurial venture. After graduating from Lingaya's Vidyapeeth in Faridabad in 2013, he explored multiple business ideas, including an online watch-selling platform and a venture focused on traditional Indian clothing and artisans. He later completed an MBA in Marketing from the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad, in 2016.