Inspiring Story Of Deepika Thiyagarajan
Putchi was founded in 2020 as a maternity solutions brand based in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India, by Deepika Thiyagarajan and her husband Thiyaga Vivek.
Their journey began with a simple yet profound inspiration: a mother’s love and a family’s determination.
It all started when Deepika found herself struggling to find functional and stylish nursing wear for a simple dinner out with her 2-month-old son, Abimanyu, accompanied by her husband.
Faced with the challenge of feeding her child discreetly while on the move and at the restaurant, Deepika Thiyagarajan conceived the idea of designing a nursing dress that seamlessly blended fashion with functionality.
This ignited the creation of Putchi, an exclusive maternity solutions brand crafted for moms, by a mom.
What began with fashionable nursing dresses soon evolved to encompass a broader spectrum of solutions aimed at addressing the real-life challenges of motherhood.
Drawing from their personal experiences, each Putchi solution is intricately designed to resonate with the struggles, joys, and unspoken needs of every mother.
Now, let’s delve into the remarkable journey of the founders, MK Deepika and Thiyagu.
Deepika Thiyagarajan: Early Life And Career
Deepika was born in the town of Gobichettipalayam in Tamil Nadu. Her father is a lawyer and her mother a homemaker.
She completed her schooling in her hometown in 2009.
Following her education, Deepika enrolled at GRD Arts & Science College in Coimbatore, where she pursued a degree in Visual Communication, graduating in 2012.
After obtaining her degree, Deepika commenced her professional journey at Puthiyathalaimurai, a Tamil News Channel in Chennai.
From 2012 to 2014, she served as a Creative Producer, contributing to various projects.
In 2014, Deepika transitioned to a new role as the head of operations at Studio A, a prominent photography firm situated in Chennai. Subsequently, she decided to take a hiatus from her career to enter marital life.
In 2017, Deepika and her husband Thiyagu relocated to Melbourne, Australia.
Deepika’s husband, Thiyaga Vivek, is a B.Tech graduate with an MBA in marketing, and he used to work in real estate in Australia.
Even after moving, Deepika stayed loyal to her job, working from afar for Studio A until 2019. That year, right before the Covid pandemic hit, the couple decided to head back to India.
Deepika was carrying a baby during that period.
They decided it was the right time to make the move back to their homeland, driven by a desire to establish their own venture and contribute to the entrepreneurial landscape of India.
Birth Of Putchi
During her own pregnancy, Deepika struggled to find stylish maternity and nursing wear. Recognizing this gap in the market, she decided to create and introduce her own designs.
After discussing the idea with her husband, and gaining his support, Deepika and Thiyaga Vivek started on the journey of maternity wear fashion.
They started a D2C maternity brand named ‘Putchi’ in Coimbatore with an initial investment of Rs. 60,000 in 2020 when they returned to India.
They sourced fabric from local shops in Coimbatore.
Taking into account her own comfort needs, Deepika personally designed the clothes and collaborated with a local team to produce the first 10 feeding dresses.
Their son, affectionately nicknamed Putchi, inspired the brand’s name. They later learned that ‘Putchi’ signifies ‘life’s energy’ in Korean.
For the next three months, Deepika continued sourcing materials, designing, and overseeing local production before establishing their own manufacturing unit.
As the brand gained momentum, Deepika began releasing seven new outfits weekly, with a primary focus on maternity and nursing dresses.
Three years later, Putchi has emerged as a prominent name in maternity fashion.
The brand’s in-house team handles product design, research and development, initial sampling, and collaborates with four outsourced manufacturing units for final production.
They’ve also introduced a line of Intimate Wear, crafted meticulously from Pure Bamboo.
Inspired by the discomfort of pregnancy, Deepika felt the need for mothers and women to have exceptionally comfortable, soft, and skin-friendly bras and panties.
Traditional options often overlook unique changes in a mother’s body.
Through extensive research, they’ve curated intimate wear providing a perfect blend of snugness, security, and antimicrobial properties, all thanks to bamboo. Their fabric boasts a smooth texture, complemented by an extra stretch design, wicking away sweat, ensuring you stay dry and odor-free.
Designed to fit and move with your body, their intimate wear is ideal under any attire. It’s no wonder they feel naked inside, “LIKE WEARING NOTHING AT ALL,” a sentiment that perfectly sums up their tagline for Putchi Nakd: Pure Bamboo intimate wear range.
With a focus on being mothers and babies friendly, they mostly use natural dyes like flower and vegetable dyes. Putchi promotes sustainable fashion, sourcing most fabrics from 3 groups of local artisans, with the intent to also give back to them.
Growth of the Putchi Brand
This mother-centric brand has a strong demand from local and international audiences.
They’ve served 15000 customers, mostly through e-commerce platforms, and operate a physical store in Tamil Nadu.
Putchi started with just Deepika and her husband, but now has a team of more than 30 employees.
Putchi generated a revenue of Rs 5 crores within 3 years and is valued at Rs 25 crores.
It plans to capture a market of Rs 100 crores in the near future. This bootstrapped startup will now be looking for funding.
Expanding their bamboo clothing line for women globally is on the horizon. They aim to introduce 80 new products in tees, athleisure, and swimwear categories by the end of August 2022.
Putchi clinched the title of ‘Lingerie Brand of the Year’ by She Magazine this year.
Find Word For Deepika Thiyagarajan
Deepika Thiyagarajan’s inspiring journey highlights her success in creating the popular maternity fashion brand, Putchi.
From recognizing the need for stylish and comfortable maternity wear to building a team and growing her brand, Deepika’s dedication shines through.
Also Read: Meet Samiksha Ganeriwal: Who Creates India’s First 100% Biodegradable Bottles
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