Samiksha Bajaj, Co-Founder, Samshek Inc an Independent, Innovative and
Insightful young woman. She stands at the forefront of the fastest moving technology wave in fashion- mass customisation. A calculated risk-taker with deep tech industry knowledge of the garment industry with an experience of 10 years in fashion. She is qualified with dual degree in MA Fashion Entrepreneurship and Innovation from London College of Fashion. Aiming for a vision to solve the biggest pain point of the apparel industry today- fit in the garments through technology and AI., she Co-Founded ‘Samshek’ one of the first tech start up in India in the field of fashion and garment technology.
She was also one of the first women entrepreneurs to introduce the technology of 3D body scanning to revamp the body sizing system in the country. Moreover, she implemented the concept of digital customization in the retail industry. On the sustainability front, she works towards zero inventory and zero-waste manufacturing and actively encourages women empowerment through social responsibilities. Apart from this she has also been awarded for her brilliance at various platforms such as Stardust Awards, London, Women Entrepreneur of the Year from Amity, featured in Images Business of Fashion Magazine and also covered by different newspapers like Economic Times, Business Standard.
Pranta Biswas: How did you become inspired to be in the fashion business?
Samiksha Bajaj: From a very young age, I was a passionate kid, always thriving towards experimentation and innovation. My upbringing was from a business family so the entrepreneurial genes were in-built. Even though I majored from the science background (biology) fashion was my escape. So eventually I pursued my dream but soon realized that there belonged an untapped innovative opportunity in our industry and this could be the much-needed breakthrough in fashion & tech space. And thus, began my entrepreneurial journey. For inspiration, designers like Alexander McQueen & Balmain have taught me a lot about luxury and fashion. And for technology, I always find motivation from industry leaders like Elon Musk and Steve Jobs.
Pranta Biswas: How do you integrate fashion, technology, and sustainability?
Samiksha Bajaj:
Fashion- At Samshek, fashion is a form of self-acceptance. Our designs are not size bound and we offer shape-inclusive affordable western clothing to women. Samshék offers an extensive size range in the Ready-To-Wear category XXS-9XL benefitting both regular and non-regular sizes to choose from a variety of sizing options. Further, we offer our customers the freedom to personalize our styles through our digital customization feature available in both store and website providing our clients a seamless experience to express their style.
Technology- Samshék is one of the first tech start-ups that operate on the mass-customized just-in-time digital supply chain- a fresh and disruptive manufacturing process that can streamline the future production processes for the textile fashion industry. The traditional production process is time-consuming, less adaptive to change, and results in wastage. The digital supply chain, with the help of AI, automation, and just-in-time manufacturing maximizes efficiency, reduces wastage. This tech-driven disruptive process that can transform the supply chain process in the fashion & technology sector and make it more efficient and sustainable.
Sustainability- Sustainable supply chain- Our just-in-time demand-led supply chain ensures that each and every garment is ethically made on-demand eliminating any kind of over-production and textile waste generation. Globally the industry generates 13 million tonnes of textile waste annually primarily due to the overproduction of mass-produced clothes.
Digital Inventory- We keep our inventories minimum which eliminates overstocking. Our inventory system is digitalized and minimum quantities are produced to prevent the problem of excess inventory.
Pranta Biswas: What was your experience during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020?
Samiksha Bajaj: The pandemic initially came with a lot of challenges, for both entrepreneurs and the industry. For me, it was a time for self-discovery and maintaining a positive approach for both myself and my team to pass through any hardship that came along our way. As a team, we got stronger and closer even though we were working miles apart. During the pandemic, we quickly re-strategize our business towards a booming online industry which eventually proved beneficial for us and we got live on the leading fashion marketplaces in India.
Pranta Biswas: How can we more develop in fashion sustainability and digitalization?
Samiksha Bajaj: We can develop more once we educate and aware more and more people on the importance of accepting digitalization and sustainability in the fashion industry. Implementing sustainable development is not just about ethical sourcing it is also about efficiently reducing our waste consumption, preventing overstocking of inventories, minimizing returns. Globally the industry generates 13 million tonnes of textile waste annually primarily due to the overproduction of mass-produced clothes. These numbers can be drastically reduced if we implement a tech-driven digital supply chain that works on an inventory-less module. For consumers, it is about choosing environmentally conscious clothing and minimizing their fashion consumption.
Pranta Biswas: Any special message you want to convey to our “Denim Focus” readers and the World Fashion industry?
Samiksha Bajaj: I would like to tell the readers that as individual consumers we hold the power to create a measurable sustainable impact in society if we buy sustainably and consume responsibly. The fashion industry is undergoing a sustainable revolution that can affect our environment drastically if we support it and become a part of it.
