Chupps is a Mumbai-based footwear startup founded in 2019. It has seen its strongest traction emerge from West and South India, where open-footwear culture, climate, and lifestyle adoption are accelerating demand.
Today, Chupps sells 30,000 pairs per month, generates Rs. 2.5 crore in monthly revenue, and is present across 2,000+ multi-brand outlets in 150+ cities, alongside D2C and marketplaces. The brand’s performance in western and southern states has directly influenced its decision to deepen offline presence in high-footfall malls and travel hubs, with 25–30 exclusive brand stores planned by 2026.
Media News4U.com caught up with Ravi Adhikari, Brand Lead, Chupps
Q. Chupps sells 50,000 pairs per month and generates ₹4.5 crore in monthly revenue. What goals does Chupps have for 2026 in areas like revenue growth? What is the game plan to get there?
Chupps is building on strong momentum and we’re already a favourite in comfort-focussed, sustainable open footwear. While we currently sell ~50,000 pairs a month with Rs. 4.5 crore in revenue, our 2026 ambition is much bigger. Over the next 12–18 months, we’re targetting 100,000 pairs per month and monthly revenue approaching Rs. 8.5 crore, positioning us to cross a ₹200 crore annual turnover milestone by 2027. We aim to achieve this through:
- Channel expansion: Channel expansion remains a key focus for us. We are strengthening e‑commerce through our own D2C site and marketplaces, while also scaling our offline retail presence. We have already launched our first exclusive Chupps store in Mumbai at R‑City Mall, Ghatkopar, and in 2026, we plan to open 10 – 15 more exclusive brand stores in the next 1 year, focusing on high-traffic malls and travel hubs. Our expansion targets tier-1 and tier-2 cities with strong lifestyle retail demand, including Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra. Alongside this, we are investing in R&D to enhance the product experience, from store design and layout to ambience, ensuring that every visit reflects the Chupps ethos of comfort, style, and sustainability.
- Product innovation: To resonate with our customer base, whose expectations and requirements from brands such as ours are shifting rapidly, we keep our product wheel spinning constantly. This year, we are broadening our range of offerings with new segments catering exclusively to women, a premium ergonomic range, Sandals and a 100% biodegradable range.
- Brand and marketing: We are sharpening our narrative around comfort and sustainability by designing campaigns that meet our customers where they are. We keep a close watch on the pulse of our audience, understand their needs, and ensure authenticity in all our communications. This approach allows us to stay relevant, build trust, and connect meaningfully with our consumers.
- Distribution network: Deepening relationships with distributors and modern retail partners to ensure Chupps is accessible across India’s rapidly growing open-footwear market
Q. 10 – 15 exclusive brand stores are planned within the next one year. Which cities are being targeted for expansion? How much R&D will go into ensuring the right in-store ambience?
Yes, we are planning to open 10 – 15 exclusive Chupps brand stores in 2026 focusing on high-traffic malls and travel hubs. We have already launched our 1st store in Mumbai at R- city mall Ghatkopar. Our focus is tier-1 and tier-2 cities with strong lifestyle retail demand in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Mumbai. On the in-store ambience. It has been designed to extend the brand experience beyond just product purchase, allowing customers to connect with our story and values.
Q. Will the marketing focus in 2026 revolve around brand building and awareness growth?
Yes, in 2026, our marketing will continue to focus on brand building and awareness, aimed at creating relevant differentiation and always with our audience in mind. Our young consumers have diverse priorities – some value style, others comfort, some make conscious sustainable choices, while others are focused on ergonomic or foot health benefits. At Chupps, we aim to cater to all these needs, creating footwear that balances fashion, comfort, and conscious design, and everything we communicate must reflect that.
Given the nature of the sector – there’s always a new brand emerging round the corner, earning consumer attention can be challenging, and resorting to flashy gimmicks without substance is a very real slippery slope. Our playbook aims to first and foremost be honest, and authentic – authentic to what we believe our consumers truly want, and showing up for them where they are. Our biodegradable billboard in Bandra recently, and the 4 ad-film series resonated well, and that gives us the confidence we need to continue down this path looking into 2026.
Q. Last year, an ad campaign linked the product’s biodegradation feature with natural life cycles. Will sustainability remain a key marketing theme in 2026?
Sustainability is our unique value, core design principle and brand philosophy at Chupps. We believe products should be designed with responsible endings in mind, just as thoughtfully as their beginning.
For us, it’s not just about reducing harm but about restoring balance and creating products that move through natural cycles more responsibly. Our marketing priorities naturally flow from this thinking. That’s why last year’s campaign highlighted biodegradation and its connection to natural life cycles, and sustainability will continue to remain central to how we communicate the brand in 2026.
Q. What marketing activities and innovations can be expected in the coming months?
In the coming months, our marketing will focus on initiatives that connect meaningfully with our audience, reflecting not only Chupps’ values, but theirs as well. We are building strategies that combine brand engagement and experiences that resonate with young consumers.
A key part of this includes strategic institutional partnerships (like a sports academies, experts to emphasise foot health and the role of footwear in recovery), meaningful integration of micro and nano influencers and creators. We will be seeing some more investment in our Bio Deg film and a new comfort campaign we are trying to build for overall relevance and distinctiveness.
Q. How has AI been integrated into the company across product innovation and marketing efficiency?
Most of our regular tasks are currently being handled by customised GPTs. We are on the verge of finalising a partner who will help us with product shots and cataloging to reduce our time to market. We are constantly encouraging our partners to use AI wherever it can help reduce the time. That said for our social content we will continue to go the old school way of using humans and avoid doom scrolling content pieces
Q. How is AI transforming search by enabling the company to go beyond keywords?
AI is enabling us to move from traditional keyword-based search optimisation to what we call Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO). Instead of just aligning content to keywords for index retrieval, we are now designing structured FAQs, UVP-led pages, and content built around real user questions.
This allows models to interpret and respond accurately, prioritising clarity, authority, and structural legibility. In essence, AI helps us go beyond keywords to create content that is genuinely discoverable and meaningful to users.
Q. What will the social media strategy look like in 2026?
In 2026, our social media strategy will focus on engaging our audience with authentic, relatable content. We’ll continue to highlight style, comfort, and sustainability while creating interactive campaigns and collaborations that resonate with our consumers. You will see us collaborating with more faces for content creation.
Product launches with start to reflect more regular;ly on our insta pages. Consistent and discipline with our single minded proposition we hope to continue build our equity and relationship with our audiences.
Q. From a PR perspective, is organic media more important than paid media? Please elaborate.
From a PR standpoint, organic media carries a profound and enduring value that paid media simply can’t produce on its own. Organic coverage earned mentions, editorial features, and authentic word‑of‑mouth builds trust because it comes with third‑party validation.
It signals relevance, not just visibility, and that credibility translates into stronger long‑term brand recall. For a growing brand like Chupps especially one rooted in comfort, sustainability, and design integrity that trust and authenticity are foundational.
That said, it isn’t a question of choosing one over the other. Paid media plays an important supporting role by amplifying reach, assuring key message delivery mapped by audience, and accelerating awareness in ways organic alone can’t always achieve, particularly in the early stages of brand growth. In practice, it’s a bit of a “chicken and egg” dynamic. We rely on organic visibility to grow, but broad awareness also helps us earn more of that same visibility. So rather than viewing paid and organic as mutually exclusive, we see them as symbiotic and complimentary: organic builds reputation, and paid helps scale the narrative. For us, storytelling and authenticity remain the foundation, but paid amplification ensures that the story finds the right audiences at the right time.
Q. Gen Z and Gen Alpha value authenticity, is Chupps placing greater emphasis on this in its marketing approach?
We see authenticity as the heart of our marketing approach, especially when connecting with Gen Z and Gen Alpha. These audiences can see through the fluff and sloganeering with the precision of a laser, and only respond to transparency, purpose, and real-world relevance. They connect with stories that feel genuine, reflect real experiences, and align with their values, whether it’s comfort, affordability, or sustainability.
At Chupps, we focus on sharing why we build our products the way we do from eco-friendly materials to biodegradable designs, not just what we sell. Our campaigns aim to tell honest stories and foster community-driven content, which not only deepens engagement but also builds trust and long-term loyalty with younger consumers who value authenticity over perfection. Beyond Z and Alpha, we’re also talking to a generation that cares about style but is increasingly aware of self-care and overall well-being starting with something as simple, yet critical and easily overlooked, as foot comfort. We want to bring that conversation out loud making it relevant and accessible to people across generations, with no bar.
Q. Do satisfied customers become influencers for the brand?
Absolutely. For us, satisfied customers are the most powerful influencers. In today’s digital ecosystem, word-of-mouth travels instantly through reviews, social media posts and everyday conversations. When customers genuinely love the product they naturally advocate for the brand.
So we actively look to have user-generated content, feedback and community engagement because authentic recommendations carry far more weight than paid endorsements. Real experiences build trust, and trust drives repeat purchase and organic growth. For us, customer delight is the strongest marketing engine.
Q. Will Chupps also leverage celebrities to amplify its messaging?
Yes, while authentic customer voices remain our core influence engine, we do see value in strategic collaborations with celebrities and cultural icons to amplify our brand message.
The idea isn’t to follow traditional celebrity endorsements but to partner with people who genuinely resonate with our brand ethos: comfort, sustainability, and everyday lifestyle. Any collaboration will be thoughtfully aligned with our values. We want ambassadors who live our narrative, not just wear it. This ensures the messaging feels credible, relatable, and relevant to our audiences, especially younger consumers who value both authenticity and aspiration.
It’s actually happened for us organically, and it’s been a delight to watch. We’ve loved seeing these moments unfold naturally, and of course, we’ve been more than ready to celebrate them ourselves by sharing these stories.
