Meet Nidhi Yadav, Who Left Her Engineering Job At Deloitte To Build Rs 200 Crore Fashion Brand Working From Home

Nidhi Yadav, born in Indore, found encouragement from her mentors to pursue her true passion—fashion. Determined to gain the right skills, she moved to Florence and enrolled in a one-year program at the prestigious Polimoda Fashion School. 

Although Nidhi landed a job in Italy, she made the bold choice to return to India to be close to her family, bringing her newfound knowledge and dreams back home. 

Originally a computer engineer, Nidhi worked at Deloitte but soon felt unfulfilled. Realizing her heart lay in fashion, she decided to take a major leap and create her own brand.  

Before starting her business, Nidhi spent six months researching Zara’s model. Her key takeaway? Frequent new styles. She launched 20 styles every two weeks, a unique strategy that helped her brand stand out in the market. 

In 2014, Nidhi started Aks Clothing with just Rs 3.5 lakh at her 2BHK home in Gurugram, targeting young women aged 18-35 who wanted contemporary ethnic wear at affordable prices. 

Aks quickly gained popularity. Revenue rose from Rs 1.60 crore in 2014 to Rs 8.50 crore in 2015 and then to Rs 48 crore by 2018. By 2021, Aks surpassed Rs 200 crore in revenue without any external funding. 

In the brand’s early days, Nidhi and her husband made weekend trips between Gurugram and Jaipur with their infant daughter to source materials. Now, Aks operates a well-organized network of units in Jaipur.  

The pandemic brought challenges but also opportunities. When production halted, Aks pivoted to manufacturing masks and PPE kits and even launched a kidswear line using leftover fabric. 

 

With Aks on a steady rise, Nidhi aims to reach Rs 500 crore in revenue by the financial year 2023–2024, proving her dedication to reshaping affordable Indian ethnic fashion. (Image Credit: