In the fast-moving world of fashion and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands, most of the attention goes to front-facing labels. But behind hundreds of emerging T-shirt brands in India, there’s a silent force doing the heavy lifting: Blankapparel.in.
Founded by Shailesh Srisrimal and Prabhu J, Blankapparel.in provides white-label, ready-to-brand T-shirts to creators, resellers, and small businesses across India. With a base in Tirupur for manufacturing and a warehouse in Bangalore, the startup has scaled rapidly—serving over 1,000 businesses while maintaining a sharp focus on sustainability, speed, and consistency.
In this exclusive interview, the founders talk about how they started, what problem they’re solving, and where they’re headed next.
Q: Let’s start at the beginning. What inspired Blankapparel.in?
Shailesh Srisrimal:
It started with a simple observation—there are thousands of creators, entrepreneurs, and printers who want to launch T-shirt brands but don’t know how to handle production, inventory, or logistics. We realized there was no plug-and-play backend to support them. That’s where the idea came from: build a platform that makes it easy for anyone to start their own label, without needing a factory or warehouse.
Q: What makes your model different from a typical apparel manufacturer?
Prabhu J:
Traditional manufacturers work in large volumes and expect long lead times. We flipped that model. With Blankapparel.in, you don’t need to commit to big orders. We maintain ready stock—premium, white-label T-shirts—that customers can brand as their own. It’s on-demand, it’s flexible, and it’s built for new-age businesses that need speed and scale.
Q: Who is your ideal customer?
Shailesh:
It could be a YouTuber launching merchandise, a print-on-demand shop fulfilling custom orders, or a first-time entrepreneur in a Tier 2 city trying to build a streetwear label. We also serve corporates and educational institutions that want quick, quality merchandise. Our platform levels the playing field.
Q: How are you approaching sustainability in what is typically a high-waste industry?
Prabhu:
That’s been a priority from day one. We launched Ecoblend, our sustainable T-shirt made from recycled plastic bottles and reclaimed cotton. It’s durable, affordable, and available to all our customers—no minimum order required. We’ve also optimized our production to reduce waste and moved toward low-impact packaging.
Shailesh:
Sustainability shouldn’t be a luxury. Our goal is to embed it into the system, not treat it as an add-on. With Ecoblend, even a college student launching a merch line can go green without spending more.
Q: What would you say has been your biggest achievement so far?
Prabhu:
We’ve helped over 1,000 small businesses and creators build brands without ever worrying about stock or delivery. One of our early customers—a 23-year-old from Jaipur—started with 100 T-shirts and now supplies merch to companies across Rajasthan. That’s the kind of impact we’re proud of.
Shailesh:
Also, the fact that we’ve built a profitable operation with in-house manufacturing. That gives us full control over quality, timelines, and customization. And we’ve done it all without raising external capital—just through product-market fit and customer trust.
Q: What’s your long-term vision for Blankapparel.in?
Shailesh:
To become the go-to backend for apparel entrepreneurship in India. Whether someone wants to launch a new fashion label, a niche D2C brand, or custom campaign merchandise—we want to be their first call.
Prabhu:
We also want to represent responsible Indian manufacturing on a global scale. Our roots are in Tirupur, but our ambition is global. The long-term goal is to build an ecosystem where tens of thousands of brands are powered quietly and efficiently by us.
Q: Any advice for young entrepreneurs or creators thinking of launching their own brand?
Shailesh:
Start now. Don’t wait for perfect conditions or huge capital. Build with what you have and improve as you grow. The tools are available—you just need to take the first step.
Prabhu:
And focus on quality. Your brand is only as strong as the product you ship. Consistency and purpose matter more than a big marketing budget.
Q: What’s next for you?
Shailesh:
We’re expanding into new apparel categories beyond T-shirts. We’re also working on collaborations with influencers, educators, and niche communities to help them launch merchandise lines. There’s a lot of energy and creativity in the ecosystem—we’re here to support it.
Final Thoughts?
Prabhu:
We’re not a fashion brand. We’re a builder’s brand. Our job is to stay in the background and deliver quietly—so our partners can shine.
Shailesh:
Blankapparel.in is just getting started. The dream is big—but we’re building it brick by brick.
Explore More:
- Visit: www.blankapparel.in
- Instagram: @blankapparel.in
- Connect for bulk supply, custom branding, or partnerships
