One in a Billion by Flipkart Seller Hub

by Flipkart Seller Hub

Season 1

How Nivia Plans a $1B Sports Brand | Kapil Thirani x Nivia | One in a Billion | Ep 19

The Brand Older Than Independent India… How does a 90-year-old name end up in every Indian household without a single ad? In this episode of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Dhruv Kharbanda (Product Development Officer, Nivia Sports) to break down how a family business born in Sialkot in 1934 became the brand behind football, basketball, and volleyball in school grounds across India. Nivia started under great-grandfather Nihal Chand, survived Partition, and rebuilt from scratch when the family migrated to India and settled into the new sports manufacturing hubs of Jalandhar and Meerut, and the mission has stayed the same since 1960: build a sports brand made for India, by India. What followed was six decades of quiet, stubborn category-building: From India's first stitched leather volleyball in 1960 to the country's first moulded basketball unit Replacing Puma as the official ball of the ISL, even when players first refused to play with it The 2011 FIFA friendly, when India watched Messi play with their ball The Dominator, now one of India's top-three footballs, born from an American export order Becoming the #1 selling badminton shoe brand in India, quantity-wise A partnership with Flipkart that built entire categories, gym gloves, orthopaedics, and bags that didn't exist in India before Dhruv unpacks the real barriers holding Indian sports manufacturing back: commitment, capital, and mindset. Why FIFA-grade balls took six years to master, the philosophy of criticising your own product before the market does, and the museum that houses Dhyan Chand's Olympic hockey stick, a Pele-signed ball, and Sachin's double-hundred bat. It all builds toward one audacious goal: India's first $1 billion sports brand by 2034, the company's 100th year. A must-watch for founders, manufacturing operators, and anyone building a brand for India that the world will eventually notice. CHAPTERS 00:00 Coming Up 01:20 Introduction 02:27 How Nivia Started 90 Years Ago 06:40 How Nivia Built Affordable Sports Goods for India 12:00 How Nivia Navigated Global Sports Brands Entering India 19:53 How Nivia Made FIFA Quality Footballs Using Its Manufacturing Expertise 24:33 Nivia’s Expansion Into New Sports Categories and Flipkart’s Role in Growth 30:16 How Nivia Became a Household Brand Without Celebrity Endorsements 37:50 The Story Behind Nivia’s Museum 40:50 Nivia’s Online Journey and Its Ambition in Shoes 50:12 Nivia’s Goals for the Coming Years 52:57 How Nivia Thinks About Premiumisation and Building Brands on the Platform 1:00:56 Closing Thoughts #NiviaSports #StartupStory #MadeInIndia #IndianSports #FlipkartSeller #Entrepreneurship #SportsManufacturing #IndianStartups #BrandStory #ISL

S1 · E19

Jun 30, 2026

1:02:27

Ep 17 | One in a Billion | How a Screen Guard Business Became a 22 Cr Brand | Kapil Thirani x Sprig

India’s mobile accessories market is worth thousands of crores. Yet almost nobody can name a brand they truly trust in the category. Why? In this podcast of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Vikram Jain (Founder, Sprig) to break down how a former Flipkart category leader built a ₹22 Cr mobile accessories business in one of India’s most commoditised markets. From being part of Flipkart’s first Big Billion Day team in 2014 to building a ₹22 Cr mobile accessories business from scratch, Vikram shares the highs, failures, and hard-earned lessons behind the journey. This is not just a conversation about chargers, tempered glass, back cover categories, or the Sprig liquid silicone case. It’s about understanding consumer behaviour, surviving brutal competition, and building a brand in a market where most players race to the bottom. Inside the episode: • How the business scaled from 20–25 orders a day to nearly 900 orders daily • Why Sprig focused on underserved demand instead of crowded categories like iPhones initially • The strategy behind increasing ASP from ₹300 to ₹500 • How materials like Asahi Glass and liquid silicone helped create differentiation • Why the company chose sustainable growth over funding-fuelled expansion Whether you’re a founder, D2C operator, marketplace seller, or simply someone curious about how real businesses are built in India, this episode offers an honest look at the grit behind the numbers. Plug in your earphones, hit play, and listen to the story behind building a brand in a market where most people thought branding was impossible. Follow the show on Spotify so you never miss a conversation. 00.00 Coming Up 01.05 Introduction 01.26 From Flipkart boardrooms to the Electronics Industry 04.20 Leaving Corporate to Build a Business 06.10 Finding the Right Category Before Starting Up 12.24 Research Behind Mobile Accessories & Asahi Glass 15.38 China, Catalogue Marketing & Brand Growth 19.53 Sprig’s Strategy to Scale Across Categories 25.46 Starting with OnePlus & Scaling Through Research 31.45 Building a Brand in India’s Price-Sensitive Market 37.07 Revenue Growth & Category Expansion of Sprig 39.13 From a Motorola Mistake to Partnering with Motorola 42.39 SKU Growth & The Quick Commerce Journey 44.43 Solving the Screen Guard Buying Problem Online 47.35 Sprig Products Demonstration 51.50 Quick Commerce & The Next Ecommerce Wave 54.40 Final Thoughts

S1 · E17

May 12, 2026

55:03

Ep 16 | One in a Billion | How Nutraj Built India’s #1 Dry Fruit Brand | Kapil Thirani x Nutraj

Discover the incredible journey of Nutraj, one of India’s leading dry fruits brands, built by Gunjan Jain, MD & CEO of VKC Nuts Pvt. Ltd. Starting as a small barter business in 1926 and rebuilding from just ₹45 lakh in the 90s, Nutraj transformed a largely unorganised dry fruits market into a trusted FMCG brand. Today, Nutraj is a ₹2000+ crore brand with a strong presence across India and a ~35% share in the walnut market India. In this Video, explore how strategic brand building, distribution expansion, and platforms like Flipkart helped scale Nutraj into a modern D2C brand India and FMCG success story. With a multi-brand portfolio including Anmol, Snackrite, and For Good, Nutraj continues to lead innovation in the snacking category. Watch this inspiring business success story India to learn how to build a powerful consumer brand in India. 00:00 Coming Up 01:22 Introduction 02:04 Nutraj origins and India’s dry fruit rise 07:13 Global sourcing and Indian adoption 14:29 Evolution of the dry fruits industry 19:27 Post-90s boom and Nutraj’s growth 25:22 Category creation journey 28:40 Growth phase and branding strategy 38:41 Entry into the snacking category 43:50 Role of online in scaling 49:26 Global vs India commodity gap 51:50 Nutraj product showcase 54:39 Vision for next 5 years 55:41 Price strategy across markets 01:01:22 Final thoughts #Nutraj #StartupStory #FMCGIndia #BusinessSuccess #FlipkartSeller #Entrepreneurship #D2CBrand #IndianStartups

S1 · E16

Apr 30, 2026

1:01:48

Ep 15 | One in a Billion | Shark Tank India Gave Snitch 30x Growth | Kapil Thirani x Snitch

What happens when a fashion brand gets a 30x spike overnight after Shark Tank? In this episode of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Siddharth Dungarwal (CEO & founder, Snitch) to unpack how a 350 sq ft store and a supply chain insight turned into one of India’s fastest-growing fashion brands. Snitch didn’t start as a D2C brand. It began with surplus inventory, scaled through manufacturing and B2B, and pivoted to D2C during COVID with just 35 products and a 4-member team. What followed was relentless experimentation and scale: • From 50 orders/day to a ₹1000 Cr fast fashion brand • 30x traffic spike after Shark Tank • ₹15L to ₹1 Cr/month offline store growth in 90 days • 110+ stores across 45 cities in just 14 months Built on supply chain strength, Snitch broke the traditional fashion model by launching new styles every day instead of seasonal collections. This episode is a deep dive into: • Building a speed-driven supply chain moat • From B2B to D2C and then the offline scaling strategy • Product, pricing, and content-led growth • Mistakes made while scaling too fast A must-watch for founders, D2C operators, and anyone building in fashion, retail, or consumer brands. #SellonFlipkart #FlipkartSellerRegistrationProcess #FlipkartSellerHub

S1 · E15

Apr 7, 2026

1:05:03

Ep 14 | One in a Billion | The ₹500CR Vision Behind Tripr | Kapil Thirani x Tripr

How did a ₹300 T-shirt turn into a ₹100 crore brand? In this episode of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Madhusudhanan Shanmugam, Founder of Tripr, to unpack how a small idea from Tirupur became a high-volume e-commerce fashion brand. Tripr started in 2016 with just 20 orders on Flipkart and a simple insight: if you win the ₹200–₹300 price bracket, you win visibility on marketplaces. What followed was relentless experimentation and scale: • One printed T-shirt sold 10–15 lakh units • 15–16 lakh pieces sold during a single Big Billion Day • Today Tripr processes 15,000 orders every day Built without venture capital, Tripr is now approaching the ₹100 crore mark with a 120-member team and a long-term vision to build a ₹500 crore apparel brand. This episode is a deep dive into: • Marketplace growth strategies • Pricing psychology in Indian fashion • High-speed product experimentation • Scaling a mass-market D2C brand A must-watch for founders, marketplace sellers, and D2C operators. CHAPTERS 00:00 Coming Up 1:08 Introduction 1:57 From London to Tirupur: The Foundational Journey of Tripr 4:35 How the Family's T-shirt Business Helped Build a Fashion Brand 6:52 The Benefits of Starting an Apparel Brand in Tirupur, India's Textile Hub 8:52 Affordable T-shirts: The Initial Journey from Manufacturing to Selling 14:22 First Launch on Flipkart in 2016: 20 Orders on Day One 19:18 From Solid to Printed T-shirts: Scaling Up and Expanding Categories 25:11 Building the Design Team Behind New Creations 1:01:30 Is Quick Commerce Overtaking E-commerce? 1:03:53 How an Apparel Brand Transitions from E-commerce to Quick Commerce 1:05:20 A Tamil Version for New Startups Looking to Start Their E-commerce Journey 1:06:27 Closing Thoughts

S1 · E14

Mar 17, 2026

1:08:38

Ep 13 | One in a Billion | From ₹9,000 Salary to ₹150Cr Brand | Kapil Thirani x Super Aqua

From a ₹9,000 salary to a ₹150 crore water purifier brand, this episode reveals the real story behind Super Aqua. In this episode of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Akhilesh Kumar (Founder, SuperAqua) to unpack how a simple middle-class insight led to a nationwide brand. The journey began with a ₹2,499 launch on Flipkart, 7 early orders that changed everything, and a brutal phase where 80% of products were getting returned. What followed was operational grit: fixing packaging, solving service blackmail, building a network of 800+ technicians across India, and scaling aggressively during lockdown. In 2022, SuperAqua saw 1,300 purifier orders in a single day. Today, the brand sells RO technology at ₹3,699 in a market where competitors charge ₹15,000+, runs with 250+ team members, and clocks ₹40–45 lakh in daily orders. A sharp conversation about pricing, marketplaces, service economics, and building a ₹150 crore brand from the ground up. Chapters 00:00 Coming Up 01:18 Introduction 01:54 How SuperAqua Started 04:29 Why Sell Water Purifiers on E-commerce? 08:51 The Struggle to Get the First Order 13:40 Family Resistance and Support 16:51 How the Brand Name “SuperAqua” Was Chosen 18:18 The Massive Return Problem 19:58 How Packaging Issues Were Fixed 21:38 Fixing Technical Defects and TDS Problems 24:25 Building Customer Trust and Service Network Across India 29:10 Scaling from Lockdown to 2022 Growth 38:58 Water Purifier Product Demonstration 43:49 Product Cost, Selling Price & Affordable Strategy 46:20 Starting In-house Manufacturing with 5 Machines Setup 50:18 Inside the Water Purifier Service Ecosystem 55:18 2-Year Unconditional Warranty at an Affordable Price 56:53 Growth Plan for SuperAqua 59:08 How Flipkart Helped Reach ₹150 Cr 1:00:44 How Marketplaces Select Brands & Find Margin in Low ASP Products 1:04:58 SuperAqua Vision for the Next 5 Years 1:06:53 Final Thoughts #SellonFlipkart #FlipkartSellerRegistrationProcess #FlipkartSellerHub

S1 · E13

Mar 3, 2026

1:07:35

Ep 12 | One in a Billion | How DeoDap Hit ₹150 Cr with Group Buying | DeoDap x Kapil Thirani

From failed products and credit card debt to targeting ₹150 crore in FY26, this episode reveals the real story behind DeoDap. In this episode of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Sameer Rajani, Founder of DeoDap, to unpack his journey inside the marketplace ecosystem. After burning capital on manufacturing experiments, Sameer realised he wasn’t meant to build factories; he was meant to build distribution. He explains how simple margin math, Excel clarity, and trust helped him convince manufacturers to move online. Instead of chasing exclusivity or high profit per product, DeoDap built a rare group buying model powered by 25,000 active wholesale partners. Today, the company runs 8,000+ unique products, employs 700 people directly, and is scaling toward a ₹150 crore target; all while staying asset-light and disciplined. A sharp, honest conversation about rejection, resilience, marketplace economics, and building scale the practical way. 00:00 Coming Up 01:17 Introduction 01:55 Business objective and how DeoDap started 06:09 The journey into e-commerce 10:12 Transitioning from a consultant to an entrepreneur in 2015–2016 16:09 The decision to start a business and overcoming initial challenges 20:48 Convincing manufacturers to embrace marketplaces 25:47 Implementing the group buying business strategy 30:57 Growing a seller’s community through marketplaces 32:59 Selecting the perfect category to sell in the marketplace 37:37 Testing products and innovating for customer value 42:05 Scaling the group buying network and evolving the business model 44:31 Product expansion: How many products does DeoDap offer today? 47:29 Expanding the business and strategising for growth 51:06 The impact of AI on SMEs 53:06 Leadership principles that drive business success 54:47 Does quick commerce disrupt the e-commerce seller ecosystem? 55:53 Future goals: What should DeoDap integrate and where will it be in 5 years? 01:00:01 Final thoughts #SellonFlipkart #FlipkartSellerRegistrationProcess #FlipkartSellerHub

S1 · E12

Feb 17, 2026

1:00:59

One in a Billion | Ep 11 | Why “Herbal” Brands Aren’t Truly Ayurvedic | Kapil Thirani x Aaryanveda

From kitchen-made products to building one of India’s most research-driven Ayurvedic skincare brands, this episode unpacks the real journey behind Aaryanveda. In this episode of One in a Billion, Kapil Thirani sits down with Himanshu Chadha (MD, Aaryanveda Cosmeceuticals) to talk about what it actually takes to survive and scale in the cosmetics business. From chasing a simple goal of earning ₹1,000 a day to navigating betrayal, cash losses, and six months of unnoticed leakages, Himanshu shares the unfiltered side of entrepreneurship before it became aspirational. The conversation explores why Aaryanveda was launched in 2005, when Ayurveda wasn’t fashionable. He breaks down the thinking behind affordable pricing, direct sourcing from farmers, in-house packaging, and walking away from superficial “herbal” branding. Premium pricing, big investments, and the wrong market timing turned it into a costly failure, but one that reshaped how he thinks about focus, distribution, and consumer readiness. Listen for a raw, honest conversation about trust, mistakes, science, and building a brand the hard way. Chapters 00:00 Coming Up 01:27 Introduction 02:05 The Founder’s Early Story 04:55 Product Vision & Planning 07:35 Kitchen to Factory Journey 10:50 Business Pivot & Course Correction 17:05 Aaryanveda’s Birth & Entry into Ayurveda 21:17 The Truth About the Herbal Industry 25:30 Kshir Pak Vidhi: Ayurvedic Oil Making 27:29 Controlling Costs in Business 33:02 Entering E-commerce: Lessons & Challenges 36:43 Edible Cosmetics: Launch & Struggles 42:00 Business Model Canvas Explained 43:32 The Future of Quick Commerce 45:25 Building Consumer Trust Online 47:40 Closing Thoughts #SellonFlipkart #FlipkartSellerRegistrationProcess #FlipkartSellerHub

S1 · E11

Feb 3, 2026

49:39

Ep 10 | One in a Billion | An Indian Toy Brand Made ₹1.04 Cr on Day 1 | Kapil Thirani x Little Rides

From three generations of a family business to ₹15–30 lakh in daily sales, this episode is the story of how Little Rides bet on the future without losing its roots. In this episode, Tanav Nijhawan, Co-Founder of Little Rides, shares how a legacy manufacturing business made the leap online, despite fears around returns and scale. From building toys in India since 2012 to designing for Gen Z and millennial parents, this conversation captures the balance between tradition and modern brand thinking. Tanav also opens up about Little Rides’ first Big Billion Day. No preparation. No playbook. Just execution. ₹1.04 Cr in a single day, followed by ₹10–15 Cr in under two weeks. Along the way, he talks about the real challenges of 1-day delivery, easy assembly, and why “Made for Little Smiles” is more than just a tagline. Listen now for a raw, honest story about family, risk, and building something children love and parents trust. 00:00 Coming up 01:16 Introduction 01:43 How Little Rides started as a family business (1950s) 03:27 Tanav joins the family business 05:25 Taking Little Rides online 09:24 Handling major online returns challenges 12:03 Manufacturing setup & offline distribution network 15:08 How responsibilities are divided within the family 17:47 Is China dominating the Indian toy industry? 21:32 Is branding easy in a D2C business? 23:47 Toy categories and age-based design strategy 26:53 Designing toys for parents’ expectations 28:52 Story behind the name “Little Rides” 30:58 Brand’s online journey and early digital steps 35:20 First Flipkart meeting & account manager relationship 38:33 Building the e-commerce team 39:33 Pricing strategy: online vs offline 40:39 Scaling online with 150+ SKUs 43:55 Brand scale and first BBD experience 46:33 Challenges of going online 49:06 Tanav’s advice for entrepreneurs 50:31 Innovation in traditional businesses 54:27 Closing thoughts #SellonFlipkart #FlipkartSellerRegistrationProcess #FlipkartSellerHub

S1 · E10

Jan 20, 2026

55:37

Ep 9 | One in a Billion | Turning Personal Crisis into Product Insight | Kapil Thirani x Soulflower

While recovering from brain surgery, all she wanted was for her hair to grow back. She didn’t know that her self-made oil blend would become India’s OG rosemary brand. In this episode of the One in a Billion Podcast, Kapil Thirani sits down with Natasha Tuli, Co-founder of Soulflower, to uncover how a simple mix of castor and rosemary oil made at home grew into a global brand sold across 7 countries, inspiring people everywhere to embrace what’s natural, pure, and honest. Natasha shares how she empowered tribal communities, built FDA-compliant factories across India, and grew Soulflower to dominate 35% of Flipkart’s essential hair oil category, while staying true to her philosophy of “simple packaging, uncompromised quality." Listen now to discover the journey of resilience, authenticity, and innovation that turned a moment of healing into a movement of natural beauty. 00:00 Coming Up 01:12 Introduction 01:40 Natasha Tuli's Background 02:59 Soulflower Origin Story 05:09 Starting Without Business Plan 09:37 First Product Development 11:16 Offline Distribution Strategy 12:26 Customer Feedback Loop 14:33 FDA Compliance Process 18:26 Pharmacy Distribution Approach 19:56 COVID Pivot to Online 21:02 Hero Product Strategy 22:27 Zero Marketing Philosophy 24:29 Sampling & Category Expansion 26:44 Quick Commerce Success 28:57 Competition Against FMCGs 30:36 Pricing Strategy Discussion 31:44 Platform Partnership Insights 33:05 Consumer Trust Building 34:50 Tier 2/3 Market Entry 35:59 Manufacturing & Quality Control 38:09 Rosemary Innovation Story 42:42 Repeat Customer Importance 43:34 Return Rate Management 44:45 Natasha Asks Kapil Questions 50:00 Reaching Small Towns 51:47 Message to Entrepreneurs 52:27 Closing

S1 · E9

Dec 24, 2025

53:45

1 of 2