A Decade of Live Free: The Kaftan Company Marks 10 Years with Middle East Expansion and 'Homebody' Nightwear Collection

The Kaftan Company (TKC), India's first brand dedicated exclusively to kaftans, has announced its expansion into multiple markets across the Middle East as it completes ten years in business. The announcement comes alongside the launch of Homebody, a nightwear collection built for women aged 21–34 who have stopped treating a night in as a consolation prize.

Founded in 2016 by Prakruti Gupta Rao and Navin Rao, TKC set out to take a garment that Indian women wore at home but rarely talked about and make it a category in its own right. A decade on, the brand has grown into the widest-range kaftan player in the market with over 1000 SKUs spanning women's wear, maternity, kidswear and men's loungewear, a presence across Myntra, Nykaa Fashion, Tata CLiQ and Zivame, relationships with several boutiques across India, and its first brick-and-mortar store in Banjara Hills, Hyderabad.

Ten years, built deliberately

TKC's journey has been defined by a few consistent choices. The brand invested early in near-zero-waste bulk production and proprietary digital print techniques that remain difficult to replicate. It built a workforce that is more than 80% women, training them across stitching and production departments and supporting their children's education.

The brand's growth story took an unexpected turn during the pandemic. As the country moved indoors and work-from-home blurred the line between sleepwear and everyday clothing, TKC recorded its strongest growth phase, becoming a case study in how comfort wear moved from an afterthought to a wardrobe essential. Co-founder Prakruti Gupta Rao has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, Canada and was selected for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurs programme at IIM Bengaluru and ISB Hyderabad, while Co-founder Navin Rao completed his MBA specialising in Fashion, Design and Luxury Goods at Bologna Business School, Italy. The brand has since been recognised with the "Upcoming D2C Brands to Watch For" award (Kamikaze B2B Media), the "D2C Brandpreneur" honour at the Grand Queens Leadership Awards and the Fashion & Lifestyle award at the HyBiz Women's Leadership Awards.

"We built a category before we built a brand" — Prakruti Gupta Rao

"When we started, 'kaftan' wasn't a category in India; it was a word for something your mother wore at home," said Prakruti Gupta Rao, Co-Founder, The Kaftan Company. "The first few years were spent educating customers on why comfort and style are not opposites. Everything that followed- the print techniques, the women-led factory floor, the 1000 SKUs all came from that one conviction. Ten years later, the customer who once bought a kaftan quietly now wears it to brunch, on holiday and on her Instagram."

Going global from India

TKC first stepped outside India in 2018–19 with Fulfilment by Amazon operations in the USA and the UAE and export partnerships in Botswana. The Middle East, where the kaftan has deep cultural roots and year-round relevance, is the brand's next focus, with expansion across multiple countries in the region planned through 2026–27.

"Our export experience showed us something interesting: the Indian kaftan, with its prints, fabrics and price point, travels exceptionally well," said Navin Rao, Co-Founder, The Kaftan Company. "The Middle East is a market where the garment already has cultural meaning. What we bring is a modern, print-led, made-in-India take on it, backed by a supply chain we have spent ten years refining. Global expansion for us is not about being everywhere; it is about being right for the markets where we go."

Homebody: nightwear for a generation that chooses to stay in

TKC's newest collection, Homebody, takes its name from a term Gen Z has reclaimed with pride. Designed for women aged 21–34, the collection lives in the hour between work and sleep, with playful, conversation-starter prints, soft, breathable fabrics and easy silhouettes built for movement.

The Homebody edit brings together playful checks, retro plaids, whimsical cat prints, and tropical florals, a wardrobe of mesmerising prints.

"Homebody isn't a phase, it's a lifestyle we're designing for," added Prakruti Gupta Rao. "We wanted a collection that meets women exactly where they already are, on the couch or in the kitchen at midnight, choosing comfort on their own terms. It is the quieter, at-home expression of everything TKC has stood for."

The launch comes as India's sleepwear and nightwear market, currently valued at approximately USD 1.37 billion, is projected to exceed USD 2.2 billion by 2034 (IMARC Group), driven by hybrid work, rising disposable incomes and online channels that now account for over 40% of distribution.