India, June 4 -- When Harsh Somaiya and Tanvi Somaiya incorporated The Bear House, a Bengaluru-based premium menswear brand, in 2019, they were convinced that India's D2C boom would give them wings to place them alongside established menswear brands such as Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Blackberrys and Arrow in no time.

Little did they know that it would take them close to six years to cross the Rs.100 Cr revenue mark and become profitable in a high-octane industry crowded with heavily funded brands chasing growth through discounts and aggressive customer acquisition. The reason? They bucked the trend and took a slower route.

This is how their journey has looked so far:

Avoiding a capital-intensive model

Prioritise retention over custom...