An IIT Kanpur graduate who had built a direct-to-consumer shoe brand touching nearly Rs 2 crore in monthly sales decided to shut it down and return to engineering. The story surfaced after Jaipur-based founder Pranshi Chaturvedi, CEO of Bellish Group, shared details of her meeting with him on X (formerly Twitter).
In one of her posts, she wrote, “On my recent trip, I met an IIT Kanpur alumnus who scaled his D2C shoe brand to ₹2 crore in monthly sales. He left it because he didn’t like how the Surat manufacturers operated.” She added that he is now working in Gurgaon as a Lead Engineer at a startup that has raised Series A funding.
The alumnus had studied at IIT Kanpur and had managed to grow his footwear brand to significant revenue in a short span. For many, this would look like the beginning of a long entrepreneurial run. But things did not continue in that direction.
The founder apparently grew tired of handling manufacturing-related challenges. The shoe production was being handled in Surat, which triggered questions online since cities like Agra and Kanpur are traditionally known hubs for footwear manufacturing. Several users asked why Surat was chosen in the first place and what exactly about the operations led to such a drastic call.
While the IITian did not speak directly in the thread, the broad reason shared was that he was uncomfortable with how the manufacturing ecosystem functioned. Chaturvedi mentioned that earlier the venture had gone in a different direction because of some narrow-minded people, and ultimately supply issues pushed him to step back and use his engineering skills elsewhere.
Others spoke about the realities of manufacturing. One comment noted that manufacturing is not a “Raja Babu job” and involves labour problems, supplier pressure, payment follow-ups and constant negotiation. Another user remarked that labour-intensive sectors are largely unorganised, which often leads to chaos on the ground.
There were also voices appreciating the move. One comment read that sometimes walking away from your own success takes more courage than building it in the first place. Another said not many people take such turns after reaching scale.
The episode highlights a side of entrepreneurship that rarely trends — the strain of handling ground-level operations in sectors that are messy and highly fragmented. Revenue figures alone do not show the daily friction founders deal with. For this IIT Kanpur graduate, the operational chaos outweighed the excitement of running a fast-growing brand.
In one of her posts, she wrote, “On my recent trip, I met an IIT Kanpur alumnus who scaled his D2C shoe brand to ₹2 crore in monthly sales. He left it because he didn’t like how the Surat manufacturers operated.” She added that he is now working in Gurgaon as a Lead Engineer at a startup that has raised Series A funding.
The alumnus had studied at IIT Kanpur and had managed to grow his footwear brand to significant revenue in a short span. For many, this would look like the beginning of a long entrepreneurial run. But things did not continue in that direction.
Why He Walked Away
According to Chaturvedi’s posts, the decision was linked to persistent supply-side concerns. She clarified in a follow-up that “The core side of the business is very chaotic, I guess he doesn’t like it.” She also stated clearly that there was no caste or community angle involved in the matter.The founder apparently grew tired of handling manufacturing-related challenges. The shoe production was being handled in Surat, which triggered questions online since cities like Agra and Kanpur are traditionally known hubs for footwear manufacturing. Several users asked why Surat was chosen in the first place and what exactly about the operations led to such a drastic call.
While the IITian did not speak directly in the thread, the broad reason shared was that he was uncomfortable with how the manufacturing ecosystem functioned. Chaturvedi mentioned that earlier the venture had gone in a different direction because of some narrow-minded people, and ultimately supply issues pushed him to step back and use his engineering skills elsewhere.
Social Media Reacts
The posts drew wide reactions. Some users asked practical questions about margins and profitability. One user pointed out that Rs 2 crore in monthly sales may look big but what really matters is net profit and gross margin. Another suggested he could have sold the business to an operator instead of shutting it down.Others spoke about the realities of manufacturing. One comment noted that manufacturing is not a “Raja Babu job” and involves labour problems, supplier pressure, payment follow-ups and constant negotiation. Another user remarked that labour-intensive sectors are largely unorganised, which often leads to chaos on the ground.
There were also voices appreciating the move. One comment read that sometimes walking away from your own success takes more courage than building it in the first place. Another said not many people take such turns after reaching scale.
From Founder Back to Engineer
According to Pranshi 's post, today, the alumnus is working in Gurgaon as a Lead Engineer at a Series A-funded startup. The shift may appear surprising, especially when many aspire to leave jobs and build startups. In this case, the reverse happened.The episode highlights a side of entrepreneurship that rarely trends — the strain of handling ground-level operations in sectors that are messy and highly fragmented. Revenue figures alone do not show the daily friction founders deal with. For this IIT Kanpur graduate, the operational chaos outweighed the excitement of running a fast-growing brand.
