India has long been home to exceptional fashion talent, but the industry has often lacked structured support to help creative businesses scale sustainably. The Fashion Entrepreneur Fund (FEF) aims to bridge that gap by bringing together investment, mentorship, commerce, media and industry recognition under one platform.
Founded by entrepreneur Sanjay Nigam, FEF positions itself as India's first fashion-focused venture studio, designed to support entrepreneurs at different stages of building their businesses. The idea is to provide not just investment, but also access to mentors, strategic partnerships and industry expertise that can help emerging brands grow in India and internationally.
The initiative has drawn support from several business leaders and public figures, including Ravi Jaipuria, Naveen Jindal, Vinod Dugar, Gaurav Dalmia, Sandeep Jain, actor Akshay Kumar, filmmaker Karan Johar and Vagish Pathak, among others.
One of FEF's flagship initiatives is Pitch To Get Rich, produced in collaboration with Dharmatic Entertainment. Streaming on JioHotstar, it is positioned as India's first business reality show dedicated exclusively to fashion entrepreneurship. The first season began with a ₹30 crore investment pool, with total investments eventually reaching ₹40 crore for participating fashion startups.
According to FEF, brands backed during the first season generated a combined revenue of over ₹182 crore in FY26, nearly double that of the previous year. The organisation has set a target of achieving ₹500 crore in cumulative portfolio revenue by FY27.
{{/usCountry}}According to FEF, brands backed during the first season generated a combined revenue of over ₹182 crore in FY26, nearly double that of the previous year. The organisation has set a target of achieving ₹500 crore in cumulative portfolio revenue by FY27.
{{/usCountry}}Building on the first season, Pitch To Get Rich Season 2 will feature a ₹100 crore investment pool for emerging fashion businesses - an increase of 150 per cent over the previous edition. The expanded commitment reflects growing investor interest in India's fashion startup ecosystem.
Beyond investment, FEF has expanded into original content through FEF Studios, its in-house production arm. The studio plans to create intellectual properties centred on Indian stories, with a particular focus on talent and entrepreneurs from Tier II and Tier III cities, while exploring opportunities for global audiences.
The organisation has also introduced FEF Miss Entrepreneur India, an initiative that combines entrepreneurship with the pageant format. The programme is designed to help participants develop business skills, connect with industry mentors and, where applicable, receive support for launching fashion ventures.
On the retail front, FEF has launched Made As Me, an omnichannel commerce platform for independent designers and emerging labels. With more than 200 brands onboard, the platform has opened its first store in Raipur and plans to expand to cities including Surat, Ludhiana and Jaipur.
Industry recognition is another pillar of the ecosystem through the FEF Global Fashion Awards, which honour contributions across the fashion value chain - from designers, stylists and artisans to entrepreneurs, show directors and other industry professionals.
Taken together, these initiatives reflect FEF's broader approach to supporting fashion entrepreneurship through multiple touchpoints. Rather than focusing solely on investment, the organisation is building an ecosystem that combines mentorship, market access, media exposure and industry recognition.
As India's fashion industry continues to expand, with homegrown brands increasingly finding global audiences and technology creating new opportunities for designers, platforms that provide structured business support are becoming increasingly relevant. Through its growing portfolio of initiatives, the Fashion Entrepreneur Fund seeks to contribute to that evolving landscape by helping fashion entrepreneurs build sustainable, scalable businesses.