Ethik

Pankaj Khabiya and Bharat Ranka are Season 1's most values-first founding duo — a Jain man from Bengaluru who built a business around the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) that his upbringing had instilled since childhood, and a Mumbai advertising professional who saw the brand potential in Pankaj's vision and invested ₹95 lakhs of his own money to co-found it — united by the conviction that Indian men deserved premium fashion accessories that did not require an animal to be killed. Pankaj Khabiya (Co-founder & Managing Director) is the founding visionary, product developer, and brand guardian. When Bengaluru lad Pankaj Khabiya took the bold step to start a vegan footwear brand called Ethik in 2013, he was only 23. Started with an investment of ₹25 lakh provided by his family, the brand has found a niche market. Pankaj is brought up in a Jain family and was inculcated with values like non-leather. As he grew up and felt the need for formal shoes and belts, he realised what he was wear

Ethik is India's first premium men's non-leather fashion brand — designing, manufacturing, and selling PETA-approved vegan shoes, belts, wallets, bags, and accessories using microfiber and plant-based cellulose materials engineered to replicate the look, feel, durability, and craftsmanship of genuine leather, without animal cruelty, and with a significantly lower environmental footprint than conventional leather production.