Flyrobe

Aanchal Saini is Season 3's most career-pivot-dramatic founder. A practising lawyer at the Delhi High Court for 7 years who helped establish the Delhi International Arbitration Centre (growing it from zero to 10,000 plus cases), she pivoted entirely to fashion entrepreneurship by founding Rent It Bae in 2016 and then acquiring the much larger Flyrobe brand in 2019. The inspiration struck from her younger days: observing that expensive designer outfits purchased for weddings and events were worn once and then stored indefinitely in wardrobes, creating massive financial waste and environmental pollution. Rather than building from scratch against the already-established Flyrobe brand, she strategically acquired it in a part-cash, part-stock deal in November 2019, absorbing the brand's existing customer base, designer partnerships, and market presence under her operational leadership.

Flyrobe is India's first and largest fashion rental platform, providing access to premium designer wear for weddings, parties, and celebrations at a fraction of the purchase price. The platform serves both women and men across ethnic and western categories, with exclusive tie-ups with India's most sought-after designers (Sabyasachi, Gaurav Gupta, Amit Agarwal, Shantanu and Nikhil). The franchise-driven expansion model is Flyrobe's most commercially scalable distribution strategy: rather than owning and operating every store (capital-intensive and operationally complex), Flyrobe licences its brand, inventory management systems, and designer relationships to franchise partners who invest in and operate local stores. This asset-light model allows faster geographic expansion than the company-owned store model.

Amount Asked: ₹50 lakhs Equity Offered: 1% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹50 crore

Aanchal walked into Season 3 Episode 28 as part of the fashion rental match-off against CandidMen. While CandidMen focused exclusively on men's rental, Flyrobe positioned as a broader platform serving both women and men with a significantly larger designer portfolio including India's most prestigious fashion labels. The pitch opened with models showcasing Flyrobe's designer collection on the Shark Tank stage, with Vineeta specifically praising the designs. Aanchal then shared her unconventional journey from Delhi High Court lawyer to fashion rental CEO, the Rent It Bae founding, the strategic Flyrobe acquisition, and the omnichannel expansion vision.

Namita Thapar was the first to exit, citing concerns about operational complexity. Vineeta Singh loved the designs but opted out, expressing doubts about Flyrobe's operational metrics compared to industry standards. Amit Jain chose to sideline himself from negotiations, questioning the accuracy of the founder's plan of action and suggesting more strategic focus was needed before scaling further. Anupam Mittal was uncertain about the investment structure given the 40/60 founder-investor equity split. Aman Gupta was the only Shark impressed enough to invest. He was drawn to the founder's energy, the acquisition strategy (buying an established brand rather than building from scratch), and the fashion rental market's growth potential as India's Gen Z embraces access over ownership.

Aanchal asked ₹50 lakhs for 1% equity (₹50 crore valuation). Only Aman made an offer: ₹50 lakhs for 5% equity (₹10 crore valuation). Aanchal negotiated down to 4% equity (₹12.5 crore valuation). The deal was finalised at ₹50 lakhs for 4% equity from Aman Gupta. The valuation dropped from ₹50 crore ask to ₹12.5 crore (75% markdown), but Aman's consumer brand marketing expertise and boAt's D2C distribution playbook were directly applicable to scaling a fashion rental platform.

Aanchal Saini accepted Aman Gupta's offer of ₹50 lakhs for 4% equity at ₹12.5 crore valuation. Aman was the sole Shark to invest, bringing boAt's consumer brand marketing expertise, digital-first distribution methodology, and young consumer engagement strategies to India's first and largest fashion rental company. The deal gave Flyrobe a celebrity investor whose personal brand resonance with young Indian consumers aligns directly with the rental fashion movement's "access over ownership" philosophy.

Under Aanchal Saini's leadership, Flyrobe positions itself as a premium fashion rental service emphasising sustainable and accessible fashion. According to current business records, Flyrobe remains active. Its online portal is operational, and its store locator confirms outlets across multiple Indian cities. Flyrobe opened a new franchise store in Bengaluru in 2024, strengthening its physical retail presence in India's most fashion-forward metro city. The franchise model continues driving geographic expansion, with the 100 plus stores vision within 3 years guiding the company's growth strategy. The C2C model (customer-to-customer wardrobe rental) continues differentiating Flyrobe from competitors: allowing customers to rent out unused designer garments in their wardrobes creates a self-expanding inventory system that grows without Flyrobe investing in additional garment purchases. Every unused Sabyasachi lehenga gathering dust in a customer's wardrobe is a potential new Flyrobe listing.