Founder & CEO of KALKI Fashion, Saurabh Gupta has built the brand into a leading name in occasion wear and ethnic fashion. He has grown KALKI from a single store into a multinational fashion brand with over 1.3 million fashion-enthusiast followers. KALKI has delivered more than 80,000 international orders, serves over 70,000 NRI customers worldwide, and employs 1,500 people, while supporting hundreds of skilled karigars and craftsmen across remote parts of India.
Daily Routine
My day starts at 5:00 am. I complete most of my strategic thinking, planning, and decision-making before the world wakes up.
From 7:00 to 9:00 am I make sure the morning belongs to my daughter and son before it belongs to KALKI.
By 9:00 am, I’m at the office, reviewing collections, meeting teams, or discussing international expansion plans.
Passions and Hobbies
Travel is my biggest passion without question. I don’t just visit places; I experience them. Whether it’s Tokyo, London, New York, or a small European town, my ideal trip means renting an apartment, shopping at local grocery stores, eating street food, walking through neighbourhood markets, and spending meaningful time in one city. Photography is another love of mine, I’m always capturing moments, and my phone gallery proves it.
3 Must-Watch Movies
Three Idiots — Because it captures everything I believe about following your passion.
The Intern — Proof that wisdom, warmth, and consistency can transform any workplace.
The Pursuit of Happyness — For the powerful reminder to never let anyone define your limits.
3 Must-Read Books
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight – The raw and honest story of building Nike. .
The Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron – a book that changed how I think about leadership, language, and the future we create through vision.
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari – it made me rethink human behaviour, identity, and why stories shape what people value.
Define Success
Success is when the people around you, your team, your family, your artisans, are growing because of the ecosystem you’ve built, not just the product you sell.
Superpower You Wish You Had
If I had to pick one, I’d love the ability to fly, mainly so I could avoid traffic and save time.
Thoughts on AI
AI isn’t coming for fashion, it’s coming for the parts of fashion that were never truly creative to begin with. Forecasting, inventory management, and personalisation at scale will be transformed by AI. I see AI as a co-pilot, not a replacement. The brands that master that balance will define the next decade.
Advice to Young Professionals
Stop optimising for your résumé and start optimising for stories. Also, learn to sell. Whether you’re a designer, developer, or CEO, if you cannot communicate the value of what you do with conviction, none of it matters.
Thoughts on Work-Life Balance
I’ve stopped chasing balance, it’s a myth that makes people feel guilty on both sides. What I pursue instead is presence. When I’m at work, I’m fully at work. When I’m at my daughter’s school play, my phone stays in the car. The goal isn’t equal hours, it’s being fully present wherever you are.
