--- title: "About FashKnit | Founders, Mission & Custom Fashion Platform India" description: "Learn about FashKnit, India's location-first platform for custom fashion boutiques and designers. Built under Manil AI Pvt Ltd after deep boutique research, with AI Virtual Try-On and zero-commission discovery." canonical: https://fashknit.com/about scope: about --- # About FashKnit FashKnit is India's location-first discovery platform for independent fashion designers and custom boutiques. Shoppers browse 735+ listed boutiques across 55 Indian cities, preview eligible looks with AI Virtual Try-On in the app, and connect directly for made-to-measure occasion wear. Boutiques get a free digital profile, model-shoot tools, and discovery with zero commission on direct inquiries. Parent company Manil AI Pvt Ltd was founded in 2021. FashKnit is the product of multi-year foundation work: conversations with 250+ boutiques, continuous product evolution, and production AI systems for try-on, model shoots, and post serving. ## Quick facts - **Product:** FashKnit - custom fashion discovery and direct connect - **Parent company:** Manil AI Pvt Ltd (founded 2021) - **Research foundation:** Discussions with 250+ boutiques on problems, workflows, and requirements - **Shopper focus:** Find designers across India, try looks, connect for custom stitch - **Boutique promise:** Digital boutique, portfolio, AI model shoots, 0% commission on direct inquiries - **Signature tech:** AI Virtual Try-On, AI Model Shoot, post-serving algorithms - **Coverage:** 735+ boutiques across 55 cities - **Contact:** contact@manil.ai ## Why we started FashKnit Sameeksha Shrivastava's wedding brought the full force of India's designer-wear chaos into focus: talented makers hard to discover, portfolios scattered across Instagram, timelines and fittings opaque, and almost no confident way to visualize a piece before fabric and money were committed. Instead of accepting that friction as how fashion works, the founders treated it as a product problem. They sat with at least 250 boutiques - owners, karigars, and studio teams - mapping real workflows, inventory realities, pricing anxiety, photography costs, and how customers actually arrive (referrals, DMs, walk-ins). Those conversations became the brief: build a two-sided platform where shoppers can discover, experience, and decide - and where independent talent gets a serious digital home without marketplace commission tax. Years of foundation work later, boutiques are registering for digital profiles, portfolios, model shoots, and the zero-commission promise; shoppers keep returning for Try-On and direct designer connection. ## Our Mission Making Designer Fashion Discoverable and Personal for Everyone. **For shoppers:** Discover fashion you'll truly love, experience it with confidence, and connect with the right designer to bring it to life. **For designers:** Be discovered for your creativity, grow your business, and reach customers who value original craftsmanship. ### Principles - **Experience before commit:** AI Try-On and real portfolios reduce guesswork on high-stakes occasion wear. - **Direct connection:** No opaque middle layer on inquiries; designers own the relationship. - **Zero commission on direct:** Growth without a take-rate that punishes independent studios. - **Location-first discovery:** Fashion is local: cities, areas, fittings, and trust still matter. - **Continuous product:** Post algorithms, model shoots, and try-on improve as the network learns. ## How FashKnit works ### For shoppers 1. Discover the latest designs from real designers across India, and browse by occasion - haldi, mehndi, cocktail, wedding, festive, and more. 2. Preview eligible designs with AI Virtual Try-On in the FashKnit app so you can experience a look before you commit. 3. Find designers by city and area, open their boutique profile, and review their full portfolio before you reach out. 4. Connect directly for measurements, fabric choices, and custom stitching. ### For boutiques and designers 1. Create a free digital boutique profile. 2. Publish a detailed portfolio and studio story. 3. Use AI Model Shoot tools to elevate mannequin or hanger photos. 4. Get discovered on SEO-friendly city and area pages - with zero commission on direct customer inquiries. ## What we built - **Digital boutique:** A structured public home for independent studios - not a throwaway social post. - **Detailed portfolio:** Look-level discovery that links inspiration to a real maker. - **AI Model Shoot:** Professional-looking catalogue imagery from practical studio photography constraints. - **AI Virtual Try-On:** Let shoppers experience designer pieces on themselves before booking. - **Post-serving algorithms:** Fresh, popular, and followed signals so discovery stays useful as the catalogue grows. - **Zero-commission promise:** Align incentives with independent fashion, not with taxing every inquiry. ## The founders ### Sameeksha Shrivastava - Co-founder & CEO Sameeksha holds an M.Tech in AI and Machine Learning and brings 11+ years of industry experience. A lifelong fashionista, she hit the sharp edge of designer-wear complexity during her own wedding - and chose to build rather than complain. That personal urgency, combined with technical depth in AI/ML, shaped FashKnit's product thesis: use modern AI where it reduces real friction (try-on, model imagery), and keep the human craft of Indian fashion at the centre. Beyond work she is an avid dancer and traveller, a professional off-road car racer with national-level rally wins, and a cooking creator with a YouTube channel of nearly 50k followers. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sameeksha-shrivastava-b55a3b1a4 ### Pulkit Srivastava - Co-founder & CTO Pulkit is an IIT BHU Electronics graduate (2007) with 19+ years across business strategy, product, and large-scale delivery. As CTO of Geekyworks for nearly a decade and then Manil AI, he has worked with enterprises including TOTO, TATA, Mondelez, Reliance, and Best Western, and with startups such as Earlysalary (Fibe), Thrillophilia, and Wellcare Today. He mentors early-stage teams on MVPs and market entry. Curiosity spans tech, health, fashion, travel, and gastronomy. Outside work he is an APPI-certified paragliding pilot, trekker, traveller, car rally navigator and certified yoga trainer - a practical balance of ambition and mindfulness that mirrors how FashKnit blends cutting-edge tech with craft traditions. LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/in/pulkitsrivastv ## The team ### Deepak Sharma - Management 16+ years. Deepak leads management across engineering delivery, people leadership, and process and operations. He keeps teams aligned, shipping with discipline, and ready for the next stage of growth. Focus: Engineering ops, People leadership, Process ### Ravi Pansuriya - Architect 12+ years. Ravi is a systems and product architect with depth across Python, AI, Node, React, IoT, iOS, AWS, and Azure. He turns product ambition into production-grade platforms that scale. Focus: Python, AI, Node, React, Cloud ### Vilas Naphade - Mobile Architect 14+ years. Vilas owns mobile architecture for Flutter and native iOS, with additional depth in Go and PHP. He focuses on fast, reliable app experiences that shoppers and boutiques depend on every day. Focus: Flutter, iOS, Go, PHP ## Parent company FashKnit is a product of Manil AI Pvt Ltd, founded in 2021. Manil builds AI-forward products that solve concrete industry friction and in the process has worked with industry giants and startups that became unicorns. And now it is solving for the long tail of Indian custom fashion: discovery, visualization, and direct connection between shoppers and independent makers. Contact: contact@manil.ai ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What is FashKnit? FashKnit is India's location-first discovery platform for independent fashion designers and custom boutiques. Browse portfolios by city, preview eligible looks with AI Virtual Try-On in the app, and connect directly for made-to-measure occasion wear. Boutiques get free digital profiles and discovery with zero commission on direct inquiries. Parent company: Manil AI Pvt Ltd. ### Who founded FashKnit? Sameeksha Shrivastava (CEO) and Pulkit Srivastava (CTO). Sameeksha brings AI/ML expertise and a first-hand fashion discovery problem; Pulkit brings 19+ years of technology leadership and product building, including nearly a decade as CTO of Geekyworks and then Manil AI. ### When was Manil AI / FashKnit founded? Parent company Manil AI Pvt Ltd was founded in 2021. FashKnit is the consumer fashion platform built on multi-year foundation work with boutiques and continuous product evolution. ### Is FashKnit a marketplace that takes commission? FashKnit is a discovery and direct-connection platform. Boutiques can list for free and receive direct inquiries with zero commission. Payments and stitching relationships stay between customer and designer. ### What is AI Virtual Try-On on FashKnit? On eligible designs in the FashKnit app, Virtual Try-On lets shoppers preview how a piece may look on them before fabric and fittings - reducing uncertainty on custom occasion wear. Full Try-On runs in the app. ### How did you design the product with boutiques? The founders researched with at least 250 boutiques, studying operations, requirements, photography costs, and customer journeys. The platform continues to evolve from that foundation. ### Can designers and boutiques join FashKnit? Yes. Create a free digital boutique, publish portfolios, use AI model shoots, and get discovered by city. Partner details: https://fashknit.com/fashion-designer-boutique. ### Where does FashKnit operate? India-first, with boutiques listed across major cities and growing area coverage. Browse https://fashknit.com/boutiques or city hubs under https://fashknit.com/locations. ## Related links - [Homepage](https://fashknit.com/) - [All boutiques](https://fashknit.com/boutiques) - [Trends](https://fashknit.com/trends) - [FashKnit for boutiques](https://fashknit.com/fashion-designer-boutique) - [Privacy policy](https://fashknit.com/privacy-policy) - [Terms](https://fashknit.com/terms-and-conditions) HTML page: https://fashknit.com/about