In this interview, Vanshika and Abhijeet Kaji, co-founders of Knya, share their insights on the challenges and opportunities in the medical apparel industry. They discuss how Knya is reshaping the sector with innovative products and their vision for the future of healthcare apparel.
1. Knya has made a significant impact in the medical apparel industry. Looking ahead, where do you see Knya in the next 5-10 years?
Knya started with a simple mission-to elevate the experience of healthcare professionals by providing functional, comfortable, and stylish medical apparel. Over the next 5-10 years, we envision Knya as the Nike for healthcare professionals, setting the gold standard for medical apparel, accessories, and innovation that truly celebrates the whole community of Medicos across India and beyond.
Our key focus areas include:
- Retail Expansion: Opening 1-2 stores per month, making Knya even more accessible to doctors and nurses across India.
- New Product Categories: Expanding into medical devices (stethoscopes), and accessories, offering healthcare professionals a one-stop destination for their work essentials.
- Technology & Innovation: Investing in anti-microbial smart fabrics, and ergonomic design to enhance comfort and performance.
- Global Expansion: Taking Knya beyond India, making it a trusted brand worldwide for medical professionals.
We want to redefine medical apparel and create a community that celebrates, supports, and empowers healthcare professionals every step of the way.
2. With such a strong foundation, how do you decide which new products to introduce? Can you share any upcoming innovations or launches that Knya is excited about?
Our customers drive our product innovation. Every new launch is based on real pain points and insights from doctors and nurses who wear our products daily. Before introducing any product, we ask ourselves:
- Does this solve a real problem for healthcare professionals?
- Can we make it significantly better than what exists today?
- Does it align with Knya's DNA of high performance and functionality?
Some exciting upcoming launches:
- Stethoscopes: Engineered for superior sound clarity, lightweight design, and durability, built in India to make sure doctors remain in good company, through it all.
- Advanced Fabrics: Scrubs with absolute stretch, moisture-wicking, and anti-bacterial properties to provide ultimate comfort.
Knya isn't just about apparel, it's about Functional fashion & unique solutions that enhance the lives of medical professionals.
3. As co-founders, how do you manage your roles and responsibilities within the company? How do you ensure you're working together toward Knya's growth?
The best partnerships work when each person plays to their strengths. We naturally found our personal strengths and that drove us to take up the roles we play at Knya.
Vanshika focuses on brand, product, and customer experience as she brings some background of Fashion and Creative study from the course of her career. On the other hand, Abhijeet, who is a Penn undergrad and Stanford graduate, brings his quantitative forte to the table by focusing on operations, growth, and execution.
However, all major strategic decisions such as expansion, investments, or pivots - are made together to ensure we're aligned on the big picture.
Three things keep us on track:
- Trust & Ownership: We trust each other to own our respective areas and execute without micromanagement.
- Data-Driven Decisions: Our decisions are based on a balance of our intuition, customer focus and data.
- A Shared Mission: Every decision we make is centred around celebrating the lives of medicos, this common purpose keeps us aligned.
Building a business isn't easy, but having a co-founder who complements your skills makes all the difference.
4. The medical apparel sector is evolving rapidly. What do you think is the next big trend in the industry?
The medical apparel industry is rapidly evolving, with key trends including:
- Performance-Driven Wear: Just like sportswear, medical apparel is transforming into high-performance, breathable gear.
- Fashionable Smart Fabrics: Healthcare professionals are embracing self-expression through their workwear, and we're focused on making scrubs that are both stylish and functional.
- Sustainability: More healthcare professionals are seeking eco-friendly, durable, and responsibly made clothing.
5. What is the most difficult part of running a business in the medical apparel sector? And what excites you the most about building and scaling Knya?
Biggest Challenges:
- Manufacturing at scale without compromising quality: Medical professionals rely on their scrubs daily, and we have to maintain consistent quality while scaling production rapidly.
- Educating the market: When we started, the idea of "premium medical apparel" didn't exist in India. Changing industry perceptions and creating demand for high-performance scrubs was a challenge.
- Managing growth: Scaling from a small D2C brand to a company opening multiple stores and launching new categories requires strong systems, processes, and leadership.
What excites us:
- The direct impact we make: Every day, we hear from doctors and nurses who tell us how Knya has been a part of their firsts, like their first surgery, their first time delivering a newborn, their first day of residency- that's incredibly rewarding.
- Building a community, not just a brand: We are creating a movement that celebrates healthcare professionals, making Knya more than just a company.
- The challenge of scaling: We love problem-solving, innovating, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. Seeing Knya grow from an idea to a market leader is the most exciting part.
6. As co-founders of a rapidly growing brand, how do you manage to maintain a healthy work-life balance? Any personal rituals or habits that keep you grounded?
- Intentional boundaries: Work never really "stops" when you're building a business, but we ensure we're fully present-whether it's at work or with family.
- Personal rituals: Simple habits like for Vanshika, it's the morning chai time that kicks off her days, whereas for Abhijeet, it's making sure to play sports throughout the week, be it swimming or paddling. unplugging in the evenings, and spending quality time with family help maintain balance.
- Leaning on a Strong Team: We believe in hiring smart, capable leaders who take ownership, allowing us to focus on strategic growth instead of daily firefighting.
It's not always perfect, but prioritizing mental and physical well-being is key to sustaining long-term growth.
