In the thick of India"s devastating second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, Saurabh Agrawal, a former corporate leader and co-founder of a family-run fashion accessories & skincare products business, sat at home in Gurugram watching the world shift. Zoom calls had replaced office spaces, track pants had replaced trousers, and the line between work and life blurred like never before. It was in this chaos that the idea of Harfun was born—a D2C menswear brand with a big vision: make formal wear feel like activewear. “I noticed how men wanted clothes that could take them from meetings to mid-day grocery runs without feeling out of place. They needed comfort, but they didn"t want to look sloppy,” shares Saurabh Agrawal, now the founder and CEO of Harfun, during an exclusive interview with Startup Pedia. That observation would spark a mission: to build a utility clothing brand rooted in technology, design, and comfort—a bold vision that would eventually redefine India"s concept of workwear. The Loss-Making First Attempt: Harfun CEO Saurabh Agrawal in his Gurugram Office Harfun was officially founded in June 2021 under Thinking Cap Clothing Pvt. Ltd., with Saurabh investing his savings and heart into building a product range that blended athleisure with minimalist aesthetics. But timing is everything! By the time sales began in January 2022, offices had reopened. The work-from-home era that inspired Harfun was already fading. The company generated ₹25 lakh in revenue in six months, but bled ₹2.5 crore in losses. “It was a painful realisation. We had a product range we believed in, but we weren"t solving the right problem anymore. The market had moved on after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic,” admits Saurabh. Rather than doubling down, Saurabh hit pause. He shut operations and returned to R&D and market research, determined to find what the Indian apparel industry truly needed next. Also Read:Campa Cola"s 1st Manufacturing Plant To Set Up In Bihar"s Begusarai, Reliance Announces Investment Of ₹1,000 Cr The Big Pivot: Birth of Harfun"s WorkWear 2.0 Air Work Suit by Harfun During this period of introspection and research, Saurabh found his answer in a surprising place: performance fabrics. These tech-driven materials—common in sportswear—offered durability, breathability, wrinkle resistance, and moisture-wicking properties. Yet, almost no Indian menswear brand was using them for office wear. So, Saurabh decided to change that. Harfun underwent a massive transformation. Gone was the casual athleisure positioning. In its place: Harfun WorkWear 2.0, a line of tech-powered professional clothing designed for India"s dynamic modern men. “With WorkWear 2.0, we weren"t just tweaking designs. We were creating a new category. We made performance clothing for boardrooms, airports, and after-hours—all in one,” Saurabh explains to Startup Pedia. Saurabh used a fibre-dyeing process that ensured colours wouldn"t fade, designed garments with Harfun"s proprietary 6X SmartTech° features, and focused on science-backed materials like Elastomultiester (EME) and polyester blends that outperformed cotton in sustainability and durability. Also Read: 'Come Try Us': Bengaluru-based Shoffr Founder Invites Users As BluSmart Halts Cab Services The Breakthrough: An Instant Hit From Day One Workday Shirt by Harfun Harfun relaunched in October 2022 with only one product: the "Workday Shirt"—India"s first smart shirt, available in just two colours. It was wrinkle-free, breathable, SPF-protected, anti-odour, and could be worn straight from the washer to the workplace. The response was electric. The initial stock of 2,000 shirts sold out in just 15 days. In that month alone, Harfun clocked ₹30 lakh in revenue—more than its entire previous phase. “What WorkWear 2.0 provided us was our long-awaited moment of validation. Customers were not just buying—they were demanding more now,” Saurabh recalls. But with demand came new hurdles. Manufacturing such innovative garments at scale was tough. The existing Indian textile infrastructure wasn"t ready to support a sudden demand for garments with features like barré-free dyeing, matte yarn, or ultra-stretch fabric. Lead times were long, and educating customers about the benefits of man-made fibres remained a challenge. Still, Saurabh and his lean team pressed on, using every rupee wisely. In the first year post-relaunch, Harfun served over 5,000 customers and earned more than ₹2 crore in revenue. Also Read: "...Our Job Is To Find & Punish Them," Says SEBI Chief Tuhin Kanta Pandey On Gensol Fraud Craft Meets Science: What Harfun Offers Today ZipTech Work-Polo by Harfun Fast forward to 2025, and Harfun is no longer just a menswear brand. It"s a movement in motion—a rebellion against restrictive and stiff formal attire that stifles creativity, comfort, and utility. “At Harfun, we believe that science and style can co-exist. We engineer performance clothing that empowers the working men to do more, without compromising on appearance and aesthetics,” Saurabh explains. From moisture-wicking Henleys to SPF-equipped polos, from ultralight chinos to India"s first machine-washable blazer—the WorkBlazer—Harfun has introduced over 117 SKUs across 15 styles. Every piece is minimal, premium, and solid-coloured, staying true to the brand"s workwear DNA. Prices start at ₹1,499 for essential Henleys and go up to ₹5,990 for premium WorkBlazers, making Harfun accessible yet aspirational for India"s young professionals. While the full range is available only on Harfun"s website, select pieces have recently made their way to Myntra, giving the Gurugram startup exposure to a larger base of customers. But make no mistake—the core strategy remains D2C. “Being a D2C brand helps us stay close to the customer and rapidly innovate,” Saurabh emphasises. Customer-Centricity: The Harfun Way Harfun Team One of Harfun"s greatest strengths in the Indian startup ecosystem is its razor-sharp focus on customer experience. With over 90% repeat purchase rate, the startup has clearly struck a chord. “Our customers are working professionals aged between 25 and 55 years, mainly from tier-1 cities. We design with their pain points in mind, offering solutions backed by technology,” Saurabh shares. This relentless customer feedback loop has shaped every collection—be it the travel line for after-work airport warriors, the golf polos for weekenders, or the blazer collection that ditches dry cleaning. The most-loved product? Still the OG: the Workday Shirt, contributing nearly 50% to Harfun"s total sales. Regarding financial performance, Harfun achieved a Gross Merchandise Value (GMV) exceeding ₹25 crore in the preceding financial year (2024-2025). The company has set an ambitious target of ₹100 crore in GMV for the current financial year (2025-2026). Also Read:Computer Science Grad Goes Back To His Village To Grow Dragon Fruit; Now Clocks Rs 30 Lakh Annual Revenue The Road Ahead: 100 Million Wardrobes by 2035 2035 Workday Pants by Harfun Harfun now processes over 15,000 orders a month. It has already served 1 lakh customers—and it"s just getting started. Saurabh envisions Harfun as a global brand from India, rooted in the country's vibrant D2C startup spirit but scaled for the world. By 2035, he envisions Harfun will be part of over 100 million wardrobes. “Our inclusive yet global vision is to redefine how every modern working man dresses for success,” Saurabh announces with a smile. So what"s next? Experiential Stores: The brand is also exploring offline pilots of a few experience centres in Delhi NCR, Bangalore, and other metro cities to offer the touch-and-feel experience to its potential customers. International Expansion: Harfun plans to expand into North American and European markets, building on its existing presence in the Middle East. E-commerce Expansion: The company also aims to strengthen its e-commerce reach by listing its products on additional online marketplaces beyond Myntra. Funding Plans: Though currently bootstrapped, Saurabh is receptive to exploring value-based strategic funding in the future to facilitate the scaling of the company. Harfun"s vision is also backed by strong global tailwinds. Harfun aims to grow further with its unique ideas and solutions, especially at a time when the worldwide workwear market is expected to hit USD 30.60 billion by 2033, projecting a growth rate (CAGR) of 5.12% from 2025 to 2033. India is still a nascent player in this global workwear market, but with its rising aspirational class, growing awareness of comfort-first clothing, and a digitally native D2C ecosystem, the country holds massive untapped potential. As India"s apparel scene matures and tech-led menswear brands rise in prominence, Harfun stands tall, not just as a brand but as a category creator. FAQ Q. What is Harfun? A. Harfun is a Gurugram-based D2C menswear brand that offers utility-led, science-backed, comfortable workwear designed for modern professionals. Q. Who is the founder of Harfun? A. Harfun was founded by Saurabh Agrawal, a corporate leader-turned-entrepreneur. Q. When was Harfun founded? A. Harfun was founded in June 2021, during the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. It initially began as an athleisure brand but later pivoted to focus exclusively on men"s workwear. Q. What type of products does Harfun offer? A. Harfun offers a range of stylish and functional men's workwear (topwear and bottomwear), including its flagship WorkWear 2.0 collection that features products like wrinkle-free "Workday" shirts, four-way stretch trousers, and machine washable blazers.