Women’s ethnicwear specialist Soch Apparels Pvt Ltd has appointed seasoned retail leader Srikrishna S as its Chief Operating Officer (COO), reinforcing leadership bandwidth at a time when the Bengaluru-headquartered brand is simultaneously scaling its national footprint and accelerating international expansion.
The move marks a strategic homecoming for Srikrishna, who previously played a defining role in building Soch’s retail backbone before moving on to lead large-format and premium retail businesses. His return signals continuity, operational maturity, and sharper execution as Soch transitions into its next growth cycle.
A Career Built on Retail Transformation and P&L Leadership
With over 20 years of cross-category retail experience, Srikrishna brings deep expertise in operational scale, network expansion, and value-driven growth.
His early leadership journey included managing multi-state retail operations at Style Spa Furniture Ltd, followed by roles at Axiom Telecom and Future Group, where he gained exposure to high-volume retail execution.
At Shoppers Stop, he led the HomeStop business across Bengaluru and Chennai, strengthening regional performance and operational efficiencies.
His association with Soch began in 2015 as General Manager – Operations, later evolving into Head of Retail Operations. Across nearly eight years with the company, he helped institutionalise retail processes, improve store productivity and support nationwide expansion.
He subsequently led retail operations at Craftsvilla, driving omnichannel execution, before serving as CEO of Stanley Lifestyles between 2024 and early 2026, where he sharpened premium retail strategy and enterprise-level P&L management.
Complementing his operational experience, Srikrishna recently completed a postgraduate management programme from the Indian School of Business, strengthening his strategic leadership capabilities.
Soch Apparels: From Regional Ethnic Brand to National Retail Player
Founded in Bengaluru, Soch has evolved into one of India’s leading organised women’s ethnicwear retailers, positioned in the affordable-premium segment catering to occasionwear, festive fashion, and everyday ethnic dressing.
Business Snapshot (Estimated FY25):
| Metric | Details |
| Revenue | ₹700–800 crore |
| YoY Growth | ~18–22% |
| Store Network | 175+ Exclusive Brand Outlets |
| Cities | 60+ across India |
| Formats | Malls, High Streets & Airport Retail |
| Core Categories | Sarees, Salwar Suits, Kurtas, Fusion & Occasion Wear |
The company largely operates company-owned stores domestically, allowing tighter control over merchandising, inventory turns and consumer experience—critical differentiators in fashion retail profitability.
Franchise-Led Global Expansion: A Disciplined Ethnicwear Play
Soch’s international journey, initiated in 2024, reflects a calibrated and capital-efficient expansion strategy focused on diaspora-led markets rather than aggressive scale.
The brand currently operates overseas stores in:
- Toronto, Canada
- Kuala Lumpur, Klang and Johor Bahru (Malaysia)
International outlets typically range between 1,000–1,200 sq. ft., prioritising productivity, strong merchandise rotation and faster breakeven timelines over large-format visibility.
All global stores operate under a franchise-led model, enabling Soch to expand with limited capital deployment while leveraging local partner expertise. Despite franchise ownership, the company retains strict control over assortment planning, visual merchandising standards and brand experience to maintain consistency across markets.
The overseas assortment spans sarees, salwar suits, kurtas, co-ord sets, unstitched materials and fusion occasionwear, with selective localisation through lighter fabrics, climate-sensitive designs and higher fusionwear mixes suited to international lifestyles.
This measured approach positions Soch among a new generation of Indian ethnic brands expanding globally through disciplined formats, localisation and operational prudence rather than sentiment-driven expansion.
The COO Mandate: Scaling with Operational Precision
As COO, Srikrishna is expected to lead Soch’s next growth phase across three critical pillars:
- Domestic Network Expansion
Deepening presence across Tier 1 and fast-growing Tier 2 markets while improving like-to-like store performance. - Operational Excellence
Strengthening supply-chain agility, inventory optimisation, and store-level profitability. - Global Franchise Scaling
Building structured international expansion frameworks across diaspora-heavy markets in North America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
His familiarity with Soch’s operating philosophy — combined with external leadership exposure — uniquely positions him to align expansion with sustainable margins.
A Homecoming at a Strategic Inflection Point
India’s branded ethnicwear market is undergoing rapid formalisation as consumers increasingly shift toward organised players offering design consistency, occasion relevance and superior retail experiences.
By bringing back a leader deeply embedded in its institutional journey, Soch appears to be reinforcing execution strength precisely when scale, efficiency and global ambition must converge.
Srikrishna’s return is therefore less a leadership change and more a continuity-driven acceleration — one that could shape Soch Apparels’ transition from a strong national ethnicwear retailer into a globally recognised Indian fashion brand.
