From Swiping Right to Co-Founding a Brand with Samantha Prabhu | Fynd Out with Ragini

What does it take to build an activewear brand in India from scratch with no fashion background, no funding, and no team?In this episode, Harshita and Pravishta — co-founders of Mile Collective share the full story from solving a personal problem during COVID to bootstrapping Mile Active out of a single room, to rebranding into Mile Collective with Samantha Ruth Prabhu as co-founder and investor.We discuss:- How Harshita started Mile Active with four products and zero business background- Why Indian bodies and Indian weather demand a completely different product- The Bumble love story that brought a co-founder husband into the mix- How a cold message led to Samantha Ruth Prabhu joining as co-founder- Celebrity endorsement vs celebrity co-founder — what's the real difference- Why 51% retention in 12 months changed everything- Building for inclusivity and the challenge of sizing in India- The one thing most women founders struggle with (and need to hear)Whether you're building a consumer brand, shopping for activewear, or just trying to understand what it takes to build something real in India — this one's for you.Timestamps:00:00 – Precap1:28 - Mile Collective Introduction2:25 - How did Pravishta meet Harshita 4:38 - What made Pravishta join Mile Collective6:00 - Journey from Mile Active to Mile Collective7:04 - Problems with Indian Athleisure Brands7:26 - Dropping Law to Start Business8:50 - Building without Business Background9:46 - Launching with only 4 Products9:55 - Getting First 100 Customers11:04 - Feeling like Shutting Down Mile11:54 - Magical Retention Rate of Mile13:31 - New Co-founder Impact14:00 - Lululemon vs Mile15:42 - Game-Changing Feedback 16:33 - Lesson from Pravishta to Harshita17:08 - Working with Celebrity Founders & Investors18:07 - Cold DM Story to Samantha 19:36 - Getting Samantha Prabhu as the Co-founder21:22 - Benefits of Celebrity Association22:02 - Celebrity Endorsement vs Celebrity Founder23:34 - Decision to Start Fundraising 25:00 - Marketing Plan for Mile vs Competitors26:21 - Thought Process while Building Products27:46 - Metric that Helped Make Products Better29:17 - Athleisure Trends to Look For30:16 - Non Negotiable in Mile Products31:00 - Feedback from Influencers & Customer 32:36 - How is Mile Planning Expansion34:50 - How to Know When to Stop Something37:03 - Capsule Collections & Coffee Rave Parties37:48 - Gen Z Customers & Retention Rate40:00 - Changing Indian Mindset in Fitness42:18 - How to Handle Criticism43:35 - Internet Wants to Know52:02 - Rapid Fire with Mile Collective58:17 - Advice to Viewers59:15 – Closing & Thank YouSubscribe for more founder stories, business insights, and deep dives into industries shaping modern India.Catch the entire series on our YouTube channel – new episodes every Friday!Links:Fynd Out With Ragini Varma: https://www.instagram.com/fyndoutwithraginivarma/ Fynd Out With Ragini Varma Clips: https://www.instagram.com/fyndoutclips/ Spotify Stream Link: https://open.spotify.com/show/1vUDKCKaGF8OHYUglP57aP?si=2sg9IgV_QAenN_IsVINejA Apple Podcast Link: https://podcasts.apple.com/in/podcast/fynd-out-with-ragini/id1871104332  Ragini VarmaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/raginnivarma/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragini-varma/ FyndInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/gofynd/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fynd-shopsense/ About Fynd – Fynd is a global commerce platform that helps brands, retailers, and businesses build, manage, and scale their digital presence. Headquartered in Mumbai and backed by Reliance, Fynd powers online stores, omnichannel retail, logistics, and AI-driven experiences for over 2,300 brands. From e-commerce websites to AR try-ons, automation, and data-driven insights, Fynd enables businesses to create seamless customer experiences across online and offline channels — building the world’s most loved commerce ecosystem.