When the Covid-19 pandemic forced Bengaluru entrepreneur Meghna Khanna to shut her handcrafted jewellery business in 2020, she felt she was losing a part of her identity. She had spent 18 years building Levitate, a brand she had started in 2002. Two years later, a conversation about a grandmother’s gold bindi gave her an idea for a new business.In December 2022, Khanna launched The Bindi Project with an initial investment of Rs 5 lakh. The Bengaluru-based venture makes handcrafted, reusable bindis in different shapes, colours and materials. By FY25, the brand had recorded annual revenue of Rs 20 lakh, double its approximately Rs 10 lakh revenue in its first year of operations, according to a report by StartupPedia.Its designs have also reached Bollywood actors including Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Sonam Kapoor and Tamannaah Bhatia. Khanna told StartupPedia that stylists working with these actors had recognised the brand and used its bindis for their looks. The Bindi Project has been featured on Season 5 of Shark Tank India as well.
From a jewellery business to a new beginning
Meghna studied marketing and finance for her MBA in Pune before joining a qualitative market research firm in 2001. But she left the job within a year because she wanted to start something of her own. Her interest in jewellery and accessories grew during her school years in Jodhpur. She noticed a gap in the market for nose pins in southern India and began travelling between Bengaluru and Jodhpur to work with artisans. “That’s how Levitate started,” she told StartupPedia.She ran the handcrafted jewellery business from 2002 to 2020. The brand reached customers across the country and was featured in magazines. But the pandemic forced her to close it.In an interview with Indulge Express in September 2024, Khanna also spoke about how the business had come to an end. “I was running it successfully for the next 18 years, till Covid struck and we had to shut shop,” she said.
A conversation about a grandmother’s bindi sparked the idea
Image courtesy: Instagram/@the_bindi_project
The idea for her next venture emerged during a conversation with a friend in 2022. They were discussing how the friend’s grandmother had passed down a gold bindi to her mother. The friend needed adhesive to wear it, and Khanna was surprised by the idea that bindis could be inherited and reused. “This friend of mine needed glue to use that bindi. But I was astounded – were bindis handed down?” she told StartupPedia.She began researching the history and use of bindis and noticed that many products available in the market were disposable, while statement designs were limited. She saw an opportunity to approach the traditional accessory differently. In December 2022, she started The Bindi Project with Rs 5 lakh of her own funds. The money went towards an office deposit, packaging, building a social media presence, salaries and rent.Khanna also had an unexpected resource from her previous business. She had several broken pieces of jewellery left over from Levitate and began using their elements while working on the designs, bases and embellishments for her new products.The project initially took shape as a zero-waste upcycling initiative. Khanna said she began by hand-cutting leather scraps to make bindis. The brand also uses felt and upcycled textiles, and has explored embroidered designs.
Handmade bindis that can be worn with modern outfits
The Bindi Project creates bindis in festive, leather, textile and contemporary categories. Its collections draw on Indian heritage and cultural themes, with names such as Amaani, Durga, Kalyani, Kali, Poulomi, Ruhaani and Kamakhya. The designs are intended to be worn with both traditional and modern clothing. Khanna told StartupPedia: “There is no bar. You can even wear them with jeans if you want to.”
How the business found customers
Khanna began attending cultural events and setting up pop-up stalls to introduce the products to customers. In 2023, she also started making Instagram reels about the bindis and the idea behind the brand. “Initially, it’s a tough game to crack. It’s hard selling. But eventually, we’ve received a lot of push in terms of paying customers because of Instagram,” she said.The brand had served more than 1,500 customers across India by October 2025. Its largest share of sales came from pop-ups and retail stalls at exhibitions and events, followed by orders through WhatsApp and Instagram. In FY24, the brand’s first year of operations, it recorded approximately Rs 10 lakh in annual revenue. The figure doubled to Rs 20 lakh in FY25.
Bollywood stylists take notice
The brand’s reach has extended beyond its regular customers. Its bindis have been worn by Kareena Kapoor, Kajol, Sonam Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor and Tamannaah Bhatia. Khanna credited the stylists who selected the designs for the actors. “I am extremely grateful to the stylists of these lovely stars who recognized us and styled them in these bindis. This is also a win for every woman who works behind-the-scenes at The Bindi Project. I also want to thank writers and supporters who keep encouraging me,” she told StartupPedia.The brand continues to sell its products through its website and social media channels. Khanna has also spoken about plans to work with artisans across India and create more employment opportunities for rural women.For Meghna, the idea behind the venture remains connected to the way women use the bindi to express themselves. As she said, “The aim is to make bindis “funky again, while remaining culturally-rooted”.