Raghunandan Saraf: From ₹50K to Crore-Worth Brand
In a time where startups are popping up every other day, the story of Raghunandan Saraf, a small-town entrepreneur from Sardarshahar, Rajasthan, stands out as an inspiring tale of grit, innovation, and belief. What started as a modest furniture shop under the guidance of his father, today stands tall as Insaraf Furniture, a ₹340 crore brand redefining online solid wood furniture in India.
Humble Beginnings in Rajasthan
Raghunandan Saraf comes from a family that had been in the traditional furniture business for decades. His father and uncle jointly managed a small shop in Sardarshahar, manufacturing and selling wooden furniture across different parts of India. By 1998, they had even entered the export market. But despite these milestones, the business remained largely conventional, operating through offline sales and limited channels.
Everything changed in 2014 when Raghunandan Saraf decided to take the reins. With an initial investment of just ₹50,000, he aimed to modernize and scale the business by bringing it online. His father, like many from the older generation, was skeptical of digital platforms, but Raghunandan saw the internet as an untapped opportunity waiting to be leveraged.