Aakanksha Rathod
Aakanksha Rathod is an Indian entrepreneur and the founder of CHNKS, a Mumbai-based, female-founded and bootstrapped footwear brand focused on creating versatile sneakers for everyday life. Rather than building the brand around exclusivity, limited-edition releases, or short-lived fashion trends, Rathod has developed CHNKS around the idea that the best sneaker is the one customers naturally reach for every morning.
Introduction
Rathod's approach combines product quality, thoughtful design, comfort, durability, affordability, and customer feedback. Through CHNKS, she aims to create footwear that can transition between daily commutes, professional environments, social occasions, travel, and everyday activities.
Entrepreneurial Journey
Rathod's entrepreneurial approach has been shaped by the belief that strong consumer brands are built through consistent product experiences rather than hype alone. As the founder of CHNKS, she has chosen to grow the company organically while keeping product development and customer experience at the centre of the business.
Being a bootstrapped company has allowed CHNKS to develop at a deliberate pace. Rathod has focused on intentional decisions around product design, materials, customer experience, packaging, and community engagement.
Her philosophy reflects a long-term approach to entrepreneurship in which sustainable customer relationships are considered more valuable than temporary attention.
CHNKS
CHNKS is a contemporary Indian footwear brand founded by Rathod with a focus on everyday sneakers. The brand emphasizes premium materials, thoughtful construction, versatile silhouettes, and long-term wearability.
The company's products are designed to become dependable parts of customers' wardrobes rather than occasional fashion purchases. This philosophy encourages timeless styles that can remain relevant beyond seasonal trends.
CHNKS focuses on balancing aesthetics with comfort, durability, material quality, versatility, and accessible pricing.
Product Philosophy
For Rathod, a successful sneaker should not simply look attractive. It should become a product that customers instinctively choose because it feels comfortable, reliable, and appropriate for different parts of their daily lives.
CHNKS therefore focuses on creating footwear capable of accompanying customers through morning commutes, workdays, coffee runs, travel, weekends, and spontaneous plans.
The company's approach is based on the belief that premium footwear should combine design and functionality without requiring customers to compromise on either quality or accessibility.
Customer-Centric Development
Customer feedback plays an important role in the evolution of CHNKS. Rathod believes that brands should listen to their communities instead of assuming what consumers want.
Feedback relating to comfort, fit, materials, design, and everyday wearability is incorporated into production and product development. Each new production cycle is viewed as an opportunity to improve upon the previous one.
This continuous refinement has helped CHNKS develop a customer base that engages with the brand through repeat purchases and word-of-mouth recommendations.
Affogato
One of CHNKS' notable sneaker styles is Affogato, which has reportedly sold out and been restocked six times as a result of continued customer demand.
For Rathod, the repeated demand for Affogato represents more than a commercial achievement. It demonstrates how a product can become integrated into customers' everyday routines when it successfully combines comfort, design, and usability.
Customer Reach and Loyalty
CHNKS has served more than 10,000 customers across India. Nearly 30 percent of its orders come from repeat customers, reflecting the brand's emphasis on customer satisfaction and long-term relationships.
For a bootstrapped consumer brand, repeat purchases and word-of-mouth recommendations represent important indicators of customer trust. Rathod's approach prioritizes building this trust through the product itself rather than relying exclusively on paid advertising or short-term promotional campaigns.
Organic Visibility
CHNKS has gained visibility through organic adoption by public personalities. Individuals including Ali Fazal, Abhay Deol, Vir Das, Rohit Saraf, Saqib Saleem, Adarsh Gourav, Orry, and Gurfateh Pirzada have been seen wearing CHNKS without paid endorsement agreements.
Rather than treating these appearances simply as celebrity marketing opportunities, Rathod views organic adoption as evidence that the products are being chosen naturally by consumers and public figures.
Media Recognition
CHNKS has received editorial attention from lifestyle, fashion, travel, and culture publications, including ELLE, Travel + Leisure, LBB (Little Black Book), Nod Mag, All About Eve, Times Entertainment, and Local Samosa.
The brand's presence in these publications has contributed to its visibility within India's contemporary fashion and lifestyle ecosystem.
"Better With U In It"
A distinctive element of CHNKS' identity is the missing letter "U" in its name.
According to Rathod, this deliberate incompleteness reflects the idea that the community completes the brand. This philosophy is expressed through the statement "Better With U In It."
The concept extends beyond branding. It represents the company's belief that a product becomes meaningful when it becomes part of people's lives. Customers contribute to the evolution of CHNKS through feedback, recommendations, repeat purchases, and everyday use.
The philosophy positions community and inclusion at the centre of the brand rather than exclusivity.
Female Entrepreneurship
As a female founder, Rathod has brought an emphasis on listening, community, and customer understanding into CHNKS' culture.
Her entrepreneurial journey demonstrates an approach in which growth is connected to careful product development and meaningful customer relationships. Instead of treating entrepreneurship solely as a pursuit of scale, she has emphasized building a brand that reflects the needs and experiences of its community.
Vision and Philosophy
Rathod's vision for CHNKS is rooted in the idea that lasting brands are built through consistency and trust. She believes that the strongest products are not necessarily those that generate the greatest amount of hype, but those that customers continue choosing over time.
Her philosophy challenges the conventional sneaker industry's emphasis on exclusivity, scarcity, celebrity collaborations, and constant novelty. In its place, CHNKS focuses on reliability, everyday functionality, thoughtful design, and community.
Future Direction
CHNKS is preparing for its next stage of development through new colourways, additional silhouettes, carefully selected collaborations, and continued investments in customer experience, packaging, and community engagement.
Despite its growth, Rathod's approach remains intentional. New products are expected to serve a genuine purpose, collaborations are intended to align with the brand's values, and future initiatives are designed to strengthen long-term relationships with customers.
Legacy and Outlook
Aakanksha Rathod's work with CHNKS reflects a broader shift in India's consumer and fashion landscape toward brands that prioritize authenticity, product quality, and direct relationships with their communities.
Her approach is built on a straightforward principle: a great sneaker does not need to be the most expensive, exclusive, or talked-about product in the market. Its real value is demonstrated when customers repeatedly choose it as part of their everyday lives.
Through CHNKS, Rathod continues to build a footwear brand around that philosophy—one focused less on creating temporary excitement and more on becoming a dependable part of the customer's wardrobe.
See Also
CHNKS Indian Footwear Industry Indian Fashion Entrepreneurs Women's Entrepreneurship in India Sneaker Culture in India Consumer Lifestyle Brands
Category Entrepreneurs Category Women Entrepreneurs Category Fashion Entrepreneurs Category Footwear Entrepreneurs Category Entrepreneurs Category Businesspeople Category Industry Professionals Category Brand Founders Category Businesses