After building growth engines across highly competitive and regulated industries, Swaroop Sarkar, Co-founder of Dapr., made a natural pivot into men’s grooming not as a calculated career move, but as a response to a problem he lived with every day. Alongside co-founder Yatin Mehra, Swaroop launched Dapr. to build India’s first homegrown men’s grooming brand designed specifically for Indian climate, hair, and lifestyle.
From US Master’s Degrees to India’s Grooming Gap
Swaroop and Yatin spent time in the United States while pursuing their master’s degrees and got a close look at how the men’s grooming industry functioned there. “The product quality, ingredient transparency, and sheer variety were genuinely impressive. When we came back to India, the contrast was stark. The options were either cheap and harmful or imported and overpriced, with nothing built specifically for our climate, our hair, or our lifestyle.” Swaroop’s background in acquisition, revenue growth, and go-to-market strategy helped him see that this was not just personal frustration. “It was a market gap with real commercial depth. Men in India were spending more on grooming, were increasingly aware of what went into their products, and had no homegrown brand speaking to them with any real credibility.”
Consumer Insight: Indian Men Were Starting to Care, But the Market Treated Them Like an Afterthought
The most telling insight was simple: the category had grown, but most players were either riding the FMCG wave with mass-market, ingredient-compromised products or positioning imported brands as aspirational luxuries that did not actually perform in Indian conditions. What they kept hearing was the same complaint: “This doesn’t work in the heat.” “It leaves residue.” “I don’t even know what’s in it.” “That is not a consumer problem. That is a product problem. And product problems can be solved.” The other insight was around trust. “Today’s consumer, especially in the 22 to 35 age group, cannot be taken for a ride. They read labels. They ask questions. They call out brands on social media.”
Why “Dapr.”? pronounced “Dapper” Sharp, Well-Groomed, Put Together
Dapr. is pronounced “Dapper,” not “day-per.” The word “dapper” has always meant sharp, well-groomed, and put together. “A man who shows up looking like he has his life in order. That is exactly the feeling we want to create for every person who uses our products.” The stylised spelling was intentional. “We wanted something that felt modern and ownable, not another generic name with ‘man’ or ‘groom’ shoehorned in. The period at the end of Dapr. is a deliberate design choice too. It signals finality and confidence, like a full stop at the end of a statement you mean.” The name captures their positioning as a silent wingman. “Dapper men do not announce their grooming routine. The product does the work quietly, and the confidence speaks for itself.”
Bootstrapped: ₹70,000 Each, Heavy Focus on Product Development
They bootstrapped from the start. The initial investment was modest: ₹70,000 each. “This was not a venture-backed launch with a large war chest. It was two co-founders who believed in the product enough to put their own money behind it.” Allocation was heavily skewed toward product development and ingredients non-negotiable. “We would never launch something we would not use ourselves, which meant no shortcuts on formulation.” Branding came next. “We wanted a visual identity that felt premium and intentional, something that looked like it belonged on a shelf alongside the best international products.” Customer acquisition initially ran on a lean, performance-driven approach. Swaroop’s background in acquisition channels meant they could do more with less. The supply chain was built through partnerships with manufacturers willing to bet on them, looking beyond “industry-standard MOQs” because they could only afford small batches.
Biggest Challenge: Consistency at Manufacturing Scale
The biggest challenge was consistency. “Yatin and I started with a genuinely mad-scientist approach. Experimenting at home, tweaking formulations in the kitchen, and testing on ourselves and our friends was really fun. That phase was exciting and creative but replicating the same quality at manufacturing scale is an entirely different discipline.” Their Hair Setting Clay was a perfect example. Early versions either hardened like cement or collapsed in Delhi humidity. “It took months of refining the kaolin and bentonite ratios to land on something that delivered a clean matte finish with hold that survived the heat.” They went to manufacturers with their own formulations rather than asking what they could make. “That approach raised eyebrows. ‘This hasn’t been done before.’ ‘Show us an existing product and we’ll match it.’ We held firm.”
Dapr.’s Differentiation: Formulation Integrity, Transparency, Fit
Dapr.’s differentiation sits on three pillars. First, formulation integrity. They are water-based and non-drying. They use real essential oils rather than synthetic fragrances because they cost more but create a fundamentally better product experience. Second, transparency. “We spell out our ingredients clearly. We do not make exaggerated overnight claims. We talk to customers like they are intelligent — because they are. No gimmicks, no desperation marketing.” Third, fit. “Our products are designed for Indian hair, Indian skin, and Indian weather. That specificity matters.”
Bootstrapped Since Day One: Discipline Over Capital
Dapr. has been bootstrapped since day one — a conscious choice. “There is a discipline that comes with building without external capital. Every decision carries real consequences. You cannot afford to be sloppy with spending or direction.” As they look at the next phase — scaling awareness, exploring B2B partnerships with hotels, salons, events, and expanding into adjacent categories — they are open to conversations with the right partners. “We look for strategic alignment over just capital. A partner who understands what it takes to build a brand, not just a business.”
Performance Marketing: Precision Over Volume
Precision over volume has been the core philosophy. “In the early stages, it is tempting to go broad and burn the budget on awareness. We chose instead to target tightly men in the right age and interest cohort, in cities where the grooming conversation was already happening and then convert efficiently.” Content has been a strong retention driver. “The Dapr. Diary, our blog, was built as an education tool, not just an SEO play. We write about why certain ingredients work, how to choose between a clay and a pomade, and what the Indian climate does to your hair.” Dapr. was built on Meta ads through content and scaled via marketplaces. “We make money on every unit sold, just like a normal business.”
Roadmap: Styling, Scalp Health, Sun Care, Hygiene + B2B
The near-term roadmap has them going deeper into categories they know styling, scalp health, sun care, and hygiene. “These are real problems that Indian men face daily and that the market is still not solving well.” Beyond that, Dapr. has the potential to be a broader men’s lifestyle brand. “The ‘silent wingman’ positioning is not limited to hair and beard products. It extends to anything that helps a man show up with confidence.” On distribution, they are actively exploring B2B partnerships hotels, salons, corporate events. On digital, deepening presence and building a meaningful community is a clear priority over the next two to three years.
Long-term Vision: India’s Most Trusted Men’s Grooming Brand
The long-term vision is to be India’s most trusted men’s grooming brand. “Not the loudest. Not the most funded. The most trusted.” Trust is built slowly and can be lost quickly. “If every man who tries Dapr. feels more confident walking into a job interview, a boardroom, a first date, or a wedding, then we have done exactly what we set out to do.” On a broader level, they want to change the conversation around men’s grooming in India, making it less of a vanity category and more of a genuine self-care practice. “Dapr. wants to be that reliable constant for as many Indian men as possible.”
Interview By : Sejal Thakur
