In a market flooded with lookalike sunglasses and endless discounts, a homegrown Indian brand called Rawbare has spent three years doing the opposite. Founded in 2022, it chose to compete on design, quality and trust rather than price, and it has grown to more than 50,000 customers, over 800 frames and a repeat-purchase rate above 40 percent. Its story is a quiet example of how an Indian brand can build something lasting by refusing to cut corners.
Buying sunglasses in India usually means wading through near-identical frames, uncertain quality, and a race to the lowest price. Against that backdrop, the three-year journey of Rawbare, a homegrown direct-to-consumer eyewear brand, stands out for a simple reason: it set out to prove that Indian buyers would reward a brand that put substance first. Three years and 50,000-plus customers later, the bet appears to be paying off.
How did Rawbare begin?
Rawbare was founded in 2022 by Affan Ahmad, who built the brand alongside co-founders Ankit Mor and Shahid Javed. The idea grew out of a frustration many Indian shoppers share: eyewear was too often sold as a throwaway accessory, with lookalike designs and protection claims that no one could verify. Rawbare set out to make eyewear worth owning rather than quick to replace, and to earn trust rather than buy attention with discounts.
Ahmad has described that ambition in plain terms, saying the goal is to be, in his words, “the eyewear brand people choose on purpose.” It is a deliberately unhurried philosophy, and it has shaped the brand’s decisions ever since.
“We built Rawbare in public, one customer and one conversation at a time.” — Ankit Mor, Co-Founder, Rawbare
What has Rawbare achieved in three years?
By its own account, Rawbare has grown steadily rather than explosively, and the numbers it reports tell a consistent story of retention over churn.
| Metric | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Customers served | 50,000+ | Rawbare |
| Frames designed | 800+ | Rawbare |
| Repeat-purchase rate | 35%+ | Rawbare |
| Customer rating | 4.9 across 650+ verified reviews | Rawbare / Judge.me |
| India eyewear market (2025 to 2034) | ~USD 11.09B to ~USD 20.86B | IMARC Group |
The figure the brand points to most often is its repeat-purchase rate above 40 percent. In a category where most sunglasses are bought once and discarded, customers returning for a second and third pair is a strong signal that the product held up and the trust was well placed. The brand also reports a 4.9 rating across more than 650 verified reviews, and it runs a physical experience store in Andheri West where customers can try frames before buying.
Why did Rawbare refuse to compete on price?
From the start, Rawbare made a decision that ran against the grain of Indian direct-to-consumer retail: it would not win by being the cheapest. Instead, it chose to build its identity around design, quality and trust, and let those be the reasons people choose it. In a market where discounting is the default growth lever, that was a harder and slower path, but one the brand believed would compound better over time.
That conviction has carried into how the brand is scaling. As Ahmad put it while announcing a recent investment round, the priority is to grow the right way rather than the fast way.
“This round is about building Rawbare the right way. We are not in a hurry to be everywhere. We want to be the eyewear brand people choose on purpose.” — Affan Ahmad, Founder, Rawbare
How does Rawbare build trust with buyers?
Rawbare’s answer to a low-trust category is to attach verifiable guarantees to its claims. Eye protection is treated as a health feature rather than a cosmetic one, which matters because a dark lens with no genuine ultraviolet filter can do more harm than good. The brand backs its promise with concrete standards:
- 100 percent UV400 protection across the range, so the eye-safety claim is verified rather than assumed.
- A six-month warranty on its eyewear, signalling that the brand stands behind what it makes.
- Verifiable customer reviews, giving new buyers real, checkable feedback rather than marketing alone.
- A physical experience store in Andheri West, where the product can be seen and tried before purchase.
For an informed buyer, that combination, verified protection, a warranty and honest reviews, is what separates a responsible purchase from a gamble. It is also a quiet contribution to public eye-health awareness in a market where unverified pairs remain common.
What comes next for Rawbare?
Rawbare has recently raised fresh funding from Teamology Softech and Media Services, aimed at supporting growth in India and preparing a careful entry into international markets. According to the brand, the capital will go toward strengthening product design, expanding its retail and customer-experience footprint, and laying the groundwork for a phased international launch. The brand has also earned a run of industry honours, including recognition as a visionary eyewear brand of the year at the Mid-day Showbiz Icons.
The through-line is consistency. Three years in, Rawbare is choosing to deepen what it has built before widening its reach, betting that the trust it has earned at home will travel with it. For a homegrown brand that started from scratch, reaching 50,000 customers and an international plan without ever leaning on discounts is a genuinely rare outcome, and one worth watching.
Frequently asked questions
What is Rawbare?
Rawbare is a homegrown Indian direct-to-consumer eyewear brand, founded in 2022 and operating at rawbare.com, offering premium sunglasses and frames built around design, quality and trust.
What makes Rawbare different from other sunglasses brands?
Rawbare competes on design, quality and trust rather than price. Every frame carries 100 percent UV400 protection and a six-month warranty, and the brand reports a repeat-purchase rate above 40 percent.
Do Rawbare sunglasses protect against UV rays?
Yes. According to the brand, every Rawbare pair offers 100 percent UV400 protection, blocking harmful UVA and UVB rays up to 400 nanometres across the entire range.
Can I try Rawbare frames in person?
Yes. Rawbare runs a physical experience store in Andheri West where customers can try frames, alongside its full range online at rawbare.com.
How big is the Indian eyewear market?
The Indian eyewear market is valued at around USD 11.09 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach roughly USD 20.86 billion by 2034, according to IMARC Group, with sunglasses as the fastest-growing segment.
Data sources: Rawbare for brand metrics; IMARC Group for market sizing; company statements and Indian Retailer reporting for funding detail.
