How to Build a ₹100 Cr Perfume Brand in India | Ft. Palash Arneja (Blabliblu)

In this episode of First Principles, we sit down with Palash Arneja, founder of Blabliblu, a D2C perfume brand that scaled fast in a brutally competitive market. We break down: How Blabliblu was built from scratch The real economics of a D2C fragrance brand What worked, what failed, and what most founders get wrong Customer acquisition, branding, and early scaling decisions The mindset required to survive and grow in D2C today This isn’t a motivational story. Timestamps: 00:00:00 Why the brand is called “BLABLIBLU” 00:01:09 We build a perfume brand LIVE 00:01:36 Mass vs Luxury: where the real gap is in India 00:02:07 The ₹300–₹400 opportunity + “Oud” niche positioning 00:03:16 Dubai Oud vs Assam Oud: story, sourcing & content strategy 00:04:49 How much money you need + start small, iterate fast 00:07:32 Sourcing & manufacturing: what a 20-year-old should actually do 00:11:37 ₹400 unit economics breakdown 00:13:13 First hires: co-founder + right-hand to make the founder “free” 00:24:52 How Lovely Blue hit ₹1.5Cr+ fast 00:36:18 Building extreme customer trust (the delivery story) 00:38:28 Why customer connection can’t be copied 00:41:31 Hiring philosophy: why “9–5 mindset” doesn’t work in startups 00:43:04 Earning money vs creating wealth (core mindset shift) 00:45:54 Flat hierarchy, speed & Gen-Z work culture 00:48:22 Hire / Fire + Overrated vs Underrated (rapid round) 00:52:06 Product vs distribution, control vs capital (hard choices) 00:53:05 What to build in D2C today (instant gratification rule) 00:54:43 Big opportunity in sexual wellness & men’s insecurity markets 00:59:23 Final lessons: corporate, startup & D2C + advice for 19–20 y/o founders It’s a real, numbers-driven, decision-focused breakdown of building a consumer brand in India. If you’re building a D2C brand, thinking about launching one, or just want to understand how modern brands actually scale—this episode is for you. Aditya Agrawal ( Founder and Host ) Instagram — [   / firstprinciples.hq   ] LinkedIn — [   / adityaagrawal2025   ]