Startup Originals Team
From Making 600 Hawai Slippers a Day to Building a ₹2,100 Crore Footwear Empire
What began as a modest manufacturing effort in Kerala has grown into one of India’s largest homegrown footwear success stories. VKC Group, founded by VKC Mammed Koya, transformed from a small rubber-based operation into a ₹2,100 crore enterprise, powered by innovation, persistence, and deep understanding of the Indian mass market.
Humble Origins in Kerala
VKC Group’s journey started far away from branding and celebrity endorsements. In its early days, the business focused on supplying raw materials to matchstick factories. However, by the early 1980s, intense competition and shrinking margins forced a rethink.
In 1984, VKC Mammed Koya made a decisive shift into manufacturing Hawai chappals, simple rubber slippers designed for everyday use. Production began at a modest scale of around 600 pairs a day, laying the foundation for what would later become VKC Footwear.
Technology as a Turning Point
The company’s growth gained momentum when the founder’s son, VKC Noushad, joined the business. With academic expertise in polymers and materials, Noushad modernised VKC’s manufacturing approach.
During the 1990s, VKC adopted virgin PVC and microcellular polymer technology from Taiwan, significantly improving product quality. A major breakthrough came in 2003 with the launch of EVA-injected soles, making VKC footwear lighter, more flexible, and more durable—an inflection point that helped the brand stand out in a highly competitive market.
Building Distribution the Hard Way
Expansion beyond Kerala did not happen overnight. The VKC team personally travelled across Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states, meeting retailers one by one to build trust and distribution. This ground-up approach helped VKC establish a strong retail presence without relying heavily on intermediaries.
Over time, this strategy created deep-rooted relationships with sellers and ensured consistent market penetration, especially in South India.
Scaling Into a National Powerhouse
Today, VKC Group operates under two divisions led by VKC Noushad and VKC Abdul Razak. The group manages 14 footwear brands, with Walkaroo emerging as its top-selling label.
From revenues of ₹50 crore in 2005, VKC crossed ₹2,100 crore by 2021. The group now runs 20+ manufacturing units across 8 Indian states, with a daily production capacity exceeding 5.5 lakh pairs of footwear.
While around 70% of sales still come from South India, the brand’s footprint is expanding rapidly across the rest of the country.
Branding, Celebrities, and the Next Phase
To strengthen national visibility, VKC embraced large-scale branding, signing celebrity ambassadors such as Rohit Sharma, Aamir Khan, and Amitabh Bachchan.
Backed by a distribution network of 550 distributors and 1.5 lakh retail points, VKC is now focusing on e-commerce expansion and global markets, while continuing to serve value-conscious Indian consumers.
A Story Built on Scale and Substance
The VKC story is not about luxury footwear or fleeting trends. It is about mass manufacturing done right, relentless focus on materials and technology, and deep-rooted distribution strength.
From making 600 Hawai slippers a day to producing over half a million pairs daily, VKC Group stands as a powerful example of how Indian manufacturing, when combined with innovation and discipline, can build brands that last for generations.
