India’s eyewear market has traditionally been divided between inexpensive, largely unorganised options and premium international labels. QUE Universe wants to build its business in the space between the two, combining fashion-led designs with accessible pricing. Backed by former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan, the Noida-based brand is now targeting ₹100 crore in revenue and a consumer community of one million within the next two years.
Founded by Shashank Saurabh, Abhishek Deep and Kumar Vagish, QUE Universe launched in June 2024, with Dhawan joining as an investor, partner and brand ambassador. The company is now looking beyond its initial digital-first model, with plans to develop an omnichannel presence in India and explore international markets, beginning with the UAE.
The ambition represents a significant scale-up for a brand that reported ₹2.18 crore in revenue during its first full year of operations and is currently operating at a monthly net revenue run rate of approximately ₹1 crore, according to the company.
Building A Fashion-First Eyewear Brand
QUE Universe is positioning itself as more than another online sunglasses retailer. Its strategy centres on making eyewear a fashion and lifestyle purchase, with an emphasis on distinctive designs, frame silhouettes, materials and colours.
The brand currently offers more than 150 styles, with sunglasses forming the core of its portfolio. It has sold over 50,000 pairs and built a consumer community of more than 100,000, according to the company.
Dhawan’s association also gives the brand an opportunity to build visibility beyond conventional digital advertising. His involvement extends beyond celebrity endorsement, with the former cricketer participating as an investor and partner.
The broader market offers room for such positioning. India’s eyewear market is increasingly moving towards organised and branded retail, with consumers showing greater interest in product variety, design, quality and transparent pricing. Redseer’s industry research estimates that organised channels accounted for approximately 24% of India’s eyewear market in FY25 and could reach 31% by FY30.
For emerging brands, this shift creates an opportunity to build recognition through digital discovery before expanding into physical retail.
From Digital-First To Omnichannel Expansion
QUE currently sells through its own website and marketplaces such as Amazon and Myntra. However, the company believes eyewear is a category where physical interaction can influence purchasing decisions.
Consumers often want to understand how a frame fits their face, complements their appearance and feels before making a purchase. This makes selective offline retail an important part of QUE’s longer-term distribution strategy.
The company is evaluating opportunities in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune. Rather than rapidly building a large store network, it intends to explore retail formats that strengthen the customer experience.
Internationally, the UAE is its first priority. The brand plans to test demand through digital channels before considering wider distribution and physical retail opportunities in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
The ₹100 Crore Roadmap
QUE’s immediate challenge is turning its current revenue momentum into a substantially larger and more sustainable business.
The company has reported positive contribution margins at the CM2 level, while its next financial priority is to strengthen unit economics and move towards improved profitability.
Its growth strategy rests on several operating priorities: improving sourcing efficiencies and gross margins, increasing average order value through product collections and bundles, improving marketing efficiency, reducing return-to-origin costs and strengthening repeat purchases.
The brand is also exploring category extensions within eyewear to increase its product offering and create more opportunities for existing customers to return.
Over the next two years, QUE aims to grow its consumer community from more than 100,000 to over one million while crossing ₹100 crore in revenue.
The target is ambitious, particularly given its current monthly revenue run rate of around ₹1 crore. Achieving it will require substantial growth in customer acquisition, repeat purchases, distribution and brand recognition.
For QUE Universe, the next phase is therefore about building more than a successful online sunglasses business. It is about establishing an Indian fashion eyewear brand that can compete across digital marketplaces, physical retail and international markets.
Whether it reaches its ₹100 crore ambition will depend on how effectively it converts its early consumer traction into a recognisable brand, stronger unit economics and a scalable distribution network.
Sources: IndiaRetailing (founder interview), QUE Universe’s official website, Moneycontrol and Redseer industry research.
