Ahil Khan was a teenager when he stepped into his family’s business. The venture, started by his grandfather in Delhi in the 1980s and later expanded by his father, had already built a strong manufacturing foundation. Ahil identified a big opportunity in e-commerce.
Having just finished class 12, he worked under a business vertical that his mother owned to begin selling on Flipkart. What began as an experiment soon became a serious growth engine. Ahil learned by watching relatives already selling online, sitting with their account managers, and figuring things out as he went.
The first month brought 40 to 50 orders. Then the numbers started climbing. Today, the business does ₹7 Crore to 8 Crore in annual revenue, employs close to 100 people, and operates across multiple warehouses. At 24, Ahil is not just continuing a family business—he is building its next chapter. Here is his story, in his own words.
Family Legacy Meets Gen Z Ambition
I am 24 years old, and our family business has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. My grandfather came to Delhi from Bihar in the 1980s for work. He started the business making suitcases by hand and selling them in the local market. Later, my father expanded the business into bags and backpacks, taking corporate orders and adding manufacturing over time.
COVID was a difficult time for us. We have a retail shop in Sadar Bazar, in Delhi, and amidst financial gaps and uncertainty, we needed to make decisions quickly. That was when I became more involved – I had just finished Class 12th, and there was no college in my immediate plans. I was paying attention to where business was moving since some of our relatives were already working in e-commerce. I knew online was the next move for us.
When I launched the online wing of the family business, I initially registered the account under my mother’s name. What pushed me harder was seeing how uncertainty affects a business that depends on constant demand and supply. During the pandemic, our payments got delayed, commitments remained, and the pressure kept building. I realized that employees still have to be paid, materials have to be bought, and production has to move.
Building Bigger Than What I Inherited
I did not come into this with formal business training. Whatever I learned, I did by observing, asking questions, and figuring things out in real time. I talked to relatives who were already working in the space, from the account managers they worked with, and even from YouTube. I would sit with people, understand how systems worked, and then try applying that learning myself.
When I onboarded to Flipkart, our online orders started small. In the first month, we saw around 40 to 50 orders. Then things began to move faster. Today, we average around 600 to 700 orders daily. Throughout this journey, the support from the Flipkart team has been invaluable. They guided us on what products to launch and helped us stay on top of market trends, which has played a big role in our growth.
One of the busiest times we prepare for each year is the Big Billion Days Sale (BBD). This is when our sales increase by around 4X to 5X. Our first BBD was in 2021 which was the first time I understood what growth looks like. That is how I was able to prepare for our second BBD the next year and saw an even bigger surge.
That kind of growth changes how you think. In the beginning, you focus on getting through the day, managing what comes in, and keeping things moving. But once growth becomes real, your thinking shifts. I found myself planning. I used to think about inventory, production timelines, capacity, and how to build systems that can support larger scale.
Earlier, we were working with around 15 machines. Today, between our own manufacturing and outsourced production, that number has grown to around 50 – 60 machines. The team grew too. We started with around 10 to 15 people. Today, across factory work, packing, and operations, we work with around 100 people. That growth means a lot to me.
For me, scaling has never been only about numbers. It means increasing capacity and building something that can support more people than it once did. Today, we manufacture backpacks, laptop bags, and school bags. We also manufacture for larger brands while continuing to grow our own business. To improve reach, we now operate through warehouses in Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Maharashtra.
In this journey, some moments stayed with me. In 2022, I attended a Flipkart event in Delhi and received the ‘Flipstar’ runner-up recognition. Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor handed over the award to me and it was a proud moment. It made me think about what more was possible.
Today, the business does around ₹7 to 8 crores annually. And honestly, when I think about that, it spurs me on even more.
As the Business Grew, So Did My Ambition
The business my grandfather started evolved once under my father. I want to take it much further. That is how I think about growth now – not as maintaining what exists, but as constantly asking what comes next. My next focus is electronics. Watches, earbuds, smart bands – these are categories I want to explore seriously.
I have bought a house as well as a car I wanted. But the moment that stayed with me most happened during a solo road trip. At a checkpoint, officials asked about the car’s registration in my name. When I explained that I owned a company, one of them looked surprised and said, “At this age, boys roam around, play in the streets. You are running a company!”
I feel so lucky that my father and grandfather had a business I could learn from and grow. I enjoy pushing harder. And I also know exactly how much work goes into building something that lasts. Outside work, I spend most of my time playing cricket with my family and friends.
