Who is IKIRU? Indore-based startup behind BRICS gifting order completed in 48 hours

New business data points to the fact that The gifting moments at the 2026 BRICS Summit in New Delhi drew attention on social media, but behind some of the pieces was a relatively lesser-known home décor business from Indore.

IKIRU, a curated furniture and home décor marketplace founded by Alishha Chouhan, shared in a LinkedIn post that some pieces curated through its platform were selected for gifting at the BRICS Summit. The firm stated the assignment involved customisation, coordination with manufacturers, sampling and express shipping, all completed within 48 hours.

The 18th BRICS Summit was held in New Delhi on September 12-13, bringing together leaders and senior representatives from the expanded BRICS grouping. The summit was additionally accompanied by a series of ceremonial and cultural exchanges, including gifts presented to attendees and visiting leaders.

Alishha Chouhan shared the development in a LinkedIn post, saying IKIRU received a customisation requirement and had to coordinate with its manufacturing partners overnight before getting samples ready and shipping the final pieces.

The founder credited the firm's manufacturing partners and internal team for handling the coordination within the tight deadline.

For a home décor marketplace, the episode is notable less for the visibility associated with the summit and more for the supply-chain challenge involved. Unlike a conventional retailer that stocks finished products, a marketplace working with multiple artisans and manufacturers has to coordinate design specifications, production, sampling and logistics across different parties.

In this case, the firm stated that the entire chain was compressed into two days.

Founded in 2021, IKIRU operates from Indore and focuses on furniture and home décor sourced through a network of Indian artisans and manufacturers.

More recently, the firm has stated its network has expanded to 300-plus artisan and manufacturing partners, while its catalogue has grown to more than 10,000 SKUs across furniture, lighting, décor, kitchenware and textiles.

The business follows a marketplace-led model rather than manufacturing every product itself. This makes its role in the BRICS assignment particularly relevant: the firm was required to act as the coordination layer between the client requirement and its network of manufacturing partners.