Latest news with #SheelMohnot
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Rs 4,228 For Grocery Bag?": Indian Souvenir Bag Sold On US Site Sparks Buzz Online
An everyday cotton bag familiar to most Indian households is now being sold as a high-end "souvenir" on the US luxury retail platform Nordstrom - and it's priced at a whopping Rs 4,228 ($48). Marketed by Japanese brand Puebco, the so-called "Indian Souvenir Bag" is described as a quirky, upcycled accessory designed for travellers and those who "love Indian culture." But for Indians, the bag is instantly recognisable - the same type of cloth bag once routinely handed out at sweet shops or snack counters, usually free with purchase. The cotton tote features brightly printed Hindi phrases like "Ramesh Special Namkeen," "Anita Confectionary Works," and "Chetak Sweets" - mimicking logos seen on packaging from small businesses across India. A screenshot of the Nordstrom listing recently went viral on X, prompting amusement and disbelief. "LOL - This is the take-home bag of a snack shop in my hometown in India. For sale for $48 at Nordstrom," wrote user Sheel Mohnot. LOL - This is the take-home bag of a snack shop in my hometown in India. for sale for $48 at Nordstrom — Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) May 21, 2025 Another user joked, "If my mother didn't get it for free after buying groceries, she would give the shopkeeper an earful and threaten never to return. That's the nostalgia I have." The listing sparked conversations about how everyday Indian items are often repackaged as exotic or vintage in Western markets, with steep price tags. While some are amused, others see it as another example of cultural appropriation marketed as global fashion. "Surprised it's only $48 and not $480," a user wrote. Another user commented, "If my mother didn't get it for free after buying groceries monthly from the shop, she would give the shopkeeper an earful and threaten to never step into the shop. That's the nostalgia I have. My mother wouldn't let me enter my own house if I paid Rs 4,500/- for it. Never!" "Arbitrage opportunity! Buy for $0.50 in India, sell for $48 at Nordstrom. Might be your most profitable venture yet," the third user wrote.
NDTV
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Japanese Brand Launches "Indian Souvenir Bag" For More Than Rs 4000. Indians Cannot Believe It
From Balenciaga's chips packet bag to Louis Vuitton's sandwich bag, various types of food-inspired bags have gone viral in the past. Most of the time, these designer bags make headlines for their staggeringly high prices for a product that resembles a ubiquitous, everyday object. Recently, another bag got people talking on social media, and it especially got the attention of Indians. Japanese brand Puebco launched something called "Indian Souvenir Bag" and desis were amused to see what it actually was. Also Read: 'Carbonated Chaas' - X User's Recipe For Special 'Yoghurt Drink' Goes Viral, Indians React Photos online show that the bag looks similar to cotton jholas given by local grocery stores and sweets shops in many parts of India. These humble, structured bags are familiar to several generations of Indians and are often used for a long time. Puebco's bags have Hindi text of establishment's names like "Ramesh Special Namkeen" and "Chetak Sweets" written on them. An X post showing these bags listed on Nordstrom went viral and sparked a discussion among Indian users. As per the screenshot attached in the post, the retail price of these bags is $48 (approx Rs 4100). Here's how it is described on the site: "Take a piece of India with you wherever you go with our Souvenir Bag. This stylish bag, adorned with unique designs, is perfect for carrying your essentials while showing off your love for a beautiful country. A must-have for any traveller or lover of Indian culture." The website also notes, "Since this product is printed by hand, there may be faintness, bleeding, and printing splashing. In addition, the colour will fade due to friction or use in wet conditions, and it may move on to other things, such as clothing. Avoid contact with white or light objects." Also Read: Digital Creator Calls Chikoo 'Exotic Potato', Desis Cannot Stop Laughing X user Sheel Mohnot, who shared the post, captioned the image, "LOL - This is the take-home bag of a snack shop in my hometown in India. For sale for $48 at Nordstrom." Take a look below: LOL - This is the take-home bag of a snack shop in my hometown in India. for sale for $48 at Nordstrom — Sheel Mohnot (@pitdesi) May 21, 2025 Here's how X users reacted to the viral post: What a markup 🤣🤣🤣— Ajay Juneja (@ajayjuneja) May 21, 2025 Honestly kinda slaps, I'm tempted to give Nordstroms my $48— Bobby Goodlatte (@rsg) May 21, 2025 I'm gonna sell used dalda ghee tin box— Adnan Dawood (@adnandawood) May 21, 2025 Why does this make me angry a little bit?— Sparsh Saxena 🇮🇳⚡️ (@simplysparsh) May 21, 2025 Surprised it's only $48 and not $480— Kai | (@kaigradert) May 21, 2025 will pay extra for one with stains on the bottom hmu— goingforbrooke 🦀 (@goingforbrooke) May 21, 2025 Every mom's habit of hoarding shopping bags is going to pay off big! lol— Ankit (@_jainankit) May 21, 2025 If the bag is filled with the namkin it claims to contain, it would very well be worth $48.— Rishi Yadav (@rishiyadav) May 21, 2025 If my mother didn't get it for free after buying groceries monthly from the shop, she would give the shopkeeper an earful and threaten to never step into the shop. That's the nostalgia I have. My mother wouldn't let me enter my own house if I paid Rs 4,500/- for it. Never! It…— ABHI (@aksiiita06) May 21, 2025 Why didn't I thinks of this?! I could give new life to Haldiram's shopping bags.— Mehnaz Hyder, MD (@MehnazHyderMD) May 21, 2025 To explore more examples of food-inspired bags, click here.
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
The India-inspired bag selling for $48 on Nordstrom has desis amused: ‘My mother got it for free'
It's a bag made of cotton - the kind you would find in almost every Indian household. Emblazoned on it, in bright colours, is the name of the business that handed it out. It is the kind of bag that every Indian kid has grown up seeing, the one that would still inspire nostalgia. And now it's being sold for $48 on the American luxury retailer website Nordstrom. The 'Indian Souvenir Bag' by Japanese brand Puebco is marketed as a quirky, upcycled accessory - but for many Indians, it's simply a grocery bag they've used for years, now rebranded and sold at a luxury markup. The bag, usually available for free with a purchase in India, is sold for $48 ( ₹4,100) on Nordstrom. Designed by Puebco and retailing on Nordstrom, the Indian Souvenir Bag is described as a 'stylish bag, adorned with unique designs, is perfect for carrying your essentials while showing off your love for a beautiful country.' It is marketed as 'A must-have for any traveler or lover of Indian culture.' Made of cotton, the bag is printed with Hindi words that read: 'Ramesh Special Namkeen', 'Anita Confectionary Works', and 'Chetak Sweets'. A screenshot of the bag's listing on Nordstrom, shared on X, has amused many. 'LOL - This is the take-home bag of a snack shop in my hometown in India. For sale for $48 at Nordstrom,' wrote X user Sheel Mohnot. 'If my mother didn't get it for free after buying groceries monthly from the shop, she would give the shopkeeper an earful and threaten to never step into the shop. That's the nostalgia I have,' wrote one person in the comments section. Others dreamt up more quintessentially desi items they could repackage and sell in the west at huge markups. 'If the bag is filled with the namkin it claims to contain, it would very well be worth $48,' X user Rishi declared. 'Get 5000 of them and undercut Nordstrom,' an X user suggested.
Business Wire
06-05-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Agree.com Raises $7.2M Seed to Disrupt E-Signature with Integrated Payments for Faster Transactions
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Agree™, the all-in-one invoicing and payments platform, today announced it has raised a $7.2 million seed round led by Tyler Hogge at Pelion Venture Partners, with significant participation from Blank Ventures and notable angel investor Gokul Rajaram. The funding follows a $3 million pre-seed round led by Sheel Mohnot at Better Tomorrow Ventures (BTV), with continued participation from existing investors including BTV, 8-Bit Capital, Sophia Amoruso's Trust Fund, Hustle Fund, Everywhere Ventures, Singh Capital Partners, and Firsthand VC. With a team of veteran fintech founders, Agree is redefining e-signature — what was once just a digital handshake is now a true fintech product. Unlike legacy e-signature players, Agree is the first platform to integrate payments directly into the signing process, eliminating friction and accelerating transactions from contract to cash. For years, e-signature has been dominated by slow-moving, bloated companies that prioritize legacy systems over customer experience. As a result, businesses have been forced to navigate outdated, disjointed workflows where signing a contract and processing a payment are entirely separate steps. Agree is entering its next phase of growth to change that. After scaling from 0 to 30,000 users in six months, Agree is rapidly adding customers beyond founders and entrepreneurs to serve mid-market and enterprise teams. At the end of every deal is a transaction. Agree ensures it happens instantly. Agree launched less than a year ago with the goal of modernizing the contract-to-payment process, and its growth has been explosive. The company onboarded 1,000 users in its first 30 days, reached 10,000 users within three months, and surpassed 30,000 users within six months. It was voted as Product Hunt's Product of the Month in November. Agree's business model disrupts the industry by commoditizing e-signature — offering it for free — and instead monetizing invoicing and billing logic. 'They're solving a huge pain point for us, our portfolio companies, and just about any business that moves the majority of its revenue through contracts. We believe that everything is fintech, including e-signature,' said Sheel Mohnot of Better Tomorrow Ventures. With this new capital, Agree will expand its engineering team and continue investing in growth and product development, focusing on: More robust accounts receivable automation Enhanced multiplayer functionality Expanded AI-powered workflows Deeper integrations with accounting and CRM software 'What Divvy did for accounts payable, Agree is doing for accounts receivable. While at I saw firsthand the enormous opportunity ahead for streamlining AR automation,' said lead investor Tyler Hogge, who previously led Product at Divvy before its $2.5 billion acquisition by CEO Marty Ringlein attributes the company's rapid success to AI. 'With a team of only seven leveraging the latest AI tools, we're able to compete head-to-head with DocuSign's 7,000 employees to deliver a better, faster, and cheaper experience. The next version of DocuSign won't look anything like DocuSign.' About Agree™ Agree is a modern agreement platform that unifies e-signature, invoicing, and secure payment processing into one seamless workflow. Designed for businesses that move revenue through contracts, Agree eliminates the friction between signing and getting paid — automating everything from signature blocks to dynamic invoice creation using AI and OCR. Unlike legacy tools, Agree makes contracts fully editable, collaborative, and integrated into accounts receivable automation. Agree brings fintech speed and sophistication to slow-moving professional services workflows, transforming contracts from static PDFs into living, monetizable assets. Agree is backed by $10.2M in funding from leading investors including Pelion and Better Tomorrow Ventures. To learn more about Agree™, visit
