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CaratLane

Founders

Who Founded CaratLane?

Mithun Sacheti, Srinivasa Gopalan · Founded 2008 · HQ today: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

Who founded CaratLane?

CaratLane was founded by Mithun Sacheti, Srinivasa Gopalan in 2008. It is now led by Saumen Bhaumik.

Founders
Mithun Sacheti, Srinivasa Gopalan
Founded
2008
Headquarters
Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
Number of founders
2
Current CEO
Saumen Bhaumik (since 2024)
Where was CaratLane founded?
CaratLane was founded in Chennai, India in 2008.
When was CaratLane founded?
CaratLane was founded in 2008.
Who started CaratLane?
CaratLane was founded by Mithun Sacheti and Srinivasa Gopalan.
How old is CaratLane?
CaratLane is 18 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Mithun Sacheti grew up in a jewelry family, Jaipur Gems. He saw that traditional jewelers designed mostly heavy, expensive pieces for weddings, with little that a young working woman could afford to buy for herself. In 2008 he joined Srinivasa Gopalan, who came from IT, to launch CaratLane online without a showroom. They aimed to cut retail markups and sell modern, lightweight diamond jewelry to India's growing middle class.

Background

Mithun Sacheti was born into a family with a deep, generational legacy in the jewelry business, as his family owned the renowned Jaipur Gems. He expanded his inherent industry knowledge by studying at the prestigious Gemological Institute of America (GIA) in California. However, rather than simply joining the traditional family business, Sacheti observed a large gap in the Indian jewelry market: while legacy jewelers catered exclusively to heavy, expensive bridal wear, modern working women wanted lightweight, contemporary, and affordable everyday jewelry.

Role at CaratLane

Mithun Sacheti co-founded CaratLane in 2008 alongside IT entrepreneur Srinivasa Gopalan, with the radical vision of selling fine jewelry online in India, a concept many industry veterans deemed impossible due to the high-trust nature of the category. Sacheti combined his deep gemological expertise with an asset-light e-commerce model, significantly reducing the large inventory and real estate costs associated with traditional retail. He pioneered industry-first innovations like 3D virtual try-ons and a 'Try at Home' service, successfully building consumer trust in online jewelry purchases. Recognizing the need for an omnichannel presence, Sacheti eventually expanded CaratLane into physical retail stores to complement the digital experience. His innovative approach caught the attention of the Tata Group, leading to a strategic partnership with Titan Company, which ultimately acquired CaratLane, cementing Sacheti's legacy as the entrepreneur who successfully modernized and digitized the Indian jewelry sector. Mithun Sacheti was born in 1978.

Srinivasa Gopalan

Co-founder 2008

Background

A technology entrepreneur, Gopalan had previously run Lister Technologies and worked at Sify Technologies before co-founding CaratLane.

Role at CaratLane

Srinivasa Gopalan co-founded CaratLane with Mithun Sacheti in 2008 and was responsible for building its early e-commerce platform, catalog and fulfillment systems, which let the company sell certified diamond jewelry online in India before most shoppers trusted the idea. (Exact birth year remains publicly undisclosed).

CaratLane: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Saumen Bhaumik

Managing Director

2024 – Present

A long-time Titan executive who previously led the group's eyecare business.

Avnish Anand

Co-founder & CEO

2023 – 2024

Joined CaratLane in 2008, returned in 2015 as head of product, and was named co-founder in 2016 and COO in 2021.

Mithun Sacheti

Founder & Managing Director

2008 – 2023

A certified gemologist from a traditional jewelry family, Sacheti disrupted India's fragmented gold jewelry industry by introducing accessible, lightweight daily-wear diamond designs.

Keep researching CaratLane

Who Founded CaratLane? FAQ

Who founded CaratLane and in what year was the company started?

CaratLane was founded in October 2008 by Mithun Sacheti and Srinivasa Gopalan in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India, with the mission of making certified diamond jewelry accessible, affordable, and transparently priced online.

What was Mithun Sacheti's background before creating CaratLane?

Mithun Sacheti is a certified gemologist from the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) whose family established Jaipur Gems, a prestigious traditional Indian luxury jewelry house. Sacheti identified an unmet consumer demand for lightweight, transparently priced diamond jewelry among working women.

Who was co-founder Srinivasa Gopalan and what was his contribution?

Srinivasa Gopalan, a seasoned IT entrepreneur and founder of software firm Lister Technologies, co-founded CaratLane to build the proprietary technology architecture, e-commerce backend, and ERP systems required for online diamond retailing.

What early challenges did the founders face when selling diamonds online in India in 2008?

In 2008, Indian consumers were deeply accustomed to touching jewelry physically before buying and distrusted online diamond certifications. The founders overcame this by introducing 30-day no-questions-asked returns, independent GIA/IGI diamond certifications, and cash-on-delivery.

When did Tiger Global invest in CaratLane and what was its impact?

Tiger Global invested $6 million in Series A funding in CaratLane in 2011, followed by additional rounds totaling over $50 million through 2015, providing the growth capital needed to scale brand advertising, inventory, and physical store expansion.

How did the founders broker the strategic partnership with Titan in 2016?

In 2016, Mithun Sacheti negotiated a strategic deal where Titan Company acquired Tiger Global's 62% stake in CaratLane for ~$41.4 million (357 crore rupees), creating an alliance that combined CaratLane's digital agility with Tata's manufacturing prowess and brand trust.

Where did Mithun Sacheti invest his capital after his multi-hundred-million-dollar exit?

Following his 4,621 crore rupee exit in 2023, Mithun Sacheti established a prominent family office and venture investment vehicle, backing Indian consumer startups, venture debt funds, and emerging technology innovators.

What lasting impact did CaratLane's founders have on the Indian jewelry industry?

CaratLane's founders transformed Indian jewelry by democratizing diamond purchases, proving the viability of online fine jewelry sales, inventing the modern omnichannel jewelry model, and shifting consumer habits toward lightweight daily wear.

Who founded CaratLane?

It was founded by Mithun Sacheti, whose family already owned a legacy jewelry business (Jaipur Gems), and Srinivasa Gopalan, an IT entrepreneur who provided the technical architecture for the website.

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