{"id":1901,"date":"2026-05-14T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T03:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/a-passion-but-also-a-gamble-why-indias-gen-z-are-cashing-in-on-the-trend-for-secondhand-fashion-global-development\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T04:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T03:00:00","slug":"a-passion-but-also-a-gamble-why-indias-gen-z-are-cashing-in-on-the-trend-for-secondhand-fashion-global-development","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/a-passion-but-also-a-gamble-why-indias-gen-z-are-cashing-in-on-the-trend-for-secondhand-fashion-global-development\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018A passion, but also a gamble\u2019: why India\u2019s gen Z are cashing in on the trend for secondhand fashion | Global development"},"content":{"rendered":"


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T<\/span>he work begins at sunrise, ahead of her first Instagram post. Astha Chhetri starts the day on her phone, combing through supplier lists, checking shipment updates and preparing stock for her online store.<\/p>\n

The evenings find Chhetri, 26, with her mobile still in hand, photographing and posting reels of clothes for sale and replying to customer messages.<\/p>\n

What started as a side hustle while she was working in a poorly paid call centre role has become her full-time job.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was not enjoying my job, neither mentally nor financially,\u201d Chhetri says. \u201cI wanted to build something of my own.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Astha Chhetri, inside her New Delhi clothing store. What started as a side hustle has become her full-time job.<\/span> Photograph: Sajad Hameed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From Instagram sales to street markets, students and younger people facing a shrinking job market are fighting back by following the trend for vintage and secondhand fashion to make a living in India\u2019s booming informal economy.<\/p>\n

India\u2019s secondhand clothing market is worth an estimated<\/a> \u20b933,000 crore (\u00a32.5bn) annually. Most buyers are students or younger professionals looking for distinctive, affordable fashion.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love browsing Instagram for unique hoodies and tees,\u201d says Ananya Khan, 21, a college student in Delhi. \u201cI usually spend \u20b9800-\u20b91,500 per item.\u201d<\/p>\n

The boom is shaped by the rising cost of living as well as high unemployment<\/a> rates among India\u2019s digitally-savvy youth. In 2025, about 10% of people aged 15\u201329 were out of work, according to the Periodic Labour Force Survey<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Filling this gap, thrift resale offers what formal employment often cannot: low start-up costs, flexible hours and immediate cashflow.<\/p>\n

<\/svg><\/span>Street markets such as this one are at the centre of the thrift economy, as they are where many resellers source their stock, build contacts and learn the trade.<\/span> Photograph: Sajjad Hussain\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For Vishu Roy, 22, who runs a thrift store near Sarojini Nagar market in south Delhi, his business began almost accidentally.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started with just \u20b95,000-\u20b910,000 in savings from part-time work and family help,\u201d he says. \u201cI saw people buying old clothes in markets and realised they could be resold. Now, it is my main income.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roy began online but later opened a small store. He spends six to seven hours a day managing his social media accounts, posting reels on Instagram and WhatsApp, replying to messages and tracking orders.<\/p>\n