Even more than diamonds perhaps, handbags are a woman’s best friend. Loaded with wallet, mobile, cosmetics, medicines, pens, chewing gum, sunglasses — the list is endless — buying a bag off the rack usually means a trade-off between design and functionality. Ira Jhangiani and Chandni Nihalani decided to change that. They pooled their savings to set up Shwa, a handbags line that they sell online and from a single store in Bandra, Mumbai. Not just any old bag, though — every bag from the label has a “secret” — key finder, bag light, portable charger, bag holder, transparent compartment, etc., and the possibility of further customisation. With Nihalani’s expertise in marketing and product innovation and Jhangiani’s experience as a product and design researcher, the duo design the bags themselves and outsource manufacturing. Prices range from ₹ 2,000 to ₹ 3,500, and Shwa has already sold about 500 bags among its target customer group of upper middle class students and working women. The duo now plans to expand the brand’s online and offline presence. Shwa already has a tie-up with a store in Ahmedabad and is seeking alliances with big, national department stores as well as leading retailers in non-metros such as Pune, Hyderabad and Ludhiana. The secret is out of the bag.