'Karu' means 'artisan' when translated from Sanskrit. At Karu Research, the preservation of Indian handicraft is brought to the forefront through intimate collaboration with master craftspeople all around the country to create modern menswear. Karu Research is an Indian luxury brand that references India's cultural heritage. Each piece of clothing has some element of the hand in it.

Karu Research was founded by Kartik Kumra in his sophomore year of university when he travelled to different artisanal clusters around India in order to better understand the processes and the value that the artisans place on their craft.