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DroneAcharya’s Company Secretary & Compliance Officer Resigns

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DroneAcharya Shares Rally 7% Intraday After Startup Secures Contract From Indian Army

Harshal J. Kher, the company secretary and compliance officer of drone tech major DroneAcharya, has resigned from his position. 

In an exchange filing, the company said that Kher’s resignation will be effective from January 31, 2025.

“We wish to inform you that Mr. Harshal J. Kher, company secretary & compliance officer of the company has tendered his resignation from the position of company secretary & compliance officer to be effective from the closing hours of Friday, January 31, 2025,” the filing said. 

(The story will be updated soon.)

The post DroneAcharya’s Company Secretary & Compliance Officer Resigns appeared first on Inc42 Media.


Drone Tech Startup BonV Aero Bags Funding From Unicorn India

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Drone Tech Startup BonV Aero Bags Funding From Unicorn India

Drone tech startup BonV Aero has raised INR 10 Cr in its extended pre-Series A round from Unicorn Indian Ventures.

This comes almost six months after the Odisha-based startup raised funding from notable venture capitalist Tim Draper in its pre-Series A round.

The startup plans to use the fresh capital to scale its research and development efforts and expand the payload capabilities of its aerial mobility products.

Founded in 2021 by Satyabrata Satapathy, Abinash Sahoo, Rahul Kumar, Gaurav Achha and Sultan Alam, BonV Aero designs aerial mobility platforms and offers logistics drone solutions for carrying heavy payloads. It counts the Indian Army as its client.

Cofounder & CEO Satapathy told Inc42 that the startup is likely to raise additional funding from notable investors and the pre-Series A round is expected to close at around INR 30 Cr.

(The story will be updated soon.)

The post Drone Tech Startup BonV Aero Bags Funding From Unicorn India appeared first on Inc42 Media.

SastaSundar’s Partnership With Flipkart Over

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How The Changing Regulatory Landscape Will Shape The Future Of E-Pharmacy Startups

SastaSundar Ventures, which operates health-focussed digital platforms, has said that its partnership with ecommerce giant Flipkart is over now.

SastaSundar Healthbuddy, which is a subsidiary of SastaSundar Ventures, reclaimed the brand’s intellectual property rights (IPR), along with non-compete rights, from Flipkart Health+ via its newly formed subsidiary SastaSundar Healthtech, SastaSundar’s founder and executive chairman B L Mittal told news agency PTI.  

Notably, Flipkart’s subsidiary Flipkart Health had acquired a 75% stake in SastaSundar Healthbuddy in 2021. 

In October 2024, SastaSundar Ventures informed the exchanges that SastaSundar Healthbuddy had entered into a share purchase agreement to sell its entire stake in Flipkart Health Limited to Flipkart Health Private Limited, Singapore. 

The transaction included sale of equity shares as well as preference shares. “The total consideration of INR 97.17 Cr will be received by SastaSundar Healthbuddy Limited, a material subsidiary of the company,” the filing added.

Mittal said that the company had sold the 75% stake in SastaSundar Marketplace for INR 750 Cr to Flipkart in 2021. 

In October 2024, the company said in an investor presentation that it was planning to invest about INR 115 Cr in the next three years in “technology and brand building” and was expecting the brand to be profitable. 

Notably, SastaSundar Ventures operates two digital platforms – SastaSundar App, a B2C platform which provides pharmacy, diagnostics, and wellness services, and RetailerShakti, a B2B platform for pharmaceutical and wellness product distribution. 

Meanwhile, Flipkart Health is an online pharmacy platform where users can buy medicines, healthcare products, and wellness items. It was launched in 2022 after Flipkart’s SastaSundar acquisition. 

The development comes barely a month after reports surfaced that Flipkart was gearing up to launch a 10-minute medicine delivery service under its quick commerce brand “Minutes”. At the time, it was reported that the ecommerce juggernaut had already started onboarding local pharmacies in metro areas to deliver medicines. 

Notably, Flipkart is not alone in experimenting with 10-minute medicine delivery service. In October last year, foodtech giant Swiggy, in partnership with epharmacy giant PharmEasy, began piloting a service to deliver medicines in 10 minutes in parts of Bengaluru. 

Then, there is Tata-backed BigBasket, which too is looking to capitalise on this whitespace by leveraging its sister brand Tata 1mg to offer quick medicine deliveries. Not just this, Plazza, which was founded in November 2024, too has emerged as a budding player in the quick medicine delivery space, even though it is currently limited to a single location in Bengaluru.

The post SastaSundar’s Partnership With Flipkart Over appeared first on Inc42 Media.

Inside IndiaAI Mission’s Plan To Build Indigenous AI Model

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The launch of its latest reasoning models, DeepSeek-R1 and DeepSeek-R1-Zero, by Chinese AI company DeepSeek, earlier this month, upended the AI ecosystem globally. It also put a question mark on OpenAI’s arguable leadership in the space.

Without relying heavily on high-end graphics processing units (GPUs), DeepSeek managed to surpass existing closed source models on all key benchmarks. While the Chinese company managed to achieve this feat in just $6 Mn, OpenAI spent $100 Mn over the years to build its AI model GPT-4.

Back home in India, the emergence of DeepSeek raised curiosity, ignited hopes that India can also build such models, and led to a debate on the need to have domestic foundation models. Amid all these, Union IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that India would host DeepSeek on local servers. Along with this, the minister also announced that India would build its own large language model (LLM)

Not long after, Centre’s flagship IndiaAI Mission floated a proposal inviting applications from Indian startups, researchers, and entrepreneurs to collaborate on building foundational AI models trained on Indian datasets.

“This initiative aims to establish indigenous AI models that align with global standards while addressing unique challenges and opportunities within the Indian context,” reads the proposal.

However, what is interesting about the proposal is that the Centre will offer both direct as well as equity-based funding for the selected entity(s) that will undertake this mammoth task. 

At the outset, under the direct funding route, the IndiaAI Mission will offer “milestone-based disbursements” in the form of a direct grant and compute credits for AI Compute. Thereafter, IndiaAI Mission may also infuse further funding into the selected entity(s) by “take equity through mechanisms that will be finalised through mutual consent and agreement”.

That said, the proposal outlines several key objectives for the potential state-backed LLM:

  • The foundational model should be trained on diverse and representative Indian datasets
  • The LLM should demonstrate capabilities to address India-specific challenges and opportunities across sectors
  • It should also support creative and scalable use cases with measurable societal and economic impact
  • The potential AI model should also incorporate mechanisms for bias mitigation, fairness, and ethical AI principles

The intellectual property (IP) for the envisioned AI model will remain with the developer entity(s). However, there will be a provision of a perpetual licence for use by the government for public use.

How Will The Project Be Evaluated?

As per the proposal floated by the IndiaAI Mission, the submitted applications for building LLMs will be shortlisted on multiple factors, including innovativeness of the approach, scalability and sustainability, financial viability, ethical considerations, among others. 

Besides, the Centre will also select applicants based on the capability of the teams, feasibility and impact of the proposed applications.

As per a blog post on IndiaAI website, the submitted proposals will be reviewed by a panel of experts and then the shortlisted applicants will be invited for a detailed presentation. 

This follows IT minister Vaishnaw saying that the government has also selected 10 companies to supply 18,693 GPUs. This AI compute is also expected to be available to the startups that set out to develop an indigenously-built LLM.

While it remains to be seen whether the potential foundational AI model sees the light of the day, hopes hinge on the frugality, innovativeness and talent pool of India’s startup ecosystem. 

The post Inside IndiaAI Mission’s Plan To Build Indigenous AI Model appeared first on Inc42 Media.

119 D2C Brands That Are Disrupting India’s Consumer Market

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D2C Brands

The rise of direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands in India in the past decade has transformed how consumers shop and engage with products. From a more personalised shopping experience to a wide gamut of offerings, the D2C ecosystem in India has not just created a new wave of entrepreneurs but also democratised access to quality products.

Be it Mamaearth, which has gone on to list on the stock exchanges, to IPO-bound Lenskart, India’s D2C ecosystem has truly come of age in the past ten years. And, there is much at stake here. 

As per Inc42, India’s D2C space is projected to become a $300 Bn market opportunity by 2030 on the back of continued innovation and the emergence of new players across diverse categories. So, what is driving this D2C boom?

It has largely to do with the increasing internet penetration and smartphone usage in the country, which has created a new paradigm for digital-first companies to reach their customers and tap into the growing demand for innovation. 

On the other hand, India’s growing band of 190 Mn digital shoppers want convenience and niche products, which satiate their changing preferences. Today’s customer is increasingly inclined towards brands that offer transparency, sustainability and unique value propositions, and D2C brands are positioned exactly to offer that. 

As the landscape matures, the Indian D2C ecosystem has seen the emergence of new India-specific models like quick commerce and the potential enormous opportunity that GenAI could bring to the table.

We, at Inc42, have kept a hawk’s eye on the rise of India’s D2C for the past decade, be it through our FAST42 initiatives or the D2C summits. It is in this spirit that we now bring to you the list of top trailblazers in the country’s D2C that have not only set benchmarks for excellence and innovation, but also exude the spirit of entrepreneurship.

So, without further ado, here is the list of top startups disrupting India’s D2C landscape:

The list is not meant to be a ranking of any kind. We have listed the Indian D2C startups in alphabetical order.

1. 82°E 

82°E was founded in 2021 by Bollywood Actress Deepika Padukone and venture capitalist Jigar Shah. The company is a D2C personal care brand that sells products such as moisturisers, face oil, cleanser and sunscreen, among others.

In December 2022, the startup secured $7.5 Mn in seed funding from DSG Consumer Partners, IDEO Ventures, Padukone’s family office, and ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNIs). 

The direct competitors of 82°E include premium D2C skincare brands such as Forest Essentials, Mamaearth, Minimalist, and Plum Goodness, among others. 

2. Alphavedic

Founded in 2019 By Shrey Jain and Shruti Khare, Alphavedic is a bootstrapped D2C startup that sells Ayurvedic beauty and personal care products. With 24 stock keeping units (SKUs) in its kitty, the startup sells haircare products, shampoos, conditioners, lip balms, creams, among other products. 

Alphavedic sells its products through its websites and ecommerce platforms such as Amazon, Nykaa, and Flipkart. Additionally it also retails its products through 40 offline chains in India.

Alphavedic competes with the likes of The Ayurveda Company (TAC), Kapiva, Pahadi Local, among others.

3. Anveya Living

Founded in 2018 by serial entrepreneur Saurav Patnaik and former FirstCry executive Vivek Singh, Anveya Living sells sustainable hair and skin care products.

The D2C brand has raised more than $6.57 Mn in funding to date. In June 2024, Ananta Capital, acquired a 55% stake in Anveya Living for an undisclosed amount. 

As per data available on Tofler, the startup clocked a revenue of about INR 46.1 Cr in FY23 against a net loss of INR 7.5 Cr. 

Anveya Living competes with the likes of PurePlay Skin Sciences, Auli Lifestyle, Zeme Fresh, among others.

4. Arata

Founded in 2017 by Dhruv Madhok and Dhruv Bhasin, Arata’s first-ever product, a homemade hair gel, came to being after Bhasin made the chemical-free hair gel to style Madhok’s wedding look.

Two years later, the D2C brand’s first product was sold on its website and the company took shape. The startup derives its name from the Japanese word ‘Arata’, which means ‘fresh and new.’  

Targeting the chemical-free beauty and skincare segment, Arata sells products such as hair gels, hair creams, shampoos, conditioners, toothpaste, face wash and serums. It claims to have over 80 SKUs across 12 categories.

The D2C brand procures ingredients globally and locally from certified organic farms, which are developed into finished products after extensive research and development (R&D). The startup claims to offer zero-chemical and toxic-free personal care products that use only recycled plastic for packaging as part of its sustainability promise.

Arata has raised nearly $8.79 Mn in funding so far and is backed by the likes of Unilever Ventures, BOLD, DSG Consumer Partners, Beeline Impex, among others. 

5. Atomberg

Founded in 2012 by Manoj Meena and Sibabrata Das, Atomberg manufactures energy-efficient fans and allied equipment, along with mixer grinders. Its product portfolio includes pedestal, wall and ceiling fans, exhaust fans, smart locks, and IoT-enabled appliances.

The startup has raised nearly $127 Mn in funding to date and is backed by the likes of A91 Partners, Survam Partners, Trifecta Capital, and Whiteboard Capital Fund, Temasek, Steadview Capital, among others.

In FY24, Atomberg reported a revenue of INR 848 Cr, up 31.5% growth from INR 645 Cr in FY23. 

6. Bacca Bucci

Much buzzwords like sneakers and running shoes took over the Indian footwear industry, the duo of Anuj Nevatia and Natwar Agrawal were working quietly on creating a niche in the ecosystem. 

For Nevatia, the decision to focus on footwear was primarily driven by factors such as business seasonality, the organized nature of the market, and the timeless demand for shoes, which laid the groundwork for the inception of Bacca Bucci, a direct-to-consumer (D2C) footwear brand established in 2013.

The bootstrapped startup leverages artificial intelligence (AI) in its backend processes for shoe manufacturing. Beyond footwear, the platform also offers a range of complementary products, including belts, wallets, and toiletry bags.

Presently, Bacca Bucci markets its products through its official website and various ecommerce platforms. 

7. Beco

Founded in 2019 by Aditya Ruia, Akshay Varma, and Anuj Ruia, Beco is a sustainable kitchen, home, and personal care brand. It sells biodegradable and combustible products such as tissue rolls, bamboo facial tissues, dishwashing liquid, toothbrushes, and garbage bags.

In total, the startup has raised more than $13 Mn in funding so far and counts names such as Titan Capital Winners Fund, Rukam Capital, and Synergy Capital as backers.

It sells its offerings through both online as well as offline channels. The D2C brand competes with the likes of BAM, Mush, The Cheeky Panda among others

8. Bewakoof

Founded in 2012 by Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot, Bewakoof sells a wide variety of clothes, stationery items, footwear and mobile accessories on its website. 

The D2C brand also sells merchandised clothing and accessories in partnership with Marvel, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Star Wars, Disney, DC and Looney Tunes.

Bewakoof has raised $39.5 Mn in funding to date and is backed by names such as Investcorp, IvyCap Ventures, Klub, among others.

In December 2022, Aditya Birla Group’s house of brands TMRW acquired an 81.77% stake in Bewakoof for INR 200 Cr. 

Bewakoof competes with homegrown D2C giants such as The Souled Store and Beyoung among others. 

9. Beyoung

Founded in 2018 by Shivam Soni, Shivani Soni, Sakshi Soni, and Shankar Mali, Beyoung is a D2C apparel startup that manufactures and sells fashion wear through its app, website and ecommerce platforms.

The Udaipur-based startup has so far raised more than INR 40 Cr in funding from Klub and the Royal Office of Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoon Bin Saeed Bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan.

Beyoung competes with other D2C fashion brands such as The Souled Store and Bewakoof.

10. BlissClub

Set up in 2020 by Minu Margeret, BlissClub sells a range of women’s activewear including bottom wear, sports bras, tops, tees and co-ords, among others. 

The company has raised a total funding of $17.25 Mn to date and is backed by names such as Eight Roads Ventures, Elevation Capital, Swiggy’ Sriharsha Majety, Mamaearth’s Ghazal Alagh, Licious’ Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta, among others.

In FY23, BlissClub reported a revenue of INR 68 Cr, a significant increase from INR 15 Cr in FY22. However, the company’s net loss also widened to INR 36 Cr in FY23 from INR 9 Cr in the previous fiscal year.

BlissClub’s competitors include HRX, Freecultr, and Reebok. 

11. BlueStone

Set up in 2011 by Gaurav Singh Kushwaha and Vidya Nataraj, BlueStone is an omnichannel jewellery platform that sells rings, pendants and other allied products. 

BlueStone has raised more than $255 Mn in funding, via debt and equity, so far from the likes of Prosus, Accel, Kalaari Capital, Iron Pillar, IvyCap Ventures, Saama Capital, among others.

For the fiscal year 2023-24 (FY24), BlueStone reported an operating revenue of INR 1,265.8 Cr ($155 Mn), a 65% increase from INR 770.7 Cr in the previous fiscal. Meanwhile, it managed to trim its losses by 15% YoY to INR 142.2 Cr in FY24. 

In December 2024, BlueStone filed its draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) with market regulator SEBI for an initial public offering (IPO) worth more than INR 1000 Cr ($117.8 Mn). Existing shareholders like Accel and Kalaari Capital plan to offload part of their stakes via offer for sale. 

BlueStone’s primary competitors include CaratLane, GIVA, Candere, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, and Kalyan Jewellers.

12. boAt 

Launched in 2016 by Aman Gupta and Sameer Mehta, boAt is a D2C brand that manufactures a host of audio products such as earphones, headphones and speakers, among others. It retails these products on its website and ecommerce marketplaces. 

boAt has raised nearly $176 Mn over nine funding rounds from 12 investors, including Warburg Pincus and Qualcomm Ventures. Its cap table also includes InnoVen Capital, Qualcomm Ventures and Fireside Ventures, among others. 

In FY24, boAt’s revenue declined by 5% to INR 3,122 Cr from INR 3,285 Cr in FY23. Despite the decline in revenue, the company managed to reduce its losses by 47%, bringing them down to INR 53.5 Cr in FY24 from INR 101 Cr in FY23.

13. Bold Care

Founded in 2020 by Rajat Jadhav, Rahul Krishnan, Harsh Singh, and Mohit Yadav, Bold Care is an end-to-end men’s health and wellness platform that centres around sexual health, hair care and daily nutrition. 

It sells sexual wellness kits, hair care packs, and natural supplements to boost immunity, sleep, haircare, and sexual health. In October 2024, the company expanded into the women’s wellness segment with the launch of a new brand called Bloom, aiming to diversify its product offerings and reach a broader customer base. 

Incubated by Huddle, the D2C brand has so far raised nearly $6.7 Mn in funding to date. Bold Care is also backed by names such as Sharrp Ventures, Anthill Ventures, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs and Shiprocket, NB Ventures, among others. 

14. BoldFit 

Fitness startup BoldFit, which was founded in December 2018 by Pallav Bihani, sells nutritional supplements and fitness equipment to consumers. 

The startup claims to sell Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)-certified products and works with WHO-GMP-approved manufacturing firms to implement quality checks at every stage. 

The fitness startup has so far created more than 400 SKUs across health and ayurvedic supplements, healthy foods, home gym equipment and accessories categories. 

In November 2024, BoldFit secured INR 110 Cr ($13 Mn) in a Series A funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. 

BoldFit’s primary competitors include HealthKart, Decathlon, Cultsport, and other sports-focused brands like Puma and Nike. 

15. Bombay Shirt Company

Founded in 2012 by Akshay Narvekar, Bombay Shirt Company is an online clothing brand. The startup sells bespoke apparel for men and women and has a presence in India, Dubai and New York.

The Mumbai-based clothing startup has so far raised more than $22 Mn in funding till date and is backed by names such as Singularity Ventures, Alteria Capital, Lightbox, and CaratLane cofounder Mithun Sacheti.

It competes with the likes of Rare Rabbit, Wrong, Almo, SNITCH, among others.

16. Bombay Shaving Company

Founded in 2016, Bombay Shaving Company is a men-focussed D2C personal care brand that sells a range of products including trimmers, razors for women, wax strips, hair removal creams, and other personal care products.

So far, it has a total of $45.6 Mn in funding and counts Gulf Islamic Investments, Malabar Investments, Patni Advisors, Singularity AMC and Reckitt Benckiser as its investors.

It competes with the likes of homegrown D2C brands such as Ustraa, Beardo and The Man Company.

17. Boult

Founded in 2017 by siblings Varun and Tarun Gupta, Boult was born out of the duo’s passion for music and creating high quality audio products out of India. 

The D2C startup offers a diverse range of products across categories such as TWS (true wireless), neckbands, headphones, speakers and smartwatches. The bootstrapped profitable brand claims to have more than 100 SKUs and sells its products on both ecommerce marketplaces as well as its own website.

It competes with the likes of homegrown giants such as boAt and Noise as well as legacy players such as JBL, Bose, Sony, among others. 

18. CaratLane

Founded in 2008 by Mithun Sacheti and Srinivasa Gopalan, CaratLane is an omnichannel jewellery brand that sells a host of jewellery options, right from bracelets to kids-focussed pendants to customised pieces of jewellery. 

CaratLane’s operating revenue rose 41% to INR 3,080 Cr in FY24 from INR 2,168 Cr in the previous fiscal year. However, the startup’s profit declined by 5% to INR 79 Cr in FY24 from INR 82 Cr in FY23. 

The jewellery brand became a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Tata Group-owned Titan Company in 2023, after the watchmaker picked an additional 27.18% stake in CaratLane for INR 4,621 Cr.

CaratLane’s competitors include Bluestone and GIVA as well as legacy players like Kalyan and Senco Gold.

19. Chaayos

Founded in 2012 by Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma, Chaayos sells a wide variety of tea and packaged food products. It sells tea at its physical stores while other packaged food products are sold via ecommerce marketplaces and physical stores.

It has raised $85.5M in funding to date and is backed by marquee names such as Elevation Capital, Think Investments, Tiger Global and Alpha Wave Ventures. 

It competes with names such as Chai Point, Vahdam Teas, Dorje Teas, among others across categories. 

20. Chai Point 

Set up in 2010 by Amuleek Singh Bijral and Tarun Khanna, Chai Point follows an omnichannel approach to selling tea varieties and other snacks. It opened its first retail store in 2010 followed by introducing home delivery of its flagship teas in 2014 and rolling out tea and coffee vending machines in 2016.

So far, it has raised $36 Mn in funding from investors including Paragon Partners, Eight Roads, Saama Capital and DSG.  

It locks horns with names such as Chaayos and MBA Chaiwala in the Indian tea-focussed quick service chain (QSR) space.

21. Chumbak 

Founded in 2010 by husband-wife duo Vivek Prabhakar and Shubhra Chadda, Chumbak is a home and lifestyle brand that sells furniture, home decor items, jewellery and footwear, among others. It has an omnichannel presence across India, particularly in Tier-I cities.

So far, the Bengaluru-based D2C startup has bagged $23.5 Mn in funding from investors such as Gaja Capital, Z47, Blacksoil, among others. 

22. ClearDekho

In a space that is populated by big names such as Lenskart, and Titan Eye Plus, ClearDekho too is trying to create a niche in the country’s D2C eyewear segment. Building on his prior experience in the space, ClearDekho founder and CEO Shivi Singh is tapping the burgeoning eyewear market in Tier III & IV cities of India. 

In a chat with Inc42, Singh said that the company aims to standardise eyewear accessibility for consumers in smaller towns and cities while offering value for money. 

Founded in 2017, the startup has so far raised $7 Mn in funding and counts names like Venture Catalysts, Jaipuria Family Office, and Dholakia Ventures as its investors. 

23. Clensta

During his eight-year-long stint with a startup in the Indian defence tech ecosystem, Puneet Gupta came across a peculiar problem — soldiers stationed at the high-altitude areas of Drass and Siachen would go for months without a bath due to freezing weather conditions and extreme water scarcity. 

To address this, Gupta, an IIM-Calcutta alumnus, founded Clensta in 2016. The startup has developed a waterless body bath and shampoo that can be used by people to take baths sans water while maintaining proper personal hygiene. 

It also featured in the 2022 edition of Inc42’s Fast42 list.

The startup is backed by the likes of IAN Fund, N+1 Capital, IPV Fund, HEM Securities and Venture Catalysts. It has so far raised INR 105 Cr in a mix of debt and equity across multiple rounds.

24. Clovia

Founded in 2013 by Suman Choudhary and husband-wife duo Neha Kant and Pankaj Vermani, Clovia is a women’s lingerie brand that offers over 3,500 intimate wear styles. In 2023, the startup added Soumya Kant and Abhay Batra to its founding team.

In March 2022, Reliance Retail invested INR 950 Cr in Clovia’s parent company Purple Panda Fashions for an 89% stakeholding in the startup. So far, Clovia has raised $24.7 Mn from investors.

In FY23, Clovia’s revenue from operations surged 70% to INR 291.71 Cr, up from INR 171.16 Cr in FY22. However, the company’s net loss widened by nearly 54% to INR 80.93 Cr in FY23, compared to INR 52.22 Cr in the previous fiscal year.

Its cap table includes AT Capital, IvyCap Ventures, Singularity Ventures and Ravi Dhariwal, Ex-CEO of Bennett, Coleman and Company Ltd, among others.

Its primary competitors include names such as Zivame, Shyaway, and Enamor. 

25. Country Delight 

Founded in 2013 by Chakradhar Gade and Nitin Kaushal, Country Delight sources milk and other food products such as ghee, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables from farmers and delivers them to customers’ doorstep.

So far, the startup has raised a total of $133 Mn in funding across multiple rounds. 

In FY24, Country Delight reported a revenue of INR 1,380 Cr, up 46% YoY. This growth was driven by an increase in subscribers and sales of non-dairy products such as fruits, vegetables, eggs, and pulses.

Its cap table includes Matrix Partners, Orios Venture Partners, Elevation Capital, and IIFL PE Fund, among others.

26. Curefoods

Founded in 2020 by Ankit Nagori, Curefoods is a cloud kitchen aggregator that houses several brands including EatFit, Sharief Bhai, Aligarh House Biryani and CakeZone, to name a few. 

It manages more than 200 cloud kitchens and offline outlets, offering over 10 cuisines across 15 cities in India.

Cumulatively, the company has raised about $245 Mn across various funding rounds since its inception.

Its cap table includes Iron Pillar, Three State Ventures, Chiratae Ventures, Accel Partners, Sixteenth Street Capital, Iron Pillar and Bollywood Actor Varun Dhawan and Nora Fatehi, among others.

The Bengaluru-based cloud kitchen startup reduced its net loss by 49.64% to INR 172.6 Cr in the financial year ended March 2024 (FY24) from INR 342.7 Cr in FY23. The startup’s operating revenue also zoomed 53.17% to INR 585.1 Cr in FY24 from INR 382 Cr a fiscal ago.

27. DaMENSCH

Founded in 2018 by Anurag Saboo and Gaurav Pushkar, DaMENSCH is a men’s clothing brand that sells a range of clothing styles such as odour-cancelling men’s underwear, polo t-shirts, hoodies, joggers, tank tops, and chino shorts, among others.

In all, DaMENSCH has raised a total of about $24.6 Mn, so far. The company counts the likes of A91 Partners, Matrix Partners, Saama Capital, Whiteboard Venture Partners and Alteria Capital among its investors.

DaMENSCH competes against the likes of Bummer, XYXX, Freecultr, and Dollar Industries in the men’s innerwear segment. 

The D2C brand’s operating revenue rose 22.5% to INR 72.3 Cr in FY23 from INR 59.3 Cr, a year ago. Meanwhile, its annual net loss more than doubled to INR 62.34 Cr from INR 26.89 in FY22. 

28. Deconstruct 

Malini Adapureddy founded Deconstruct in 2020. The D2C brand claims to sell evidence-based skincare products such as serums, facewashes, shampoos, and sunscreens, among others, which are gentle and non-irritating. 

The company has raised about $10 Mn to date, from investors such as French cosmetics giant L’Oréal’s venture capital (VC) fund BOLD, V3 Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, Kalaari Capital and BEENEXT. 

Deconstruct also featured on the 2023 edition of Inc42’s FAST42, which lists the biggest emerging D2C brands in the country. 

It shares the market with brands such as Foxtale, SkinInspired, CHOSEN, Cetaphil, among others.

29. Desi Farms

Founded in 2016 by Prateek Gupta and Sunil Shahi, D2C startup Desi Farms sells dairy products such as Malai Dahi, whole buffalo milk, Shrikhand, and Amrakhand, among others. 

To eliminate intermediaries, the startup partners directly with local farmers and procures fresh milk and dairy products from them. The company claims that these products undergo rigorous quality checks at the processing unit, wherein the milk is treated without using chemical preservatives.

The company, which aims to hit the exchanges in 2025, has raised INR 40 Cr so far, from the likes of Venture Catalysts, FHealth Accelerator, among others.

The startup was also featured in the 2023 edition of Inc42’s Fast42 list. 

30. Dogsee Chew

Founded in 2015 by Bhupendra Khanal and Sneh Sharma, the Bengaluru-based pet food startup offers vegetarian dog treats that are prepared from yak milk, sourced from villagers residing in Nepal, Sikkim, and Darjeeling.

Dogsee Chew raised $6.7 Mn in its Series A funding round in 2021, and bagged another $60.59 Mn from Mankind Pharma along with the existing backers in 2022. In total, the startup has raised $67.29 Mn so far. 

It claims to be the fourth-largest pet food exporter in India and currently operates in more than 30 countries. Dogsee Chew competes with the likes of Heads Up For Tails, Supertails, Dogspot, Wiggles, among others.

31. Dr. Vaidya’s 

Founded in 2016 by Arjun Vaidya, Dr. Vaidya’s is an Ayurvedic products startup. It claims to sell over 100 FDA-certified products and has a manufacturing facility in Silvassa, Mumbai. The company sells offerings such as immunity boosters, apple cider vinegar, among other fitness and wellness products as well. It sells products through its website and ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart. 

The startup was reportedly acquired by RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group’s venture capital arm for $6.9 Mn in 2022. Following the deal, Dr. Vaidya’s valuation soared to nearly INR 144 Cr.

32. DrinkPrime

Founded by Vijender Reddy Muthyala and Manas Ranjan Hota in 2016, DrinkPrime offers subscription-based water purification services to households. The founders started their entrepreneurial journey by building a platform, called Waterwala, to deliver drinking water cans to people. 

Later, the startup pivoted to a new model and began offering subscription-based customisable water purifiers to customers. The company’s RO purifiers leverage Internet of Things (IoT) to offer customised offerings and cater to the water purification needs of households. DrinkPrime’s subscriptions cost as low as INR 333 a month, including installation and maintenance. 

Drink Prime, which counts names such as Venture Catalysts++, PeakXV, Omidyar Network and 9Unicorns as its investors, has raised more than INR 77 Cr since its inception. The startup was also featured in the 2023 edition of Inc42’s Fast42 list. 

33. Earth Rhythm

Founded in October 2020 by Harini Sivakumar, Earth Rhythm is a beauty and personal care brand that sells a range of haircare, skincare and body care products. It also sells zero-waste products such as toothbrushes, vanity bags, combs and soap dishes, among others.

The Delhi NCR-based claims to be focussed on plastic-free packaging and offers about 250 products across six categories.

In November 2024, Nykaa completed the acquisition of a majority stake in Earth Rhythm. Prior to that in 2022, the beauty ecommerce giant had bought an 18.6% stake in Earth Rhythm. 

Earth Rhythm has previously raised $1.2 Mn in funding from Anicut Capital. 

On the financial side, Earth Rhythm’s revenues rose 32.7% YoY to INR 24.5 Cr in FY24 against a net loss of INR 16.5 Cr in the year under review.

34. Ecosoul

Rahul Singh and Arvind Ganesan first met each other during their stint at the American furniture goods company, Wayfair, where they worked on the sustainable product categories. Realising that there was a huge gap in the market for eco-friendly products, the duo left their high-paying jobs in the US and founded EcoSoul in 2020.

EcoSoul Home sells eco-friendly home products such as crockery, cutlery, garbage bags, and tableware. Headquartered in the US and with operational presence in countries like China and Vietnam, Ecosoul forayed into India in early 2023.

The D2C eco-friendly home essentials brand sells its products primarily through its website as well as ecommerce platforms. 

Since its inception, EcoSoul has secured more than $15 Mn in funding from notable investors, including venture capital firm Accel. .

35. eské

Founded in 2018 by Shivam Khanna, eské is a D2C lifestyle brand that sells products such as luxury handbags, laptop bags, accessories, luggage and travel items for men and women. The startup primarily sells its products online through its own website and ecommerce platforms such as Amazon and Myntra. 

Since its inception, eské has raised $1.5 Mn in funding from the likes of Mistry Ventures and Fluid Ventures.

The Mumbai-based lifestyle brand competes with homegrown rivals such as Zouk, Scarters, Mokobara, and Chumbak.

36. FS Life

Founded in 2016 by Ayushi Gudwani, FS Life, previously known as FableStreet, is a women-focussed clothing brand. It offers readymade as well as bespoke clothes for female working professionals. It claims to use a three-body measurement algorithm for creating customised apparel.

Cumulatively, the company has raised more than $9 Mn across multiple rounds of funding to date. Its cap table includes Fireside Ventures, Uber executive Pradeep Parameswaran, Suhail Sameer, Fusiontech Ventures, among others.

In the Indian D2C clothing segment, FS Life competes with the likes of Chumbak, The Souled Store and Bewakoof, among others.

37. FabAlley 

FabAlley, founded in 2012 by Shivani Poddar and Tanvi Malik, sells a wide range of women’s apparel via online marketplaces, physical retail stores, multi-brand outlets (MBOs), and its own website. 

So far, the startup has raised $14.02 Mn in funding from investors such as Elevational Capital, India Quotient, Dominor Holding, Trifecta Capital Advisors, SenseAI Venture, Baird Capital, among others.

In FY23, FabAlley’s net loss widened to INR 45.5 Cr, up from INR 43.8 Cr in the year ago period. Meanwhile, revenue from operations jumped nearly 18% to INR 184.7 Cr in the fiscal under review from INR 157.1 Cr in FY22. 

38. Farmley 

Brainchild of Akash Sharma and Abhishek Agarwal, Farmley is a D2C snacking brand that was founded in 2017. The startup sells products such as roasted peri peri makhanas, thai chilli cashews, date bites, among others.

Farmley sells its products through ecommerce marketplaces and quick commerce platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart and Big Basket. It also claims to have a presence in more than 10,000 retail outlets across 50 Indian cities.

The startup has raised nearly $15 Mn in funding till date and counts names such as BC Jindal Group, DSG Consumer Partners, Omnivore and Alkemi Partners as its backers.

39. Flo Sleep Solutions

With an aim to offer good quality mattresses and other sleep essentials to Indian consumers, Gaurav Zatakia founded D2C startup Flo Sleep Solutions in 2018.

Flo primarily sells varied types of mattresses and pillows such as ortho mattresses, ergo mattresses, anti-gravity latex mattresses, baby mattresses, fibre pillows and memory foam pillows. It counts Mistry Ventures as its investor.

Notably, it runs two production units in Mumbai, has sold more than 450K products and served over 250K users, as of March 2023.

The brand was featured in the 2024 edition of Inc42’s FAST42 list of India’s Fastest Growing D2C Brands.

40. Foxtale

Foxtale is an omnichannel beauty and personal care (BPC) brand that sells skincare products such as serums, masks, moisturisers, face washes, sunscreens, among others. 

Founded in 2021 by former venture capitalist Romita Mazumdar, Foxtale primarily sells its products through its own website, online marketplaces as well as offline stores. 

Foxtale is backed by KOSÉ Corporation, Panthera Growth Partners, Z47, Kae Capital and Matrix Partners India, Foxtale has raised capital of around $66.4 Mn till date.

It competes with names such as Minimalist, Pilgrim, Plum, and Mamaearth in the homegrown D2C BPC space. 

The brand also featured in the 2024 edition of Inc42’s FAST42 list of the country’s top and emerging D2C brands.

41. Freakins

Back in 2018, Puneet Sehgal, Sachin Shah and Shaan Shah experimented with the idea of building a desi women-centred denim wear brand. Investing INR 10 Lakh of their capital, the duo first designed and manufactured a few denim wear samples to see if they were headed in the right direction.

They received overwhelming response, setting the stage for launch of their D2C denim wear brand Freakins in 2019. However, the startup forayed into the men’s category in February 2023, to emerge as a full-fledged Gen-Z denim wear brand.

The startup raised $4 Mn in July 2023 in a seed funding round led by Matrix Partners India and Blume Ventures. Freakins is also backed by the likes of angel investors such as Revant Bhate of Mosaic Wellness, Meesho’s Utkrishta Kumar, and OfBusiness’s Asish Mohapatra.

The D2C brand’s product portfolio currently spans more than 35 categories and 1,500 styles.

Freakins sells its denims via online marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Myntra. The company clocked a gross revenue of INR 22 Cr in FY23 and is eyeing to become an INR 100 Cr brand by the end of 2024.

42. FreshToHome

FreshToHome was incorporated in 2015 by serial entrepreneur Shan Kadavil and Mathew Joseph. The inspiration to venture into the direct-to-consumer (D2C) meat and fish industry struck Kadavil when his personal fish supply was disrupted due to the impending closure of Sea To Home, an ecommerce platform based in Kerala.

Collaborating with Joseph, one of the cofounders of Sea To Home and an angel investor, Kadavil embarked on his new venture. Since then, the D2C meat startup has significantly expanded its operations, and now serves customers in more than 160 cities in India and all seven emirates in the UAE.

With investors such as Amazon Sambhav Venture Fund, E20 Investment, Mount Judi Ventures, Investcorp and Iron Pillar in its kitty, the D2C meat startup has so far raised about $256 Mn in funding across multiple rounds. 

The company competes with the likes of Licious, Zappfresh, and Meatigio, among others. 

43. GIVA

Founded in 2019 by Ishendra Agarwal, Nikita Prasa and Sachin Shetty, GIVA is a D2C brand that sells budget-friendly fine jewellery to its customers — both men and women. The startup largely prices its offerings in the price range of INR 1,000 to INR 20,000. 

It competes with the likes of homegrown brands such as CaratLane and BlueStone. 

The Bengaluru-based startup has raised around $90 Mn in funding since its inception. The company counts the likes of Premji Invest, Epiq Capital, Edelweiss Discover Fund, Aditya Birla Ventures, Alteria Capital and A91 Partners, among others as its investors.

GIVA’s operating revenue surged 97% to INR 165 Cr in FY23 from INR 84 Cr in the previous fiscal year. Meanwhile, the startup’s net loss rose 138% to INR 45.2 Cr during FY23, from INR 19 Cr in FY22.

44. Good Health Company (GHC)

Founded in 2021 by Samarth Sindhi and Saurav Panda, Good Health Company (GHC) is a subsidiary of Raksha Health. GHC sells a range of men-focussed wellness and personal care products, including anti-hair thinning kits, hair regrowth, beard care kit, and glowing skin kits, among others. 

It also offers free consultations to customers regarding their skincare, haircare and sexual health problems.

So far, it has raised $20.7 Mn funding from a number of investors, including Left Lane Capital, Khosla Ventures, Quiet Capital, and Weekend Fund, among others.

45. Go Zero

Founded by Kiran Shah in 2022, Go Zero manufactures zero sugar, high protein and low calorie ice creams. The startup claims to be focused on providing health conscious consumers with alternatives to traditional sugar-laden ice creams. 

The brand has its presence in more than 16 Indian cities including Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, Delhi NCR, Hyderabad and Chennai among others. 

Go Zero competes with the likes of NIC, Get-A-Way and Amul.

The company has so far raised more than $2.5 Mn across various rounds. Go Zero is backed by DSG Consumer Partners, Saama, V3 Ventures, among others.

46. Gynoveda

After suffering from lifestyle disorders for more than a decade, Vishal Gupta eventually found respite in the ancient science of Ayurveda. During his research, Gupta also discovered effective remedies for a host of gynaecological problems such as PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), abnormal discharge, and umpteen, among other issues. 

Realising a prevailing gap in the market, Gupta, along with his wife Rachana and Dr Aarati Patil, founded Gynoveda in 2019, blending the age-old science with modern technology and content. 

Gynoveda sells products ranging from moisturisers to Ayurvedic capsules via its website and ecommerce marketplaces.

The startup has so far raised funding in excess of $11 Mn. It counts names such as India Alternatives Fund, Fireside Ventures, Wipro Enterprises, Alteria Capital and RPG Ventures as its backers. 

47. HairOriginals

A brainchild of Jitendra Sharma, HairOriginals was founded in 2019 and is a D2C brand that sells hair extensions and do-it-yourself wigs. 

The D2C brand sells its offerings through its website and ecommerce platforms. It claims to make its offerings from ethically-sourced real human hair and exports products to 22 countries including the US and other European nations.

The startup has raised around $3 Mn in funding till date and is backed by names such as Anicut Capital, Venture Catalysts, She Capital, JITO Angel Fund, among others.

The startup competes with the likes of Nish Hair and Ind Natural Hair. BrandLabs 

48. Happilo 

Founded in 2016 by Vikas Nahar, Happilo sells a host of healthy snacks such as nuts, dry fruits, seeds and dry roasted snacks, among others, via its website and offline stores. 

In February, the Bengaluru-based D2C brand secured $25 Mn from Motilal Oswal Private Equity. So far, Happilo has bagged total funding of $38 Mn. It is also backed by the likes of A91 Partners and Venture Garage. 

It competes with the likes of homegrown D2C players such as Nutraj, Farmley, True Elements, among others.

49. Happy Nature

Founded in 2022 by Sahil Chopra, Parth Birendra, Vikas Singh and Vishal Rastogi, Happy Nature is a farm-to-fork dairy startup. It runs a dairy farm in Jhajjar, Haryana. 

The startup has developed its standard operating procedures (SOPs) to keep aflatoxin levels low in cow’s milk, without adding chemical preservatives and antibiotics. It currently sells more than 35 SKUs to over 80K customers across Delhi-NCR, Punjab and Haryana.  

Backed by Inflection Point Ventures, Brand Capital and First Port Capital, the startup has reportedly raised $1 Mn in funding to date. 

50. Heads Up For Tails 

Founded in 2008 by Rashi Narag, Heads Up For Tails sells a wide range of pet products such as preservative-free pet treats, organic supplements, and orthopaedic beds. It aims to increase awareness among pet parents regarding the need for pet care and wellness. 

The Delhi NCR-based pet care brand has raised more than $50 Mn in funding to date and is backed by Verlinvest, Peak XV Partners, Campden Hill Capital, among others. 

It competes with names such as PetSutra, Supertails, Zigly, Wiggles, Drools, among others across various categories.

51. Herby Angel

Founded in 2023 by Sherry Jairath, Herby Angels is an omnichannel brand that manufactures nutraceutical and pharmaceutical ayurvedic products for babies. It claims to make its products with certified organic ingredients.

The Noida-based startup raised $2.5 Mn in maiden funding round from JCBL Group, in late 2023.

The startup sells its products through its website and other ecommerce platforms. It also claims to have a presence in 1,300 retail across 13 states. 

52. Himalayan Organics

Himalayan Organics is a D2C nutraceutical startup that was founded in 2018 by Vaibhav Raghuwanshi and Suditi Sharma. The company offers a variety of products across several categories, including beauty, skincare, immunity boosters, and haircare.

Himalayan Organics collaborates with nutritionists and dieticians to offer free consultations. The company mainly sources raw materials from the Himalayan region and uses natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and nuts to manufacture its products.

It competes with the likes of Kapiva, Upakarma, The Ayurveda Experience, Alphavedic, among others.

53. Hoop

Founded in 2023 by former McKinsey consultants, Twinkle Uppal, and Saharsh Agarwal, Hoop is a D2C wellness brand that sells products for pain relief, muscle recovery and a good night’s sleep.

In July 2024, Olympian PV Sindhu joined Hoop’s cap table as an investor and as a brand ambassador.

The startup is also backed by notable angel investors like OYO COO Abhinav Sinha, Swiggy’s food marketplace CEO Rohit Kapoor, former BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer, Bombay Shaving Company cofounder Shantanu Deshpande, and Dr Vaidya’s founder Arjun Vaidya.

The wellness brand has reportedly raised $1.75 Mn to date. Hoop competes with brands like Kapiva, Dr Vaidya’s, Secret Alchemist, among others. 

54. iD Fresh Food

Founded in 2005 by PC Musthafa, Abdul Nazer, Shamsudeen TK, Jafar and Noushad TA, iD Fresh Food offers a slew of ready-to-make food – dosa and idli batter, rice rava idli batter – in India as well as abroad. 

The Bengaluru-based D2C startup last raised $68 Mn in its Series D funding round in 2022, thereby accumulating a total funding of $104 Mn to date. Currently, it operates in more than 45 cities across the world such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad and Dubai, among others.

Its investors include NewQuest Capital Partner, Premji Invest, Sequoia Capital, Helion Ventures and Azim Premji.

ID Fresh Food reported a net profit of INR 1.84 Cr in FY24 as against a loss of INR 23.25 Cr in FY23. The Bengaluru-based startup also clocked a 16% increase in its operating revenue to INR 395.76 Cr during the fiscal year under review from INR 340.9 Cr in the previous year. 

55. Innovist

Innovist (formerly known as Onesto Labs), set up in 2018 by Rohit Chawla, Sifat Khurana, and Vimal Bhola, sells personal care products under three brands – Bare Anatomy, Chemist at Play, and SunScoop.

The startup mainly sells products via its website and ecommerce marketplaces. It also has an offline presence.

Innovist has so far reportedly bagged $13.8 Mn in funding across multiple rounds. It is backed by Accel Partners, 72 Ventures. Jani Ventures Inc, CRED founder Kunal Shah, Sauce.vc, among others. 

It competes with brands such as Secret Alchemist, Nat Habit, among others.

56. Japam

Founded in 2022 by serial entrepreneur Ritoban Chakrabarti, Japam is a spiritual tech startup that sells wearable rudraksha beads, spiritual jewellery, idols, and home decor items made by local artisans. 

The bootstrapped startup sells its products through its own website and ecommerce and quick commerce marketplaces such as Amazon, Zepto and Blinkit. Japam also featured in the 2024 edition of Inc42’s coveted FAST42 list. 

It competes with the likes of AstroTalk and Rudraksham in the burgeoning Indian spiritual tech space.

57. Jimmy’s Cocktails

Founded in 2019 by Ankur Bhatia and Nitin Bhardwaj in 2019, Jimmy’s Cocktail’s is a D2C food and beverage (F&B) brand that sells cocktail mixers, sparkling mixers and barwares. 

The D2C startup has raised $4.81 Mn across multiple rounds till date and is backed by the likes of Parth Ventures and 7Square Ventures as well as angel investors such as Paytm’s Vijay Shekhar Sharma, HDFC Life chairman Keki Mistry, among others. 

It competes with the likes of big players such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Hector Beverages and Red Bull, and operates in the larger Indian non-alcoholic beverages market.

58. Juicy Chemistry

Set up in 2014 by Megha Asher and Pritesh Asher, clean beauty startup Juicy Chemistry sells organic skin, hair and body care products. 

To manufacture these products, it procures ingredients from organic farmers in 20 countries. It develops these products at its ECOCERT-certified manufacturing unit, where it conducts rigorous quality checks to ensure that everything complies with ECOCERT’s organic standards.

To date, it has raised $7 in funding from a bunch of investors, including Verlinvest, Spring Marketing Capital, and Manoj Lifestyle. 

The company shares the market with Clensta, CHOSEN, ClayCo Cosmetics, among others.

59. Kapiva

When the pandemic locked millions of Indians indoors back in 2020, the ancient Indian science of health Ayurveda suddenly turned into the flavour of the season. For Ameve Sharma, Ayurveda was never relegated to the margins. 

Hailing from the iconic century-old Baidyanath family, the INSEAD and New York University-educated scion grew up witnessing how the age-old science helped people from all walks of people. After being inundated with queries from friends about ayurvedic medications, Sharma realised that there was a huge whitespace in the market and he sat down to build Kapiva. 

With more than 100 SKUs in its kitty, Kapiva sells Ayurvedic consumables and products such as juices, Shilajit, hair oil, shampoos, and resins, among others. 

Backed by names such as OrbiMed, Vertex Ventures, Fireside Ventures, and 3one4 Capital, the Bengaluru-based startup has so far raised around $41.1 Mn in overall funding across multiple rounds.

Kapiva‘s loss widened 34% to INR 64.6 Cr in FY23 from INR 48.2 Cr in the previous fiscal year, while the company’s total revenue, including interest income, stood at INR 116.5 Cr in FY23 as against INR 62.4 Cr, a year ago.

60. Koparo Clean

When the use of chemical-laden sanitisers for groceries and home cleaning saw an uptick during the pandemic, Simran Khara realised that these products could harm kids, pets and even adults

Responding to the challenge, Khara, who hails from Delhi, launched a range of natural, toxin-free cleaning products under the brand name Koparo Clean in 2020. The D2C brand sells more than 15 products across categories such as core cleaning, speciality cleaning, and accessories.

It claims its products to be free of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), synthetic dyes, ammonia, and parabens, among others. 

In July 2023, the D2C brand raised a Pre-Series A funding of $1.5 Mn in 2023.

Koparo Clean is backed by Fluid Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, M Venture Partners along with new angels Rajesh Sawhney (founder and CEO of GSF Accelerator), Sridhar Sankararaman (Multiples PE), and Ramesh Menon (ex-Future Group, Hypercity).

61. Lahori

Lahori, founded in 2017 by Saurabh Munjal, Saurabh Bhutna and Nikhil Doda, sells Indian beverages in four flavours – Zeera (cumin), Nimboo (lemon), Kacha Aam (raw mango) and Shikanji (lemonade) – across India. 

The beverage company has so far received backing from the likes of marquee investors such as Verlinvest, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), and Motilal Oswal Financial Services. It has so far raised $22.3 Mn in funding across two rounds. 

It competes with players such as Paper Boat and Rockit, among others.

62. Lenskart 

Founded in 2010 by Peyush Bansal, Amit Chaudhury, and Sumeet Kapahi, LensKart is an omnichannel eyewear brand. The company claims to have over 2,500 stores under its belt and caters to 2 Cr customers.

Overall, Lenskart has raised nearly $1.8 Bn across multiple funding rounds, so far. The unicorn is backed by marquee investors such as Chiratae Ventures, TPG, Premji Invest and Unilazer Ventures, among others.

The eyewear startup narrowed its net loss by 84% to INR 10 Cr in FY24 from INR 64 Cr in the previous year. Its operating revenue jumped 43% to INR 5,427.7 Cr during the year under review from INR 3,788 Cr in FY23. 

In January 2025, Lenskart reportedly initiated talks with bankers for a $750 Mn to $1 Bn IPO at a valuation of $7-8 Bn. It plans to list on Indian bourses by the end of FY26.

63. LetsShave

Founded in 2015 by Sidharth Oberoi, LetsShave is a grooming brand that sells shaving kits, trial kits, blades and shaving foams. The D2C grooming brand supplies razors to high-end hotels and hospitality brands such as Marriott, St. Regis, and Ritz Carlton.

Backed by South Korean razor giant Dorco Korea, the startup has raised more than $6 Mn till date.

Aside from India, the Chandigarh-based startup caters to clients in the UAE, the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Europe.

To note, LetsShave competes with The Man Company, Bombay Shaving Company, Ustraa, and Beardo, among others.

64. Libas

Taking over from his father, Sidhant Keshwani helmed D2C ethnic wear brand Libas’ online foray in 2014. The omnichannel brand sells fast fashion Indian traditional apparels for women across both offline and online channels. 

Since its online entry, the startup has aggressively scaled up operations and clocked a revenue of INR 500 Cr in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24).

The startup emerged out of stealth mode in May 2024 after it raised INR 150 Cr in a strategic funding round from ICICI Ventures’ IAF Series 5 fund. It competes with similarly growing ethnic fashion labels such as FASHOR, Suta, Dressfolk, among others.

65. Licious 

Licious, founded in 2015 by Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta, sells a wide range of meat, seafood, cold-cuts, and ready-to-eat meat items across online platforms. The company currently serves 20 cities through 100 delivery centres and operates five state-of-the-art processing centres. 

The Bengaluru-based meat startup has raised about $490 Mn to date and was last valued at $1.5 Bn in March 2023. Licious is backed by Amansa Capital, Kotak PE, alongside angel investors including Nithin and Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, Aman Gupta from boAt and Haresh Chawla from True North.

To note, the foodtech unicorn acquired Bengaluru-based offline meat retailer My Chicken and More in a cash and equity deal in October 2024 to expand its store network and offline footprint.

Licious claimed that its loss declined 44% to INR 293.77 Cr in FY24 from INR 528.5 Cr, a year ago. However, its revenue declined 8.4% to INR 685.05 Cr during the year under review from INR 748 Cr in FY23. 

66. Mamaearth 

Mamaearth, founded in 2016 by Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh, started as a baby care products brand but later pivoted to become a personal care brand. Its product offerings include haircare, skincare and body care products.

The listed startup counts Fireside Ventures, Sequoia India, Rishabh Mariwala from Marico, and Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal of Snapdeal, among its investors. It has so far raised $111 Mn in funding across multiple rounds.

Honasa Consumer posted a consolidated net loss of INR 18.6 Cr in the quarter ended September 2024 (Q2 FY25), while it reported a net profit of INR 29.4 Cr in the year-ago quarter. Furthermore, topline also took a hit as revenue from operations declined nearly 7% to INR 461.8 Cr during the quarter under review from INR 496.1 Cr in Q2 FY24. 

67. mCaffeine 

mCaffeine, founded in 2016 by Tarun Sharma, Mohit Jain, Saurabh Singhal, Vikas Lachhwani and Vaishali Gupta, sells a host of caffeine-based skin and hair care products ranging from soaps to scrubs to oil through its website and physical retail outlets.

The D2C startup is backed by the likes of Paragon Partners. Singularity Growth Opportunities Fund, Sharrp Ventures, Amicus Capital Partners, RPSG Capital Ventures, among others. The company has raised $37.5 Mn in funding to date. 

68. Minimalist 

Founded in 2020 by Mohit and Rahul Yadav, the Jaipur-based D2C startup sells a host of skin care products ranging from serums to moisturisers to toners. It retails products via its website and ecommerce marketplaces. 

In 2021, Minimalist secured $15 Mn in its Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital India and Unilever Ventures.

It is pertinent to mention that FMCG giant Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) signed an agreement to acquire D2C brand Minimalist in January 2025 for a cash consideration of INR 2,670 Cr. 

The startup’s profit zoomed 110% to INR 10.9 Cr FY24 from INR 5.2 Cr in FY23. Its revenue from operations surged 89% to INR 347.4 Cr during the year under review from INR 183.8 Cr in FY23.

69. Mosaic Wellness

Mosaic Wellness, founded in 2020 by Revant Bhate and Dhyanesh Shah, sells men and women-focussed health and wellness products under the brands Manmatters and Bodywise, respectively. Both brands offer telemedicine services along with medicines, supplements and other allied products. 

The Mumbai-based D2C startup has built a content community for people to confer about their health and other related subjects. 

In 2021, it secured $24 Mn in its Series A funding round from Sequoia Capital India, Elevation Capital and Matrix Partners India. In total, it has raised a capital of $35.2 Mn to date.

70. Moxie Beauty

Founded in 2023 by Nikita Khanna and Anmol Ahlawat, Moxie Beauty is a D2C haircare brand that sells a range of products such as conditioners, shampoos, hair oils, among others. 

Moxie Beauty sells its products through its own website as well as ecommerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. 

The Delhi NCR-based startup has raised $2.1 Mn in funding till date and is backed by the likes of Fireside Ventures as well as angel investors such as ex-Unilever CMO Samir Singh, Mokobara cofounder Sangeet Agrawal, among others.

It competes with the likes of names such as Pilgrim, Good Health Company, Bare Anatomy, Fix My Curls, among others. 

71. Mylo

Mylo, founded in 2018 by Vinit Garg, started as a community-based platform for new and expecting mothers and gradually turned into a personal care brand. Later, it pivoted into a personal care startup offering over 100 stock-keeping units of ayurvedic products for babies and expecting mothers. 

Mylo is backed by names such as W Health Ventures, ITC Ltd, Endiya Partners, Riverwalk Holdings, Alteria Capital, Innoven Capital, among others.

The D2C personal care startup has raised a funding of $24 Mn so far. Mylo shares the market with Bumtum, All Things Baby and The Moms Co, among others.

72. Nat Habit

A brainchild of Swagatika Das and Gaurav Agarwal, the idea of Nat Habit emerged from the difficulties faced by the duo while procuring authentic ayurvedic products.

In 2019, the two founded Nat Habit, a beauty and personal care brand that sells a slew of offerings such as hair oils, masks, scrubs and face creams.

The startup was featured in the 2024 edition of Inc42’s coveted FAST42 list, which collates India’s emerging and top D2C brands. 

Nat Habit claims to have clocked a revenue growth in excess of 150% YoY in FY23 and has more than 250 SKUs. Nat Habit has cumulatively raised INR 110 Cr, as per Inc42’s latest data.

Backed by Peak XV Partners and Bertelsmann India Investments, it competes with Plum and Mamaearth in the BPC category.

73. Neemans

Founded in 2018 by Taran Chhabra and Amar Preet Singh, Neemans aims to upend the Indian shoe industry with natural, renewable, recycled and biodegradable shoes. It also sells apparels. 

The company claims that its products have a considerably lower carbon footprint and lower impact on the water table compared to conventional products, which are made with synthetic fibres.

The startup has reportedly raised $18.9Mn in funding and is backed by names such as Anicut Capital and Sixth Sense Ventures. The Hyderabad-based startup locks horns with the likes of international giants in the shoe industry such as Skechers, Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Puma, AJIo, among others.

74. Nestasia

Home decor brand Nestasia is the brainchild of Anurag Agarwal and Aditi Murarka Agarwal, whose passion for decorating and designing homes spawned the rise of the startup in 2019.

The D2C brand sells a range of home decor products such as crockery garden accessories, and kitchen utilities, among others. Unlike other marketplaces, which connect buyers and sellers, Nestasia operates a full-fledged D2C business that buys products from Indian artisans and then sells them directly to customers.

The startup competes against brands like Trampoline, The Purple Turtles, Chumbak and Urban Ladder in this segment. 

Collectively, the company has raised nearly $12.4 Mn so far and is backed by Stellaris Venture Partners, SIG Venture Capital, Logx Venture Partners, among others.

75. Noise

Founded in 2014 by Amit Khatri & Gaurav Khatri, Noise is a smart wearable and wireless headphones brand. It sells products on its website and ecommerce marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart. 

After remaining bootstrapped for more than nine years, Noise raised close to $10 Mn from audio giant Bose in December 2023 at a valuation of about $426 Mn. A few months later in May 2024, the Gurugram-based audio products and wearable startup acquired AI startup SocialBoat.

Noise’s net profit declined 39.4X to INR 88 Lakh in FY23 from INR 35 Cr in the previous fiscal, while its operating revenue jumped 1.8X to INR 1,426 Cr in FY23 from INR 792 Cr in FY22. 

76. Nua 

Founded in 2017 by Ravi Ramachandran, Nua is a women-focused wellness brand. Its offerings include sanitary pads, skin care and intimate hygiene products. 

So far, it has raised $12.5 Mn in aggregate from across four funding rounds. Its cap table includes Lightbox VC, Kae Capital and actor Deepika Padukone, among others. 

Nua competes with Laiqa Wellness, Newmi Care, Bold Care’s Bloom, and others.

77. NutriGlow

Founded in 2011 by Aditi Suneja and Ashish Aggarwal, Nutriglow sells men and women-focussed haircare, skincare, body care and make-up products via its website and ecommerce platforms. 

The Noida-based D2C startup claims that its beauty products are made using natural and certified organic ingredients as well as vegan-friendly and paraben-free formulations.

It last secured an undisclosed amount of funding from ecommerce rollup GOAT Brand Labs in June 2022.

Financially, NutriGlow reported a revenue of INR 37.2 Cr ($4.63 Mn) for the fiscal year ending March 2023, with a net profit of INR 16.7 lakh for the same period.

In terms of competition, NutriGlow faces rivals such as Mamaearth, WOW Skin Science, and Bella Vita Organic, all of which operate in the natural and organic beauty products segment in India.

78. Organic Harvest

Founded in 2013 by Rahul Agarwal, Organic Harvest is an organic personal care brand that offers plant-based skincare, haircare, body care products and essential oils via online and offline channels.

According to its website, It claims to use ingredients and raw materials that are approved by international organisations – EcoCert, OneCert, and Nature.

Backed by The Good Glamm Group, the D2C startup has raised over $17.3 Mn in funding to date. It competes with names such as Just Herbs, SoulTree, The Body Shop, among others.

79. Perfora

Jatan Bawa and Tushar Khurana crossed paths during the Jagriti Yatra, a two-week long entrepreneurship train journey, in 2016. The two found common ground and conceived the idea for an oral care brand, Perfora, in 2021.

Perfora offers a diverse range of oral care products, including electric toothbrushes, toothpaste, mouthwashes, flossers, teeth whitening products, and more.

This D2C oral care brand distributes its products through its official website and various ecommerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, Blinkit, and others.

Perfora has so far raised a total funding of $8.73 Mn. It counts names such as RPSG Capital Ventures, Sauce.vc, Lotus Herbals Family Office, among others as its backers.

Perfora competes with established brands such as Patanjali, Biotique and Colgate in the Indian oral care market.

80. Pilgrim

Founded in 2019 by Anurag Kedia and Gagandeep Makker, Pilgrim is a D2C beauty and personal care brand that offers over 90 SKUs across offerings such as face care, haircare, skincare products, and fragrances. 

The company emphasises international beauty formulations, sources ingredients from France, Korea, Spain, and Australia, and tailors its offerings for Indian consumers.

To date, Pilgrim has raised a total of $33 Mn in funding and is backed by names such as Fireside Ventures, Vertex Ventures, Mirabilis Investment Trust, Nabs Vriddhii, Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office, among others.

Pilgrim locks horns with the likes of Mamaearth, The Ayurveda Experience, Bella Vita Organic and Minimalist in the Indian BPC.

81. Pluckk

Incorporated in 2021 by Pratik Gupta, Pluckk is a D2C fruit and vegetable brand, which distinguishes itself by offering users a diverse selection of over 400 products spanning 15+ categories. These offerings include salads, dips, juices, cuts, mixes, and exotic fruits and vegetables.

Pluckk operates in major Indian cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Pune. The brand sells its products through its dedicated app, website, and quick commerce platforms like Swiggy, Zepto, among others. 

To date, Pluckk has raised a total of $19.6 Mn across four funding rounds and enjoys the backing of Euro Gulf Investments, Exponentia Ventures, actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, among others.

In September 2024, Pluckk expanded its product portfolio by acquiring D2C nutrition brand Upnourish in a deal valued at $1.4 Mn. 

Pluckk competes with names such as Gourmet Garden, Deep Rooted, and Kisankonnect.

82. Plum

Founded in 2013 by Shankar Prasad, Plum sells a wide variety of beauty products across skin care, hair care, personal care and makeup categories via its website and ecommerce marketplaces. 

The startup has raised nearly $50 Mn in funding to date and counts names such as Unilever Ventures, A91 Partners and Faering Capital as its investors. 

On the financial front, NutriGlow reported a revenue of INR 37.2 Cr in FY23 against a net profit of INR 16.7 Lakhs.

NutriGlow competes with names such as Mamaearth and WOW Skin Science, all of which operate in the BPC segment in India.

83. Power Gummies 

Founded in March 2018 by Divij Bajaj, nutraceutical startup Power Gummies sells flavoured and chewable vitamins for hair, nail and skin problems. Its products are gluten-free and certified by the FSSAI.

The D2C startup has raised more than $11 Mn in funding to date and counts names such as Venture Catalysts, DSG Consumer Partners, Wipro Consumers, Sharrp Ventures (Marico Family Office), and NB Ventures as investors.

The company’s revenue saw its revenues decline over 20% to INR 17.55 Cr in FY24 from INR 22.04 Cr in FY23.

Power Gummies competes with Plix, HealthKart, Fast&Up, Himalayan Organics, and Nyumi in the Indian D2C nutraceutical segment. 

84. Rage Coffee

Founded in 2018 by Bharat Sethi, Rage Coffee sells a host of coffee-based products across India. 

To date, Rage Coffee has raised $11.4 Mn in funding across six rounds. Notable investors on its cap table include Sixth Sense Ventures, Refex Capital, and 9Unicorns.

In August 2024, GRM Overseas acquired a 44% stake in Rage Coffee in a deal, comprising a mix of primary capital infusion and secondary purchase of shares.

Rage Coffee competes with other Indian D2C coffee brands such as Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters and Sleepy Owl Coffee.

85. Rasayanam

Founded in 2020 by ex-investment banker Ayush Aggarwal, Rasayanam sells a range of ayurvedic juices as well as supplements such as Shilajit and Ashwagandha. 

The platform’s unique selling proposition (USP) lies in its high quality ingredients and extensive quality checks that each of its products go through. It allows its customers to fetch detailed test reports of all its products, which comprise disclosures like traces of heavy metals, microbial profile, and other content. 

The bootstrapped D2C startup sells its products through its own website, ecommerce marketplaces like Amazon and Flipkart as well as offline stores.

Rasayanam competes with the likes of legacy Ayurvedic brands such as Dabur and Baidyanath as well as startups such as Kapiva, Man Matters, among others.

86. Sanfe

Founded in 2018 by Archit Aggarwal and Harry Sehrawat, Sanfe is a D2C femtech brand that started with the vision of addressing the stigma around women’s health and hygiene. In addition to sanitary and hygiene products, the company sells skin and hair products. 

Targeting Gen-Z and millennials, the company sells its products through its website and other ecommerce marketplaces. Backed by S Chand Family Office, Seeders and Lets Venture,  the D2C brand has raised $4.5 Mn in funding since its inception.

Sanfe competes with other femtech and personal hygiene brands in India, such as Sirona, Nua, and Gynoveda.

87. Slurrp Farms

A dearth of healthy snacking options in the market for their kids brought two mothers —   Meghana Narayan and Shauravi Malik — to the discussion table. The duo found a big whitespace staring right at them in the kids’ snacks market. 

To fill in this gap, they founded Slurrp Farm in October 2016. The D2C brand sells a range of healthy products from ready-to-mix pancakes and dosas to noodles and pastas.

Slurrp Farms, which sells its products via its website and ecommerce marketplaces, caters to users in countries such as the UAE, the US, and the UK, apart from India.

The D2C brand has raised more than $17 Mn in funding to date and counts names such as Fireside Ventures, Alkemi Ventures, Madhurima International, Sharrp Ventures, among others as investors.

The company reported a revenue of INR 40 Cr in FY23, doubling from INR 19.15 Cr in FY22. However, losses also increased to INR 32.2 Cr in FY23 from INR 19 Cr in the previous year.

Slurrp Farm’s competitors in the healthy snacking segment include brands like Yoga Bar, Soulfull, and Mimmo Organics.

88. Snitch

Founded in 2019 by Siddharth R Dungarwal, Snitch started off as an retail fashion brand but later pivoted to the online channel as Covid-19 pandemic swept through the world.

Snitch is a men’s fast fashion brand that sells products such as shirts, t-shirts, jeans, trousers, among others. Featured on the second season of popular TV show Shark Tank India, the company has raised more than $13 Mn in funding to date. 

The company sells its offerings through its website and app, as well as other major online marketplaces.

In FY24, Snitch’s operating revenue surged by 127.89% to INR 243 Cr from INR 106.6 Cr in FY23. Meanwhile, net profits also zoomed 1.3X to INR 4.4 Cr in the fiscal under review from INR 3.1 Cr in FY23.

It competes with names like XYXX, DaMENSCH, Chromozome, BlissClub, Freecultr, Bombay Shirt Company among others.

89. SoleThreads

Founded in 2020 by Gaurav Chopra, Sumant Kakaria, Aprajit Kathuria and Vikram Iyer, Solethreads manufactures footwear products. 

Solethreads has so far raised $7.6 Mn to date and counts names such as Fireside Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners and Saama Capital as backers.

It competes with the likes of Flatheads, Bacca Bucci, Yoho, among others.

90. Soothe Healthcare

Set up in 2012 by Sahil Dharia, Soothe Healthcare sells sanitary napkin products and baby diapers under the brand Paree and Super Cute, respectively. It retails its products through various distribution channels including direct selling and selling through intermediaries.

The startup’s cumulative fundraise till date stands around $54.24 Mn. Symphony International Holdings, Sixth Sense Ventures and badminton player Saina Nehwal are among its investors. 

In FY23, Soothe Healthcare reported revenues of INR 172 Cr against a net loss of INR 97 Cr. 

91. Storia

Founded in 2017 by Vishal Shah, the D2C food and beverage (F&B) brand sells a range of processed fruit juices, coconut water, and shakes to customers. It sells its products via retail outlets, other offline touchpoints, and quick commerce platforms such as BigBasket and Blinkit. 

In FY24, the startup saw its operating revenue jump 51.3% to INR 169.42 Cr in FY24 compared to INR 112.01 Cr in the previous fiscal year. Meanwhile, net loss rose 19.5% to INR 32.84 Cr in FY24 from INR 27.47 Cr in FY23. 

To date, the company has raised approximately $12.8 Mn in funding and is backed by Sixth Sense Ventures and several other angel investors.

It competes with Raw Pressery, Smoodies, B Natural, among others. 

92. SUGAR Cosmetics

SUGAR Cosmetics, founded in 2015 by Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee, is an omnichannel D2C brand that sells beauty products. It claims to operate more than 45,000 multi-brand stores spread across 500+ cities in the country. 

The D2C brand has so far raised $90 Mn in funding from the likes of Anicut Equity Continuum Fund, Elevation Capital, Malabar Investments, L Catterton, among others.

SUGAR Cosmetics reported an operating revenue of INR 505.1 Cr in FY24, up 20% from INR 420.3 Cr in the previous fiscal year. Net losses narrowed by 11% to INR 67.6 Cr in FY24 from INR 76.2 Cr in FY23.

SUGAR Cosmetics competes with other beauty and personal care brands in India, such as RENÉE Cosmetics, Mamaearth, and Plum.

93. Super Bottoms

Pallavi Utagi’s tryst with entrepreneurship started when she, as a new mom, struggled to find quality diapers for her newborn baby. While conventional cloth diapers had absorbency issues, synthetic nappies left her baby with rashes.

Realising that there was a huge gap in the space, Utagi leveraged her years of research experience in the pharma space to launch her new venture Superbottoms – an eco-friendly and baby skin-friendly nappy brand – in 2016.

SuperBottoms’s range of products includes cotton ‘langots’, potty training pants, kid’s clothing, among more.

The D2C brand has raised nearly $20 Mn in funding till date and is backed by DSG Consumer Partners and Saama Capital. 

The startup, which retails its products via its website as well as Amazon and Flipkart, reported a revenue of INR 54.87 Cr in FY24, up 14.5% from INR 47.92 Cr in FY23. However, the company also recorded a loss of INR 26.02 Cr in FY24 as against a loss of INR 12.44 Cr in FY23.

94. Sweet Karam Coffee

A brainchild of Anand Bharadwaj, Nalini Parthiban, Srivatsan Sundararaman and Veera Raghavan, Sweet Karam Coffee (SKC) sells preservative-free South Indian sweets and snacks. Its range of offerings also includes the ubiquitous filter coffee and ready meal mixes, catering to audiences across the country.

Founded in 2015, the D2C brand aims to solve the problem of poor availability and accessibility of well-packaged traditional sweets and snacks, which are free from palm oil.

Backed by Fireside Ventures, the startup last snapped up $1.5 Mn in a funding round in October 2023


The brand sells its products via its website and app and has customers in more than 32 countries. SKC competes with the likes of new-age startups such as iD Fresh Food, DropKaffe, Chaayos, among others.

95. Tailor And Circus

Back in 2016, Vasanth Sampath, Gaurav Durasamy and Abishek Elango came together to explore the idea of making antimicrobial, self-cleaning underwear for astronauts. 

In the subsequent months of research, they found that the homegrown men’s and women’s undergarment segment was plagued by basic issues such as lack of comfort and style.

After much deliberations, the idea of Tailor and Circus took shape and the startup was launched in 2016. The D2C brand manufactures underwear for both men and women, offering products such as trunks, bralettes and maternity undies. The startup also sells tops for both men and women and allows users to customise their products and build a matching underwear cart. 

The startup last raised seed funding of $241K from multiple angel and institutional investors in April 2021. 

Tailor and Circus reported a revenue of INR 9.61 Cr in FY24 against a net profit of INR 6.27 Lakh during the same period. The startup sells its products on marketplaces such as Amazon India and Myntra and through its own website. 

It competes with the likes of homegrown brands such as Freecultr, XYXX, and DaMensch, among others.

96. The Ayurveda Co. (T.A.C)

Founded in 2021 by Param Bhargava and Shreedha Singh, The Ayurveda Company manufactures and retails products across multiple categories such as haircare, wellness, skincare, immunity boosters and health supplements.

In March 2023, the D2C ayurvedic beauty and personal care brand raised INR 100 Cr in a Series A funding round led by consumer-centric venture fund Sixth Sense Ventures. Since its inception, T.A.C has raised $16 Mn in funding, across debt and equity, from marquee names such as Sixth Sense Ventures, Wipro Consumer Care Ventures and Vector NXG. 

In FY23, T.A.C clocked a revenue of INR 35.9 Cr against a net loss of INR 20.8 Cr.

T.A.C competes with other Ayurvedic and natural personal care brands in India, such as Lotus Herbals, Auli Lifestyle, and MCaffeine.

97. The Beauty Co

Founded in 2018 by Suraj Raj Vazirani, The Beauty Co is a D2C personal care startup, which sells toxin-free body care, haircare, skincare and essential oils via its website and ecommerce marketplace such as Nykaa, Myntra, Amazon, Flipkart, and BigBasket.

The Beauty Co has so far raised $63.1K in funding and is backed by Samyakth Capital and Venture Catalysts.

The company competes with brands like Mamaearth, The Ayurveda Experience, and Bella Vita Organic in the personal care segment.

98. The Divine Foods

Founded in 2019 by Kiru Maikkapillai, The Divine Foods is a D2C superfoods brand that sells packaged products centred on Indian kitchen staples such as turmeric, moringa, millet, and others. 

Its products primarily encompass four categories, including women care, immunity boosters, diabetic care and kids. The D2C brand’s range of offerings include skincare products, mil mixes, powdered superfoods, and spreads.

Incubated under the Tamil Nadu government’s flagship seed funding scheme, TANSEED 4.0, the startup counts names such as superstar Nayanthara and her husband-director Vignesh Shivan as its investors.

The Divine Foods competes with brands such as Prolgae, The Good Food Company, and Foodrik in the superfoods segment.

99. The Moms Co

The Moms Co, founded in 2016 by Malika Sadani, sells organic products for expecting mothers and babies across categories such as face, hair, pregnancy, and body care. 

In 2021, content-to-commerce unicorn The Good Glamm Group acquired a majority stake in the Delhi-based D2C brand. A year later, The Good Glamm Group further increased its stake in The Moms Co to 90% from 75%.

Prior to the acquisition, The Moms Co. had raised approximately $9 Mn over six rounds from investors including DSG Consumer Partners and Saama Capital.

The Moms Co. competes with other mother and baby care brands such as Baby & Mom Retail and Super Bottoms.

100. The Pant Project

Founded by siblings Dhruv and Udit Toshniwal, The Pant Project offers customised bottom wear for both men and women, with free alterations and monogramming services provided to customers. 

The brand claims to offer over 250 styles, including formal pants, chinos, jeans, cargos, joggers, power stretch knit pants, luxury linens, and wool pants. The company primarily sells its products through its own website and ecommerce platforms like Amazon and Myntra.

The D2C brand is backed by the likes of MGA Ventures, Huddle, Dexter Ventures, Indian Silicon Valley, among others.

The Pant Project competes with other custom apparel brands in India, such as Bombay Shirt Company, Tailorman, and Herringbone & Sui. 

101. The Sleep Company

The story of The Sleep Company starts with a baby. After taking care of their newborn at odd hours, entrepreneur couple Priyanka Salot and Harshil Salot were left aghast when their multiple attempts to buy a new mattress met a dead end. 

Realising the prevailing gaps in the sleep market, especially the lack of innovation, the duo decided to start their own venture and that’s how The Sleep Company was born. 

Since the startup’s inception in 2019, the Salots have scaled up the platform, grabbing the interest of multiple investors, including Fireside Ventures, Premji Invests and Alteria Capital.

The Sleep Company has so far raised INR 190 Cr and is eyeing to create an INR 1,000 Cr brand. With two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in Maharashtra and Karnataka, the D2C brand claims to produce 1.2 Lakh mattresses daily. 

102. The Souled Store

Founded in 2013 by Vedang Patel, Harsh Lal, Aditya Sharma and Rohin Samtaney, The Souled Store is a casual wear and pop-culture D2C startup. Its product offerings include top wear, bottom wear, innerwear and activewear.

It also sells products such as backpacks, sneakers, shoes and socks to customers ranging from kids to adults. 

To date, the company has raised a total of INR 220 Cr from multiple investors. Its cap table includes Elevation Capital, Sahil Barua from Delhivery, Gunjan Soni from Zalora, Revant Bhate from Mosaic Wellness and Ramakant Sharma from Livspace, among others. 

The D2C fashion startup turned profitable in FY24, reporting a net profit of INR 18.2 Cr against a loss of INR 16.5 Cr in FY23. Meanwhile, operating revenue surged 54.26% to INR 360.2 Cr from INR 233.5 Cr in FY23. 

103. The Whole Truth

Founded in 2019 by ex-Unilever marketing executive Shashank Mehta, The Whole Truth sells a range of healthy food snacks such as protein bars, peanut butters, and muesli. It sells its products via its own website, ecommerce platforms, and offline stores.

Backed by the likes of Peak XV Partners, Trifecta Capital and Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India), the omnichannel startup has raised $17 Mn in funding till date. 

It competes with homegrown players like Yoga Bar and TBH in the healthy snacking space. 

104. The Woman’s Company

The moment Anika Parashar’s daughter hit puberty, she was gripped by questions about which feminine products were good enough. While researching, Parashar found that there was a huge gap in the market for female hygiene products, and it was this epiphany that set the ball rolling for her new venture, The Woman’s Company. 

After working as the COO of Fortis La Femme Hospitals for decades, she founded the startup in 2020, along with Roopam Gupta. The D2C brand operates in the women’s hygiene space and sells products such as sanitary pads, tampons, menstrual cups, and bamboo razors, among others. 

The D2C startup last raised $1.4 Mn in 2021 from marquee names such as Pradip Burman of Dabur. 

The startup sells its products through its website and marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, and Nykaa, among others. 

105. True Elements

Founded in 2013 by Puru Gupta and Sreejith Moolayil, True Elements is an omnichannel brand that sells millet, grains, and seeds-based breakfast and snacks. 

Apart from its own website and ecommerce platforms, it also retails its products at brick-and-mortar stores. Backed by the likes of Marico and Maharashtra State Social Venture Fund, the startup has raised $2 Mn in funding till date. 

In 2022, FMCG major Marico acquired a 53.98% stake in the Bengaluru-based startup’s parent HW Wellness Solutions for an undisclosed amount.

106. Vahdam Teas

Vahdam, founded in 2015 by Bala Sarda, is an online tea brand. It sells its products in domestic as well as international markets.

In September 2021, Vahdam reportedly secured INR 174 Cr in its Series D round led by IIFL AMC’s PE Fund. To date, the startup has secured INR 290 Cr in funding.

It competes with the likes of Dorje Teas, Teabox, Organic India, Tea Trunk as well as QSR chains like Chai Point and Chaayos.

107. Voylla  

Voylla, founded in 2011 by Vishwas Shringi, is an online artificial and silver jewellery brand. It sells jewellery and other allied products through its website and ecommerce marketplaces. 

In 2021, Voylla was acquired by Thrasio-style D2C aggregator GOAT Brand Labs. Besides Voylla, GOAT Brand Labs also acquired 14 other brands, including Label Life, trueBrowns & Abhishti, Frangipani, Neemli and Nutriglow, among others.

Prior to the acquisition, Voylla had raised a total of $16.9 Mn funding in Series B and Series A funding rounds. Its cap table includes Peepul Capital, Snow Leopard Technology Ventures and a slew of other angel investors.

108. Wakefit 

Founded in 2016 by Ankit Garg and Chaitanya Ramalingegowda, Wakefit sells a host of sleep and home decor products such as mattresses, pillows, bed frames, comforters, and back cushions, among others. It sells these products via its website and ecommerce marketplaces.

The Bengaluru-based startup manufactures products at its facilities in Bengaluru, Jodhpur and Delhi.

Wakefit has raised a total funding of $145 Mn so far. Its cap table includes Peak XV Partners, Verlinvest and SIG. 

109. Wellbeing Nutrition

An avid runner, Avnish Chhabria used to rue the lack of homegrown options for organic and plant-based nutritional supplements in India, which were necessary for him to stay at the top of his game. 

His dependence on global brands ignited the idea of building a desi plant-based vitamin and mineral supplements brand. With an eye on offering a better-priced alternative to a majority of Indians who could not afford to import plant-based supplements, Chhabria founded Wellbeing Nutrition in late-2019. 

It currently offers more than 53 SKUs and deploys an omnichannel strategy to woo customers. The brand manufactures plant-based vitamin and mineral supplements in the form of capsules, oral strips, and effervescents, among others. 

The startup partners with a global team of gastroenterologists to nutritionists to build its line of products. Besides, it sources its raw materials from more than 200 organic farms and certified companies from across 19 countries.

Backed by the likes of Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) and Fireside Ventures, Wellbeing Nutrition has so far raised $10 Mn from multiple investors. In 2022, Hindustan Unilever acquired a 19.8% stake in the startup through primary infusion and secondary buyout for INR 70 Cr.

110. Wellversed 

Founded in 2018 by Aanan Khurma, Aditya Seth and Ripunjay Chachan, Wellversed is a health and wellness brand. Its products are sold via its website and ecommerce marketplaces.

It sells health plans that focus on addressing chronic issues such as weight loss, skin nourishment, hair care and sexual wellness. Wellversed also sells a wide range of food products and supplements that suit multiple nutrition regimes and diet plans 

It has raised a total of $3.2 Mn in funding from investors such as Jubilant Foodworks, Yuvraj Singh, KLUB Works and Velocity.

It competes with the likes of names such as Mensa Brands, GlobalBees, GOAT Brand Labs, and Patanjali.

111. Wingreens Farms 

Founded in 2011 by Anju Srivastava and Arun Srivastava, Wingreens Farms sells packaged food products such as sauces and spreads, spice mixes, breakfast cereals, non-dairy milk, and protein shakes, among others. It sells these products via its website and offline distribution network in more than 200 Indian cities.

In May 2022, the D2C food brand acquired Postcard’s parent company Dharmya Business Ventures for about $2.1 Mn in a cash and share swap deal.

So far, it has secured a total funding of $59 Mn from investors such as Peak XV Partners, Investcorp, and Anicut Capital. 

112. WishCare

Founded in 2019 by Stuti Kothari, Ankit Kothari and Ayush Kothari, WishCare is a sustainable beauty care brand that sells a range of sustainable skincare and haircare products.

WishCare’s portfolio spans products such as hair treatments, hair growth serums, face serums, and body lotions. The company claims that its products are formulated with clinically proven ingredients.

The D2C brand sells its products through its own website as well as more than 15 ecommerce platforms such as Nykaa, Amazon, and Flipkart, among others.

WishCare has so far raised $2.4 Mn in funding from Unilever Ventures. 

113. Wonderchef 

Wonderchef, founded in 2009 by Ravi Saxena and celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, offers cookware, kitchen appliances, bakeware, and other allied culinary tools. 

In 2021, it secured INR 150 Cr in a funding round led by Sixth Sense Ventures, with participation from Godrej Family Office, Malpani Group, and other high-net-worth individuals.

It claims to have over 500 SKUs and a presence in India, the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada, among others. 

The company competes with brands such as P-TAL, Healux International, and Select Brands in the kitchenware and home appliances market. 

114. Wooden Street 

Wooden Street, founded in 2015 by Lokendra Ranawat, Dinesh Pratap Singh, Virendra Ranawat and Vikas Baheti, sells furniture and home decor products such as modular furniture, kitchen and wardrobe, lighting and office furniture, among others, via its website.

In December 2024, the company raised INR 354 Cr in a Series C funding round led by Premji Invest, bringing its total funding to nearly $78 Mn.

In FY24, Wooden Street reported a revenue of over INR 260 Cr against a net loss of INR 10.9 Cr. The company competes with other furniture and home décor brands such as Pepperfry, HomeLane, and Urban Ladder.

115. WOW Skin Science

Founded in 2014 by Manish Chowdhary and Karan Chowdhary, WOW Skin Science is a beauty and personal care brand. It sells a host of skincare, haircare, body care and nutraceutical products via its website..

In June 2022, the Bengaluru-based D2C skincare brand secured $48.02 Mn from Singapore-based GIC at a post-money valuation of $280 Mn. 

In FY24, WOW Skin Science reported a revenue of INR 233.5 Cr, a 9.54% YoY decline, against a net loss of INR 130.2 Cr. 

WOW Skin Science competes with brands such as Mamaearth, SUGAR Cosmetics, Purplle, Foxtale, and MCaffeine in the beauty and personal care space. 

116. XYXX

Founded in 2017, by Yogesh Kabra, XYXX is a D2C menswear brand that sells a range of products across categories such as underwear, loungewear and athleisure. 

What works in favour of the brand is its fashionable touch and skin-friendly fabrics that it claims is suitable for India’s humid climate. The idea germinated after Kabra realised that there was a big gap in the Indian men’s innerwear market, which suffered across the board from style to comfort. 

XYXX reported a revenue of INR 131.47 Cr in FY24 against a net loss of INR 35.44 Cr during the same fiscal.

To date, the company has raised a total of INR 251.68 Cr in funding and is backed by Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund. 

XYXX’s primary competitors include DaMENSCH, Almo Wear, and Tailor and Circu

117. Zappfresh

Founded in 2015 by Deepanshu Manchanda and Shruti Gochhwal, ZappFresh is a Gurugram-based D2C meat delivery startup. The IPO-bound startup has raised a total of $14.5 Mn in funding to date from investors, including SIDBI Venture Capital, LetsVenture, and others.

In August 2024, Zappfresh filed its DRHP for an IPO to raise funds for expansion and acquisitions. The public issue comprises a fresh issue of 5.9 Mn shares. 

In FY24, the company reported INR 90 Cr in revenue, up from INR 56 Cr in FY23.

It competes with the likes of players such as Licious as well as quick commerce players such as Swiggy Instamart, and Blinikit, among others.

118. Zivame 

Zivame, founded in 2011 in Bengaluru by Richa Kar and Kapil Karekar, sells lingerie, activewear, shapewear and sleepwear via its website and offline retail stores. 

In 2020, Reliance Brands acquired a 15% stake in Zivame. Following this, the conglomerate also announced the acquisition of an 89% stake in the lingerie brand for a consideration of INR 950 Cr last year.

In FY24, the company reported revenue of INR 191.7 Cr, a 41.55% decline from the previous year. Its net loss stood at INR 39.4 Cr during the same period.

Zivame competes with other lingerie brands in India, including Clovia, Amante, and international brands like Victoria’s Secret.

119. Zoff

Founded in 2018 by siblings Akash and Ashish Agrawal, Zoff (Zone Of Fresh Food) is a D2C spice brand that sells a range of products across ground, blended and whole spice categories.

The company employs cold grinding and airtight zip-lock packaging to preserve the freshness and quality of its spices.

It sells its products on quick commerce platforms such as Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart and Zepto as well as modern trade (MT) retail stores. 

Zoff has so far raised INR 41 Cr in funding. The startup also featured on the hit TV show Shark Tank India in 2023, where it bagged an INR 1 Cr deal from boAt cofounder Aman Gupta.

In FY24, Zoff reported a revenue of INR 93 Cr against a net profit of INR 1 Cr during the fiscal.

It competes with the likes of established players such as Tata Sampann, Patanjali, MDH Masala, Everest Spices, among others in the highly-competitive Indian spices industry.

This is a running article, we will keep adding more names to the list.


Update | January 31, 2025

The listicle has been updated to add three new brands and removed non-operational labels.

Update | August 8, 2024

The listicle has been updated to add three new brands.

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Ola Electric Shares Skyrocket 14% On Launch Of Gen 3 Escooters

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Ola Electric Shares Skyrocket 14% On Launch Of Gen 3 Escooters

Shares of Ola Electric skyrocketed 14.43% in early trade to INR 76.50 apiece on the BSE today (January 31) after the Bhavish Aggarwal-led company launched its Gen 3 escooter series.

The electric mobility company unveiled 8 new escooters across mass and premium segments, built on the advanced Gen 3 platform, claiming it will give a 20% boost to peak power, reduce costs by 11%, and increase range by 20%.

 The Gen 3 electric two-wheeler portfolio includes the S1 Pro+, S1 Pro, and the more affordable S1 X and S1 X+ models – all of which sport Ola’s latest EV operating system, ‘MoveOS 5’. 

While the entry-level S1 X with a 2kWh battery is priced at INR 79,999, Ola’s flagship Gen 3 S1 Pro+ with a 5.3 kWh battery will set riders back by INR 1,69,999, as per the company’s exchange filing.

Ola kickstarted the EV revolution in the country with its Gen1 scooters and made EV two-wheelers more accessible with Gen2 by expanding its portfolio, said Aggarwal.

“Today, with Gen 3, we are taking the EV 2W industry to the ‘next level’,” said Ola’s founder. 

With the Gen 3 platform, the company has also introduced the category-first dual ABS (anti-lock braking system) and patented brake-by-wire technology for EV scooters.

The EV manufacturer will start delivering its Gen3 scooters in mid-February. Simultaneously, it will also roll out the beta version of MoveOS 5, giving Ola riders access to several new features such as Smartwatch App, Road Trip Mode, Live Location Sharing, among others.

It is to be noted that Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor surpassed Ola Electric in terms of escooter sales in December. The company has been expanding its product catalog and store network to regain lost ground.

Earlier this month, Ola Electric started production of its ‘Roadster’ electric bike, which the company unveiled in August 2024. The company also showcased the electric bike, along with its other offerings – Ola Gig and Ola S1 Z, at the Bharat Mobility Expo 2025.

This comes at a time when the EV manufacturer is facing scrutiny from the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) over allegations of delays in providing services and deliveries, defective vehicle sales and other consumer complaints.

 

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Budget 2025: Gaming Startups Revive Hopes Of GST Relief

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Economic Survey 2025 - 5G connectivity

Mounting regulations and rising tax loads have been weighing heavy on online gaming, particularly in the real-money gaming (RMG) space. The industry, however, stayed in the game with hopes of a relief running high in the run-up to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Union Budget speech tomorrow (1 February).

After the Union Budget 2023-24 fell short of expectations with no specific mention of online gaming or policies aimed at addressing its concerns, the industry hopes that the FM will this year help it secure regulatory clarity and move along the growth path.

Despite the industry’s anticipation, the promised “review” of a hike in the GST rate on services from 18% to 28% on deposits remained unfulfilled. This uncertainty has left stakeholders grappling with a lack of clarity in direction.

The sector turned vocal about a slash in the GST rate as the budget neared. The stakes are high as illegal betting platforms have seen a surge in transactions, amounting to INR 8.2 Tn, while users continue to migrate to offshore platforms due to the increasing tax burden on domestic operators.

An Ernst & Young and USISPF report had earlier projected that the online gaming sector would create 250,000 jobs by 2025, but in the new tax regime, this estimate has been hacked to just 30,000. A staggering 83.3% of companies are now facing significant challenges in expanding their workforce.

While real-money gaming companies bear the brunt of these tax policies, sectors like video gaming may have different expectations, as online gaming stakeholders will also be keenly monitoring the developments in industries such as semiconductors, AI skilling, startup taxation, and customs duties on tech components – sectors that could indirectly impact the gaming ecosystem.

As the Union Budget 2025-26 is now just a day away, it’s time to take another look at the wish list of the online gaming companies.

Lower GST On Skill-Based Gaming

The real money gaming sector is focussed on a single issue till now: the 28% GST on first-time deposits made by registered users. This rate, which applies uniformly to both skill-based and chance-based games, has replaced the previous distinction where skill-based games were taxed at 18% and chance-based games at 28%.

As per experts Inc42 spoke to, the gaming industry’s key expectation is that the government revisit its current stance and lower the GST rate on skill-based games to 18%, aligning it with the tax framework applied to other service sectors.

In 2024, India’s online gaming industry showed a high rate of growth, overcoming regulatory challenges and the impact of the 28% GST levy. Despite these hurdles, the sector has exceeded the expectations, reaching $3.8 Bn in revenue in FY24, according to Roland Landers, chief executive of industry body All India Gaming Federation.

Landers hopes that the government will consider reducing the GST rate and addressing retrospective taxation issues. Such steps would provide much-needed clarity and create an environment conducive to further growth and innovation in the sector.

“While we are absorbing the impact of the increased GST, we’re also exploring international markets for growth. However, India remains our top priority due to its potential as the leading gaming market. The growth of this sector in India is vital, and any policy changes here will significantly influence its future,” an executive with an RMG startup said.

Some industry executives, however, have very little hope that the government would announce anything with regard to taxation in this budget.

Increasing Role Of AI, Semiconductors

Startups in the core online gaming segment are increasingly reliant on industries such as AI and semiconductors for game development and hardware capabilities. As a result, they are closely monitoring any announcements or developments from these sectors that could have an impact on their growth and innovation.

“We hope to see measures that accelerate the growth of India’s gaming and e-sports industry. Incentives for semiconductor design and manufacturing could bolster the tech ecosystem and elevate gaming hardware standards. Similarly, tax relief for middle-income groups could boost disposable income, creating opportunities for studios to develop India-centric gaming IPs,” Akshat Rathee, cofounder and managing director of NODWIN Gaming, said.

Initiatives supporting AI skills for rapid game deployment and quality assurance would play a pivotal role in keeping pace with global advancements, enabling faster development cycles and enhancing game quality.

With cross-platform gaming and e-sports gaining significant traction in India on the back of increasing demand for seamless experiences across mobile, PC, and console platforms, gaming PCs are also becoming increasingly important.

According to Vishal Parekh, chief operating officer at CyberPowerPC India, PC gaming titles are likely to be a part of the Olympic Esports Games 2025, there’s an unprecedented opportunity to position India as a global gaming powerhouse. Provisions such as reduced customs duties on gaming hardware, tax incentives to foster growth, and investments in digital infrastructure could enhance accessibility and affordability for gamers across the country.

“Supporting the adoption of high-performance gaming PCs would not only fuel India’s gaming culture but also boost our chances of securing medals in global esports tournaments,” he said.

Infrastructure And Investment In AVGC-XR

To develop gaming and e-sports as a mainstream economic force, the government should prioritise incentives for IP creation, reductions in TDS on digital platforms, and tax benefits for gaming and e-sports companies, Rajan Navani, founder and chief executive of JetSynthesys, said.

Navani pitched for policies that support content creators with grants and infrastructure for production and distribution, stating that these can amplify India’s influence in the global content economy.

Milind D Shinde, founder and chief executive of 88 Games, echoed him. “In 2025, we hope to see further incentives for gaming studios, particularly those developing Made-in-India games which reflect our unique culture and stories on a global stage. Enhanced investment in AVGC XR infrastructure, tax benefits for gaming startups, and support for training initiatives in gaming design and development can position India as a global hub for gaming innovation.”

FM Sitharaman had announced the establishment of an Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, and Comic (AVGC) task force in her Union Budget speech in 2022. The task force was officially set up two months later under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. In December 2022, the task force proposed the formation of a national AVGC Mission with a dedicated budgetary outlay to promote the sector.

There has been no update on budgetary allocation yet. The Union Cabinet last year cleared the setting up of a National Centre of Excellence (NCoE) for animation, visual effects, gaming, comics, and extended reality (AVGC-XR) with an eye on creating IPs for domestic consumption and global outreach.

“The government’s focus on advancing the AVGC sector is promising, and we look forward to increased funding and policy support for this initiative,” AIGF’s Landers said, reflecting the expectation of a large segment of the gaming industry.

[Edited by Kumar Chatterjee]

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Economic Survey 2025: Reduction In Electronic Imports, 99% Smartphones Made In India

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Economic Survey 2025 - Electronic Good Production

The production of electronic goods in India stood at INR 9.52 Lakh Cr in FY24, against INR 1.90 Lakh Cr in FY15, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament today (January 31).

The country has also reduced its dependence on smartphone imports with 99% of them being manufactured domestically, the survey said.

“In FY24, the country produced approximately 33 Cr mobile phone units, with over 75 % of the models being 5G enabled,” it added.

As per the survey, India’s electronics market represents 4% of the global market. It further adds that the industry has majorly grown in the aspect of assembly with limited progress in design and manufacturing.

As per FY15’s data, mobile phone imports accounted for 78% of the market in value terms. This number was trimmed down to 4% by FY23.

The survey said that the large domestic market, availability of skilled talent and low-cost labour are the key drivers of this growth.

It is pertinent to note that as a part of “Make In India”, Chinese consumer electronics major Lenovo recently said that it is looking to double the production of its mobile phones and laptops in India during FY25.

Similarly, last month, homegrown electronics manufacturer Dixon Technologies inked a pact with Vivo India to launch an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) facility via a joint venture to make smartphones in India.

As per a 2024 report by India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), India became the 2nd largest smartphone maker globally, with 2.5 Bn phones in 10 years.

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Economic Survey 2025: 149 Women-Led Startups Bagged Over INR 3K Cr Via AIFs

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Economic Survey 2025: 149 Women-Led Startups Bagged Over INR 3K Cr Via AIFs

In a push to women entrepreneurship, more than INR 3,000 Cr have been invested across 149 women-led startups through alternative investment funds (AIFs), the Economic Survey 2024-25 said. 

Women are at the forefront of driving innovation, as almost half of the startups out of 1,57,066 recognised under the Startup India Initiative have at least one woman director.

The survey also mentioned that the Start-up India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS), a government initiative to provide financial assistance to early stage startups, has approved INR 227.12 Cr in funding for 1,278 women-led startups since inception in 2021.

Under the credit guarantees scheme for startups, women entrepreneurs received 90% guarantees.

Notably, out of the total 97.68 Lakh guarantees approved under CGSS, 22% were for women, as per the survey. The credit scheme has guaranteed INR 24.6 Cr in loans for women-led ventures. 

The economic survey also highlighted that 63% of the 2.41 Cr enterprises formalised since January 2023 are owned by women. 

Further, in a boost to women-owned startups, the survey said that 10% of the fund of funds for startups is reserved for women. 

The survey also recognised Telangana’s WE Hub (Women Entrepreneurs Hub), a state-led incubator for women entrepreneurs a significant move to provide women entrepreneurs access to technical, financial, governmental, and policy support. 

It has raised INR 177 Cr in funding and incubated 6,376 start-ups and SMEs. It has also engaged around 7828 entrepreneurs and has launched 87 start-up programmes, and 75 per cent of the startups survive beyond 2 years, the survey added. 

The Startup India initiative aims to build a strong homegrown startup ecosystem while nurturing innovation and encouraging investments.

Under the initiative, 157,066 startups are recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and 759,303 users are registered on the portal till date.  

Notably, DPIIT-recognised startups get access to a variety of incentives and sops under schemes like Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS). 

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Economic Survey 2025 Calls For Higher R&D Spending In Advanced Battery Tech To Boost EV Ecosystem

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Economic Survey 2025 Calls For Higher R&D Spending In Advanced Battery Tech To Boost EV Ecosystem

The Economic Survey 2024-25 has called for increased spending on R&D in advanced battery technologies such as Sodium–ion and Solid-state batteries to strengthen the electric vehicle ecosystem in the country.

Government initiatives like FAME, PLI for auto components and the scheme for promotion of manufacturing electric passenger cars in India (SPMEPCI) demonstrate India’s awareness to build domestic supply chains, the survey noted.

However, it suggested that going forward, policies for electric vehicles must focus on de-risking supply chains by promoting a more self-reliant ecosystem powered by increased R&D in advanced battery technologies. “Securing intellectual property in this domain can prove invaluable,” the survey said.

In the interim, the government should reward companies manufacturing EV cells (Lithium-ion) as most manufacturing and value addition happens up to the cell-making stage.

While the government has been pushing for greater adoption of EVs in the country, India still relies heavily on imports from China for EV production, the survey warned.

“The import intensity of e-vehicle production – especially from countries with whom India has persistent and large trade deficits is very high,” the Economic Survey 2025 said.

India still relies on China for 75% of its lithium-ion battery demand. While China’s dominance in the global EV supply chain has helped India meet its short-term goals, “indigenising the technology and raw materials for electric mobility,” is crucial to sustaining the growth momentum, according to the Economic Survey 2025.

Amid the Centre’s push to increase EV adoption in India, the union cabinet approved the ‘PM Electric Drive Revolution in Innovative Vehicle Enhancement (PM E-DRIVE) Scheme’ with an outlay of INR 10,900 Cr for two years in September 2024.

PM E-Drive, which will effectively replace the FAME subsidy scheme, will provide subsidies and demand incentives worth INR 3,679 Cr for electric two-wheelers (E2Ws), three-wheelers (E3Ws), ambulances, trucks and other emerging EVs.

Under the scheme, the Ministry of Heavy Industries will also launch e-vouchers for EV buyers to avail demand incentives.

 

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Economic Survey: Govt’s New Programme To Bridge Tech Gap For Small Businesses

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Economic Survey Small Business

In an effort to fuel India’s small businesses, the Centre has unveiled Micro and Small Enterprises-Cluster Development Programme (MSE-CDP) to develop business clusters across the country, the Economic Survey 2024-25 said.

This programme will provide a common facility centre which will act as a channel to address common issues such as technology development, skills, quality, among others, for MSEs, the survey said.

It further highlighted that the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME) has emerged as a highly vibrant sector of the Indian economy.

Betting on the potential of MSMEs, the government also introduced the Self-Reliant India (SRI) Fund in 2020, with a corpus of INR 50,000 Cr, to provide equity funding for MSMEs to scale their business operations.

To note, the SRI Fund has the provision of INR 10,000 Cr from the Centre while the remaining INR 40,000 Cr came in via private equity and venture capital funds.

In the past year alone, SRI Fund participated in backing VC funds of early and growth stage investors such as Cactus Venture Partners in early February and Pavestone VC in mid-November.

This development also comes at a time when the ministry for MSME partnered with Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) to launch MSME Trade Enablement And Marketing (TEAM) with an allocation of INR 277.35 Cr, earlier this month.

It is pertinent to note that finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in her previous budget presentation, announced plans to establish ecommerce export hubs in a public-private partnership (PPP) model to empower MSMEs and traditional artisans to sell their products in international markets.

Among the various other initiatives that the last union budget revealed to bolster the growth of MSMEs, the credit guarantee scheme for MSMEs was a ray of hope for much-needed financial support.

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Economic Survey 2025: More than 4 Lakh 5G BTS Installed To Fuel India’s Digital Connectivity

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Economic Survey 2025: More than 4 Lakh 5G BTS Installed To Fuel India’s Digital Connectivity

Pushing India’s digital connectivity, more than 4.6 Lakh 5G Base Transceiver Stations (BTSs) have been installed across the country, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament today (January 31).

Till October 2024, the government launched 5G services in all states and union territories, the survey said

It further claimed that out of 783 districts in the country, 779 have 5G services.

The central government also renamed Universal Service Obligation Fund to Digital Bharat Nidhi in August 2024. Under this initiative, the government aimed to support telecom services and subsidising mobile services in rural and remote areas. As per the survey, 6.92 Lakh KM of Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) were laid till December 2024.

Additionally, by this period, more than 7K sites covering 10,706 villages were commissioned under Union Cabinet’s project 2022, which aimed at providing 4G mobile services to 24,680 uncovered villages in remote areas and upgrade 6,279 villages, which were then using 2G/3G networks.

As a part of Border Villages Scheme, more than 290 4G towers were installed in 319 villages.

Elaborating on the digital connectivity, the survey said that MeghRaj, the GI Cloud initiative is a key component of India’s IT strategy. As of November 2024, the National Informatics Centre was supporting 1,917 applications on its cloud. Additionally, the government selected 23 public and private cloud service providers.

Furthermore, the data centre market in India is expected to grow to $11.6 Bn by 2032, from being $4.5 Bn in 2023.

It is pertinent to note that earlier this month, Reliance Jio launched its new “5.5G” network in India. During the launch event, Jio demonstrated the new network’s capabilities and achieved speeds exceeding 1,014 Mbps.

 

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Mattel’s Barbie Now A Part Of Kiddopia; App Plans Theme-Based E-Learning

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Mattel’s Barbie Now A Part Of Kiddopia; App Plans Theme-Based E-Learning

Paper Boat, the creator of Kiddopia, has added Mattel Inc’s Barbie to its digital learning app and plans to integrate games themed on the iconic brand later this year.

In an exchange filing, Nazara Technologies, which owns 100% stake in Paper Boat, mentioned that the collaboration with Mattel Inc will bring Barbie to Kiddopia’s educational platform, designed to nurture creativity, problem-solving, and learning among young users. It will help the learning app to offer education, blending it with games and entertainment.

“This partnership will offer an exciting new way for kids to learn and play, combining the fun of Barbie with Kiddopia’s educational ecosystem,” said Dhaval Sheth, COO of Kiddopia.

Founded by Anupam and Anshu Dhanuka in 2012, Kiddopia is an e-learning platform for kids in the US which aims to blend kids education with exciting and interactive games to boost learning for our little ones.

Nazara Technologies bought stakes in Paper Boat Apps Pvt Ltd in two trenches. In 2019, Nazara acquired a 50.91% stake in Paper Boat Apps and in July last year, the gaming major completed the 100% acquisition of Paper Boat at INR 300 Cr.

Paper Boat App has been enhancing its Kiddopia platform with new offerings lately. Back in December 2024, the Narazara-owned company inked an agreement with children-focused media production company Moonbug Entertainment to which gave Kiddopia access to Moonbug’s property ”Little Angel.” This integration led to the development of a series of interactive activities and games for children.

Last week, Nazara also raised INR 495 Cr via preferential issue from Axana Estates LLP to boost its aims to become a leader in the gaming and digital entertainment sectors.

The gaming platform has been expanding its portfolio with multiple acquisitions last year. In December it announced to take additional stakes in its subsidiaries–NODWIN, Sportskeeda’s parent Absolute Sport, and adtech Datawrkz and made new investments in kids-play centre company Funky Monkeys and edtech Learntube.ai.

Nazara Technologies’ stock closed at INR 942.55 on the BSE today (On January 31) , up 2.55% from its previous close.

Though regarded as an infamous sector in the Indian startup ecosystem, funding in the edtech sector surged from $283 Mn in 2023 to $568 Mn in 2024, an Inc42 report said.

According to the Inc42 report, the edtech sector in India is expected to become a $29 Bn opportunity in India growing at a CAGR of 26% in the next five years.

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Economic Survey Pegs India’s Data Centre Market To Hit $11.6 Bn By 2032

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Economic Survey Pegs India’s Data Centre Market To Hit $11.6 Bn By 2032

With the rising demand for digital infrastructure, the Economic Survey for 2024-25 tabled in Parliament today (January 31), projected India’s data centre market to touch $11.6 Bn by 2032, at a CAGR of 10.98% from $4.5 Bn in 2023. 

The country’s data centres ecosystem is expanding with rising demand for IT infrastructure and digital services. These data centres cater to the demand for cloud computing, data storage, and artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) applications.

India’s colocation data centre capacity reached 977 MW in 2023 as per the economic survey. At the end of last year, the load capacity was approximately at 1000 MW.

The economy survey said that the total capacity under construction for 2024-2028 is 1.03 GW, with an additional 1.29 GW planned.

In line with it, the number of India’s Global Capability Centres (GCCs) has also grown buoyed by technological advancement. In the last five years, the number of GCCs increased over 18% to 1,700 in FY24 from 1,430 in FY19, the survey said.

Over these years, India has led the expansion of these capabilities centres globally with more than 400 new GCCs and around 1,100 new units established. The GCC ecosystem in the country is also fueled with the adoption of AI and ML in the country. 

In addition, major global organisations are bringing their technology ecosystem to India across sectors including aerospace, defence, and semiconductors. 

The survey also mentioned that the GI Cloud initiative, known as MeghRaj, is a key component of India’s information technology strategy. It is aimed at delivering ICT services via cloud computing to central and state/UT departments.

The MeghRaj initiative ensures optimal use of IT infrastructure and accelerates the development and deployment of e-Gov applications such as digital payments, identity verification, and consent-based data sharing.

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Upstox’s FY24 Revenue Jumps 25% YoY To INR 1,311 Cr

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Broking platform Upstox said that its revenue zoomed 25% to INR 1,311 Cr in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) from INR 1,051 Cr in the previous fiscal year.

On the back of the increase in its top line, Upstox said in a statement that its “net profit” surged 8X year-on-year (YoY) to INR 190 Cr. However, the number excluded ESOP costs. 

With this, the fintech unicorn claimed to have reported a second consecutive year of profitability. Upstox claims to have 1.7 Cr users on its platform, with about 85% of its customers coming from Tier II, III cities.

Notably in FY23, the company turned profitable and posted a consolidated profit of more than INR 25 Cr. 

“We are building a profitable, innovation-driven, and customer-first company that sets new benchmarks in security, speed, and simplicity. Our goal is to become India’s most trusted financial partner, making wealth creation seamless for every Indian.” said Ravi Kumar, CEO and  cofounder of Upstox.

In 2008, Shrini Viswanath, Raghu Kumar, and Ravi Kumar founded Upstox’s parent company RKSV Securities. It ventured into retail brokerage from being a proprietary trading firm in 2012. In May last year, Upstox also forayed into the insurance distribution space

The startup has raised a total funding of about $60 Mn to date and is backed by the likes of Tiger Global. In October, Ratan Tata exited the company with 10X returns on his 1.33% stake which he acquired in 2016. 

Upstox doesn’t charge users for opening a trading account, unlike Zerodha but has a demat account maintenance charge of INR 150. The platform also earns from brokerage and various other charges.

It competes with the likes of Zerodha, Groww, PhonePe, Paytm, among others, in the country’s fast-growing investment tech market. 

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Can Comet Stir Up A Sneaker Revolution With Its Storytelling Playbook?

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The sneaker craze, once dominated by iconic drops from brands like Nike, Adidas, and Puma, is no longer just about comfort or sports, it has become a statement, a status symbol for many, if you will. What started as a trend driven by basketball, hip-hop, and streetwear has now become a full-fledged global obsession. 

From high-heat collaborations like Travis Scott X Jordan and Yeezy by Kanye West to innovations such as Nike’s Air Zoom and Adidas’ Ultraboost, global sneaker trends have shaped consumer preferences worldwide, and India is no exception. 

The country is experiencing a sneaker revolution, and witnessing global brands capitalising on the trend, a brigade of homegrown shoemakers has formed a beeline to claim their share.

While newbies like Neeman’s, Yoho, Rare Rabbit and Solethreads, just to count a few, are tip-toeing their way with ultra-cool sneakers to get a place on Indian shoe racks, traditional players like Campus, Bata, and Liberty are not far behind. Many have even revamped their inventory to align with the latest trends, think Red Tape. 

In this much-cluttered space, there is a shoe brand, Comet, that claims to have captured the interest of sneakerheads with shoes that have a tale to be told. With this playbook, Comet has scaled to over 12,000 customers monthly and boasts a sneaker community of 1.6 Lakh+ followers on Instagram. The startup claims that its current monthly revenue is around INR 4-5 Cr.

Founded in July 2023, by Utkarsh Gupta and Dishant Daryani, Comet is a D2C sneaker brand, which sells products for both men and women primarily through its website. 

“No one is telling stories through sneakers in India. Most brands rely on celebrities and traditional marketing, but we didn’t have the budget for that. What we did have is a deep understanding of emotions and culture,” said Gupta cofounder of D2C sneaker brand Comet.

While the brand currently offers over 15 SKUs, all of them are colourful variations of a single model. However, as per the founder, what truly sets the brand apart is its limited-edition sneaker drops every 1-2 months, designed to bring storytelling and culture into sneaker fashion. 

According to the founder, these limited-edition designs sell out in just 15 minutes. Some of their standout releases include Mango, Pataka, Skribble, and Jugnu.

The brand recently started expanding its physical presence and is now available in multi-brand outlets like Broadway in Delhi’s Ambience Mall and select sneaker stores such as Dawntown in Mumbai and Streat Junkies in Bengaluru.

The startup has so far raised over $7 Mn and counts Elevation Capital and Nexus Venture Partners as its key investors.

comet

The Making Of Comet

Comet was born out of Gupta’s admiration for sneakers. While he always had the ambition to build something of his own, the journey of making a sneaker brand began around 2019, during his MBA days at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, Chicago.

It is imperative to mention here that Gupta has worked closely with the CEO of Hotstar for two years as the chief of staff. He was a key member of the core leadership team. 

During his time at Hotstar, Gupta successfully launched Hotstar VIP. After Hotstar was acquired by Disney, Gupta decided to pursue what he had been cradling inside of him for a long time — building a sneaker brand. 

After spending a few years observing the culture of the West, Gupta said he developed a deep admiration for how emotions were intricately tied to sneakers in the US. 

However, unlike the US, where basketball, skateboarding, and sneaker culture had deep roots, India didn’t have any emotional connection with sneakers. He knew that he was looking at a white space, but the question was how to fill it. 

“First, India lacked local sneaker brands. Most options were either expensive global brands or basic local ones. Second, the global sneaker brands were priced much higher in India — often in the range north of INR 10,000,” the founder said.

Deeper market research revealed that India had a dearth of brands that were experimenting with colours. “Most of the brands were reluctant to experiment and stuck with colours like black, white, grey, and navy blue, even though the demand was for more vibrant and fun designs. Besides, most of them used universal narratives rather than something that felt local and personal.” Gupta said. 

Another insight that nudged Gupta one step closer to launching his own sneaker brand was Indians’ willingness to own a pair of sneakers that provided value for money. 

“It is a myth that Indians look for cheap products. We want value for the price we pay,” he added. This epiphany led to the genesis of an Indian sneaker brand, Comet, in 2023. 

Gupta launched the brand with his close friend Daryani with 10 SKUs. While launching Comet, their vision was clear — to offer similar quality and designs as global brands but at competitive prices. Currently, priced at INR 4,299 a pair, Comet sees its closest rival in Puma.

Comet’s Sneaker Journey

Speaking with Inc42, the founders said that while they were very clear on the costing front, they found that marketplaces like Myntra were overloaded with sneakers priced around INR 2K.

This price range, too, did not bode well for the founders. “While we wanted to give global brands tough competition with our strategic pricing, we also refrained from getting lost in the crowd, where most local sneakers are being sold for under INR 2K range,” the founders said.

This is where they decided to make a shoe that looked no less than an INR 10K sneaker and sold it for INR 4K — a strategy that has worked wonders for them so far.   

To test their hypothesis of building an aspirational, value-conscious brand, the founders spent months visiting malls and airports to gather feedback. 

After they got validation, the next stop was to decide how to make the shoe. “One way was to go with an easier option, which was to design the upper part of the shoe and then go to a sole factory and ask them to produce different types of soles. This method was cheaper, quicker, and less time-consuming,” the cofounder said.

However, they decided to take the difficult route of building the entire product from zero, starting with the sole. Gupta said that designing sole moulds requires significant investment and the cost of these moulds is in Lakhs. Therefore, to bring this to reality, the founders raised a round before launching their first product.

The net stop was to find a place to manufacture. According to the cofounders, they couldn’t find anyone in India. 

“This was because the shoe-making industry in India is either focused on low-cost shoes (priced INR 2K to INR 3K) or high-quality formal leather shoes. There is no expertise in sneaker manufacturing,” Gupta said.

Hence, their quest led them to China, where they worked in a sneaker factory to learn how to make one. After learning how to manufacture sneakers, they moved to India. Today, all their production is based in India. While they don’t own a manufacturing unit, they design everything in-house. 

They source the material themselves and provide the designs to contract manufacturers, who then make shoes for them. Currently, they have warehouses in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.

The founders took over 7-8 months to launch the very first product. Next, they started focussing on the storytelling part. For this, they created their first limited edition ‘Mango’, which as per the cofounder is a symbol of joy and nostalgia in the Indian culture.

The shoe’s colour scheme took inspiration from raw and ripe mangoes. The packaging resembled a mango and included grass to add an emotional touch that resonated well with Indian consumers. 

Almost every month the startup launches limited editions ‘drops’, which it never restocks. Each drop comes with a unique story, concept, and design.

“We take the risk of limited-edition drops, producing in small quantities because we’re unsure how they’ll perform. But when the concept clicks, it creates hype — sometimes selling out in 15 minutes. Even if it takes a few hours, it still sells out, showing there’s a growing market in India eager for new and unique designs,” Gupta said.

What’s In Store For Comet?

Given that the strategy of floating limited products has worked well for the brand so far, the founders are now keen on expanding their product portfolio to 45-50 SKUs. They aim to bring in more colours and stories to the market.

Besides, one of the key focus areas this year will be expanding offline. The Bengaluru-based company aims to open 3-4 high street stores starting with Bengaluru in April, followed by Delhi and Mumbai later this year. 

These stores will create a new revenue stream for the brand, with an expected revenue of approximately INR 40-50 Lakh per month per store.

Notably, in the Indian sneaker market, which is expected to generate $3.1 Bn in revenue in 2025 alone, Comet is at loggerheads with brands like Puma. However, it needs to be understood that brands like Red Tape, which offer sneakers in the sub-INR 2K range, have already taken the sneaker market by storm. 

Next, even though the brand boasts an Instagram following of 1.6 Lakh+ individuals, it could feel some heat on the ground, for it has positioned itself outside the ambit of first-time sneaker users, who are either likely to go for something convenient on the pocket or too flashy like Nike and Puma. 

Also, for first-time sneaker users, as the fad is only catching up in India, individuals may steer more towards the latter — flashy and expensive brands.

While we are not saying that the brand won’t find many takers, we feel that Comet may find it difficult to become the go-to shoe for many, especially because it has yet to establish itself as a sneaker-only brand in the Indian market that has only started to explore its sneaker obsession.

This raises a key question — Will the brand blaze in the Indian market or burn out like a comet?

[Edited By Shishir Parasher]

The post Can Comet Stir Up A Sneaker Revolution With Its Storytelling Playbook? appeared first on Inc42 Media.

Economic Survey Stresses Focus On Rapid AI Adoption In India’s Services Space

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Economic Survey AI Adoption

The Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament today (January 31), highlights rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in India’s services sector, making impacts in sectors, including banking, finance, healthcare, telecom, retail and transport.

The report further said that the services sector stands out for its swift embrace of AI, thanks to national initiatives and cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping operations across industries.

AI enhances customer experiences, operational efficiency, and fraud detection in banking; optimizes networks in telecom; improves personalized marketing in retail; and streamlines logistics through advanced route optimization and robotic systems.

In 2024, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India should lead the AI revolution and called on the country’s tech ecosystem to ensure this outcome.

Currently, India is home to more than 200 GenAI startups, which raised over $1.2 Bn in funding between 2020 and the third quarter of 2024. 

The survey also said that the central government recognised that a strong social infrastructure will help graduate workforce towards medium and high skilled jobs, where AI can augment their efforts than the possibility of being replaced, which would essentially consume a long time to build such an infrastructure.

It would also require an enormous amount of intellectual and financial resources to achieve the goal.

This has been addressed at a time when the height of unemployment is yet to come down. As per Inc42’s Indian startup layoff tracker, 2024 saw more than 9K startup employees losing their jobs against over 17K in 2023.

Most of these brands that announced job cuts were largely attributed to the company’s march towards profitability and cutting of redundant roles automated by AI.

For instance, audio entertainment platform Pocket FM announced a restructuring exercise to cut jobs of about 75 employees to ensure its long-term sustainability in the market, earlier this month. Meanwhile, finfluencer Sharan Hegde’s financial edtech platform, The 1% Club laid off 15% of its total workforce on account of AI-led automation, in November 2024.

The post Economic Survey Stresses Focus On Rapid AI Adoption In India’s Services Space appeared first on Inc42 Media.

Will Budget 2025 Finally Bring Startup ESOP Tax Relief?

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In November 2024, foodtech major Swiggy went public with an INR 11,327 Cr IPO. This was one of the largest IPOs in the startup ecosystem of India recently, with many of the Swiggy employees getting a chance to make generational wealth by selling their shares they received via employee stock option plan or ESOPs. 

ESOPs have become a key talent retention and wealth creation strategy for many startups in India, especially as the ecosystem has matured and the surge in the number of public listings. 

However, while the ESOPs are beneficial for the employees, the benefits are yet to come on par with the conventional capital gains from the market. 

How ESOP Taxation Currently Works

Essentially, when employees of startups or unlisted companies receive shares via ESOPs, they have to pay taxes on two occasions: once when they exercise the option (i.e buy the shares) and when they sell them. There is no tax on granting of ESOPs or their vesting period. 

For most employees, the tax is triggered as soon as they are allotted the shares. The taxable income is calculated as the difference between the fair market value (FMV) of each share on the exercise date and the price employees paid to buy each share. This amount is considered as income and taxed according to their regular income tax slab.

However, employees of eligible startups recognised by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) do get a tax deferral benefit. 

This DPIIT exemption is for eligible startups — not older than 10 years old, incorporated as a private limited or partnership and annual turnover of less than Rs 100 Cr.

These employees don’t have to pay tax immediately but can delay it until the earliest of these three events:

  1. Five years after the financial year in which they exercised their ESOPs
  2. When they sell the shares
  3. When they leave the company

However, no such benefit is available for non-startup companies or startups that don’t come into the eligibility criteria. 

As of January 2025, there are about 1.5 Lakh DPIIT recognised startups in India, and there are more than 26 Lakh registered companies in India as of the financial year ending March 2024 (FY24). 

This means that employees of about 5.8% companies or less in India, only receive tax deferral benefits as of now. 

Further, when the employees sell their ESOP shares, they may make a profit (capital gain) or a loss. The taxable capital gain is the selling price minus the FMV that was already taxed when they exercised their ESOPs.

If they sell the shares within 24 months of exercising them, it is treated as a short-term capital gain, and they pay tax based on their income tax slab. 

However, if they hold the shares for more than 24 months, it is a long-term capital gain, taxed at 12.5% plus applicable surcharges.

ESOP Changes Proposed By Startup Ecosystem Stakeholders 

For years, the startup ecosystem has advocated for a more employee-friendly ESOP taxation framework. The key demand is that tax on ESOPs should be deferred until employees sell their shares, rather than being levied at the time of exercise. 

A similar provision already exists for capital assets converted into stock-in-trade, where capital gains tax is only payable upon sale.

Additionally, ESOP gains are currently taxed as salary income, often pushing employees into higher tax brackets. In contrast, capital gains from stock sales enjoy lower tax rates. Industry leaders have argued that ESOP taxation should align with capital gains taxation to ensure fair treatment.

“In the upcoming budget, I anticipate tax reforms to tackle these hurdles – simplifying ESOP taxation, streamlining capital gains tax structure across asset classes or introducing tax exemptions for angel investors and aligning them with global standards to encourage greater inflows of private capital into the startup ecosystem,” said Ashwani Singh, Managing Director of 35 North Ventures.

Another critical demand is revising the turnover threshold for startups eligible for tax benefits. Currently, only startups with an annual turnover of less than INR 100 Cr qualify for a tax holiday. 

Raising this limit would allow more startups to access tax relief, fostering a more supportive environment for innovation and talent retention.

Param Patel, general partner of Volt VC, believes that expanding tax deferment benefits to all DPIIT-registered startups would make ESOPs a more effective incentive. 

Patel further said that “when employees sell their ESOP shares, taxes should apply only to the capital gains—calculated as the sale price minus the previously taxed FMV at the time of exercise—rather than being subjected to double taxation.” 

Globally, countries like Denmark, Japan and the US have similar adjustments to provide employees relief by taxing only capital gains when stock is sold. 

“Startup ecosystem in the last few years has contributed towards India’s growing economic boom, yet ESOPs are still not considered a part of public market investments,” said Mayank Kumar, cofounder of UpGrad.

“Incentivising ESOPs with simpler and appropriate tax structures like shares would make it an attractive wealth creation opportunity and would also help startups attract and retain their talent,” he further explained. 

After taking Angel Tax off the table last year, will Nirmala Sitharaman bring more ‘tax relief’ for Indian startups with simpler ESOP taxation at the Union Budget tomorrow?

[Edited by Nikhil Subramaniam]

The post Will Budget 2025 Finally Bring Startup ESOP Tax Relief? appeared first on Inc42 Media.

Economic Survey: 60 Entities Registered As Fintechs In GIFT City

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AI Can Upend Labour Market, Need Robust Institutions To Tackle It: Economic Survey 2024-25

Around 60 entities have registered as fintechs or techfins in GIFT-IFSC as of September 2024, according to the Economic Survey 2024-25 tabled by the union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament today (January 31).

To affirm its commitment towards innovation, International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) conducted 13 hackathons and received 152 applications from 14 jurisdictions under its fintech entity framework, the survey said.

With the GIFT (Gujarat International Finance Tec) City decking up to embrace the flourishing fintech industries, tech giants Infosys and Wipro were said to be among the first Indian software companies to roll out their fintech hubs in the GIFT City, as per reports from September 2024.

To note, the GIFT City works with the aim to become a hub for international businesses and a price setter instead of a price taker for a few financial instruments, namely bullion. 

By encouraging entrepreneurship, helping startups expand their domestic businesses, and setting up a world-class infrastructure, GIFT City is making all efforts to be comparable to any other leading IFSC in the world. 

The Centre initially notified the rules for direct listing of Indian companies on the exchanges of the GIFT City, in January 2024.

Months after that, chairman of IFSCA, K Rajaraman said that the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) would be revising norms for direct listing of companies at GIFT City by August 2024.

The survey further highlighted that GIFT IFSC has been witnessing strong numbers with more than 720 entities across categories, where international and domestic financial services arena is crawling towards this jurisdiction which benefits from unrestricted currency convertibility as it is classified as a non-resident zone under the foreign exchange management regulations.

In March last year, the Centre and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) inked a $23 Mn loan agreement to spur research and innovation in the fintech space at the GIFT City, where an International Fintech Institute (IFI) would be established to boost and incubate fintech startups and drive research in the sector.

The post Economic Survey: 60 Entities Registered As Fintechs In GIFT City appeared first on Inc42 Media.

Mahesh Bhupathi’s D2C Brand Scentials To Raise INR 34.62 Cr

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Mahesh Bhupathi’s D2C Brand Scentials Gets Board Nod To Raise INR 34.62 Cr

Former Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi’s D2C wellness brand Scentials is raising INR 34.62 Cr (around $4 Mn) in a mix of debt and equity from Indus Way Emerging Market Fund and TIW Private Equity.

Last week, Scentials’ board passed a resolution to allot 89,200 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) to Indus Way at a total value of INR 16.03 Cr.

Additionally, the board also cleared the resolution to offer 18.9 Lakh optional convertible debentures (OCD) to Indus Way and TIW Private Equity for a total of INR 18.58 Cr.

Overall, Indus Way Emerging will be investing INR 32 Cr in the startup. TIW Private Equity will infuse INR 4 Cr via convertible debentures.

The development was first reported by Entrackr.

Founded in 2018 by Bhupathi and Jinesh Mehta, Scentials sells perfumes and body sprays brands which are created by celebrities such as Virat Kohli, Lara Dutta and Salman Khan.

The Mumbai-based startup has raised a total funding of about $10 Mn to date and is backed by the likes of Unilever Ventures, TIW Private Equity, and angel investors.

Scentials competes with D2C brands like Metaman and La’ French, and legacy brands like Axe and Park Avenue .

The fundraise comes at a time when D2C brands continue to attract interest from investors.

For instance, Inc42 exclusively reported that brass and copper utensils seller P-TAL is in talks to raise INR 30 Cr in its pre-Series A round.

Earlier this month, D2C skincare brand Deconstruct bagged INR 65 Cr from L’Oréal’s venture capital fund BOLD, V3 Ventures, and DSG Consumer Partners. Prior to that, Mumbai-based Foxtale secured $30 Mn in its Series C funding round.

At the heart of all these is the growing beauty and personal care market of India, which is expected to become a $28 Bn+ opportunity by 2030, accounting for 7% of the overall ecommerce market.

The post Mahesh Bhupathi’s D2C Brand Scentials To Raise INR 34.62 Cr appeared first on Inc42 Media.

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