Hocco, Spinny, Havells, Daalchini, Akshayakalpa, Alpino, Shobitam & More 🚀
India’s D2C ecosystem is compounding at scale — driven by profitability, omnichannel expansion, and a new wave of focused early-stage brands building with clarity. 🚀
National Disruptors:
1.Hocco raises ₹100 Cr in Series C led by Sauce VC and crosses ₹530 Cr revenue in FY26. With strong D2C expansion, quick commerce growth, and supply chain innovation, the brand is scaling rapidly, targeting ₹1,000 Cr revenue and positioning itself as a leading player in India’s D2C food ecosystem.
2. Havells reports a 40% jump in Q4 profit to ₹723 crore with steady revenue growth. Strong performance in cables and switchgear, improved margins, and disciplined costs highlight its strength. Despite short-term demand softness, the brand remains well-positioned as a leader in India’s growing D2C consumer electrical ecosystem.
3. Spinny reports ₹4,747 crore revenue in FY25 with 24% growth and reduced losses. With a full-stack D2C model, improved unit economics, and GoMechanic acquisition, the company is strengthening its auto ecosystem. It continues to scale rapidly, positioning itself as a leading player in India’s evolving D2C mobility and commerce landscape.
4. Daalchini doubles revenue to ₹140 Cr in FY26 with 5.7x EBITDA growth and 5,500 smart vending machines. With strong expansion plans, rising enterprise demand, and upcoming funding, the startup is rapidly scaling, emerging as a key player in India’s evolving D2C retail tech and smart vending ecosystem.
Business Boost:
1.Akshayakalpa Organic enters Mumbai and Pune with a ₹50 crore investment to scale its clean dairy D2C business. With strong revenue growth, expanding distribution, and a focus on organic, high-quality products, the brand is rapidly emerging as a leading player in India’s premium D2C food and dairy ecosystem.
2. Alpino crosses ₹100 crore revenue, reporting 2.5X YoY growth and targeting ₹500 crore in the next two years. Backed by Shilpa Shetty, the D2C health food brand is scaling rapidly through strong omnichannel expansion, product innovation, and rising demand for clean, protein-rich nutrition in India’s growing wellness ecosystem.
3. Shobitam acquires Kalaneca to expand its D2C fashion portfolio and strengthen global reach. With strong omnichannel presence, artisan network integration, and a focus on premium handcrafted textiles, the brand is scaling rapidly, positioning itself as a key player in India’s D2C fashion and lifestyle ecosystem.
4. PrimeInvestor raises ₹19.5 Cr from Rainmatter to scale its PMS offering and expand its wealthtech platform. With a fee-only model, strong early traction, and focus on simplifying investing, the startup is emerging as a promising player in India’s growing D2C fintech and wealth management ecosystem.
Founders Funded:
1.Fifth Sense raises ₹6.3 Cr led by OTP Ventures to build a premium D2C fragrance brand. With climate-adapted products, strong investor backing, and a differentiated positioning, the brand is tapping into India’s growing perfume market, emerging as a promising player in the D2C personal care ecosystem.
2. Clarity Labs raises ₹4 crore in a seed round led by Artha Venture Fund II to build a functional D2C personal care brand. Focused on simple, effective skincare and omnichannel expansion, the startup is scaling rapidly, emerging as a promising player in India’s growing D2C beauty and personal care ecosystem.
3. CureMeAbroad raises $600K pre-seed round from marquee angel investors to build an AI-powered medical tourism platform. With advanced tech, global hospital network, and expansion plans across GCC, UK, and Africa, the startup is emerging as a promising player in India’s fast-growing D2C healthcare and medical tourism ecosystem.
“Some of the most valuable lessons… you figure it out on your own.”
Over time, Akshika realized something simple but powerful.
The real learning doesn’t come from being told what to do.
It comes from being in situations where you have no choice but to figure it out yourself.
No perfect plan.
No certainty.
Just decisions, mistakes, and the courage to keep going.
And in that process, clarity slowly builds.
Looking back, her journey comes down to a few hard-earned truths:
You don’t start with a brand.
You start with a gap.
While most people focus on aesthetics and identity,
the real work is understanding the customer
and building something that genuinely solves for them.
Because brand is not what you create first.
It’s what you earn over time.
There will also be rooms where you feel out of place.
Where you are the only one who looks different, thinks different, or built differently.
Walk in anyway.
Your presence there already matters.
There will be doubt.
A lot of it.
But doubt isn’t a signal to stop.
It’s a sign that you care.
The ones who stop questioning are usually the ones who stop growing.
And through it all, one thing stays true:
You don’t need to be loud to be powerful.
Show up.
Do the work.
Stay consistent.
Let what you build speak for you.
📌 D2C INSIDER UPDATES🚀
Ahmedabad is live today 🔥
Jaipur. Chandigarh. Pune.
Now the momentum lands in Ahmedabad.
Another high-signal room.
Another set of real conversations.
Next up: Hyderabad.
🎟 Register: d2ci.co/cxo-meets
___________
ELEVATE COHORT 6 — KICKOFF 🚀
The next batch of builders is getting started.
Elevate Cohort 6 kicks off in Gurgaon, bringing founders into a room built for clarity, execution, and real growth.
This is where the journey begins.
🚀 Apply: d2ci.co/elevate_register
