If you guys are looking for top d2c startups in India? I am listing some really successful Direct to consumer startups.
One of the main intentions of all businesses is to meet and exceed their customers expectations so that they can become more comfortable with customers and increasingly expand their reach. After two hard years of Covid-19, the perspective of consumers towards different products of the market has changed .Customers are seeking for more qualitative and demand-filling products and brands.
The pandemic has majorly affected the old traditional working model of the business market. The traditional supply chain of manufacturers, suppliers and distributors is seemed to almost over for new startups. Along with the new startups, many of the old unicorn brands are shifting their business model to B2C strategy. D2C (direct-to-consumers) or so called B2C ( business-to-customers) models allow businesses and customers to buy or sell directly, without any retailers and distributors.
In this article we are going to mention India’s top D2C brands and top fastest growing D2C brands , but first let’s have a quick idea about how it works and how it is important to businesses.
What is D2C and how it works
Direct-to-consumer(D2C) or business-to-consumer(B2C) is the business retail model of selling products or services directly to its end users and thereby bypassing any third-party retailers, suppliers, wholesalers, distributors or any other middle source.
Removing the middle source ,d2c brands use their own native stores and websites or platforms like Amazon, Flipkart to provide services as soon as possible .Instead of lengthy negotiations, D2C model gives clarity to brands about intended customers and their feedback.
Why are Brands shifting to D2C models or Importance of D2C model
India is home to more than 800 startups and this data is continuously increasing.Among such great competition, it’s necessarily important for brands to look out the way that can directly connect them to their intended customers.
In addition ,digitalisation is on the verge of upthrust which has driven consumers to e-commerce websites and apps.As a result D2C provides perfect solutions for both, brands and customers.
D2C connects brands directly with their customers through e-com websites like Amazon, Flipkart or with native stores.In India D2C brands are gaining great profit and up-raise in the market, startups are running to great extent as well. The model has been accepted globally.Unlike traditional retailers, D2C brands give customers greater access to brand managers.
Top D2C Startups in India
1. Mamaearth
Founded in 2016 ,the start-up has become one of the most high growth brands in India. Mamaearth is Asia’s first MadeSafe certified brand. The company only uses safe and organic materials to provide a variety of personal care product services.The unicorn is available on all the e-commerce websites like Amazon, flipkart, firstcry and Nykaa.
The users are widely preferring mamaearth and products are promoted by every of its users. The company has revenue of over 500 crores which has increased about 3 times form 2019.
2. Vahdam India
Founded back in 2015 by Bala Sarda, the D2C, premium tea brand Vahdam , is the unicorn in its different business category.The brand has more than 100 tea signature blends and the company is intended to provide freshness in every cup of tea. Vahdam packages their blends straight from farms. The company has a wide range of services in its own website which offers for their loyalty programme and redeem discounts.The maximum revenue comes from US and europe markets.
3. Bewakoof
Bewakoof is an online fashion brand serving customers with their range of fashionable products. Bewakoof is an Online Shopping site for Men and Women Clothing. Shop from a wide range of T-shirts, Mobile Covers, Accessories and more at the best prices. The D2C brands uses its own online shopping website of the same name along with Flipkart and amazon.
Founded in 2011 the net revenue of the brand has increased about 27% in just FY20 from previous year. The company has been one of the remarkable Indian D2C start-ups.
4. Nykaa
Almost all of us have heard about the milestone journey of the great unicorn startup. Nykaa provides their own e-com website for online shopping by the same name. Based out of Mumbai, Nykaa is well-known for its wide range of beauty and cosmetics products, fashion, and intimate wear that the company makes available through its online website, app, and via its online stores.
Nykaa has become India’s top fashion goods and cosmetics brand with their reported 2021 earning of 2,400 crores. The company has more than 84 branches and outlets in 40+ cities .The company was founded in 2011 by Falguni Nayar.
5. BoAt Lifestyle
Widely known for its cost-friendly ,good service gadgets, BoAt Lifestyle is on the race to become Assia’s top D2C based startup. The company was founded by Aman Gupta in 2016 ,whom we have seen in Shark tank India. The unicorn startup is widely known for its base-boosting services in headphones.
The company uses paid promotions through wide range of sportsmen and celebrities and is available on Amazon ,Flipkart and other e-commerce websites .The tech lifestyle brand uses D2C model to serve their intended and loving customers. The products and brand is highly recommended by its customers.
The company has achieved a milestone in revenue as reported 2.2x from FY20 (770 crores approx ) to 1,500 crores in FY21.
6. Healthkart
Founded by IITians Sameer Maheshwari and Prashant Tandon in 2011, the fitness D2C startup is loved by millions of its users. The Improvised public healthcare services makes Healthkart different from any other Health related start-up. The company currently has over 93 branches in 39 cities. Along with a traditional offline management, the brand uses its very own e-commerce store as an operating centre.
The company’s operating revenues in the financial year 2017-2018 stood at Rs 188.52 crore compared to Rs 120.58 crore in the previous year.
7. Sugar Cosmetics
Another big unicorn start-up,a D2C brand Sugar Cosmetics has been on the top of India’s cosmetic brands. Sugar cosmetics was founded by IITian Vineeta Singh in 2015. Immensely growing beauty and makeup startup, sugar cosmetics has more than 2500 retail locations in over 130 cities across the country and abroad.
The company uses platforms like Lifestyle, Shoppers stop, NewU to make their products available for customers.As reported by the company, the beauty brand’s current annualised revenue run rate is around Rs 500 crore and that is expected to reach Rs 2,000 crore over the next 24-36 months.
8. LensKart
Founded in 2010 by Piyush Bansal ,LensKart is one of the first eyecare and optical D2C start-ups which has achieved the greatest milestone so far. India’s biggest eyewear brand LensKart has more than 600 outlets in and over 66 cities across the country. The brand offers more than 5000 frame designs and 45 types of lenses.
The brand is intended to make India healthier eye vision country. The company is very concerned about the child eye problems too, which inspires them to reach more and more cities across countries. As a report the company has over INR 967crores of revenue.
9. MyGlamm
MyGlamm is another major D2C cosmetic startup founded in 2020 by Priyanka Gill . The company has adopted the lifestyle content platform POPxo in order to increase digital reach of the company and create 3C funnel.
Myglamm is one of Europe’s largest natural beauty companies, they are bringing innovation in makeup to accomplish a single, focused goal. Priyanka Gill is the founder and CEO of POPxo too, a digital content lifestyle platform for millennial womens.according to statista – In 2020, the revenue of MyGlamm was worth 439 million Indian rupees.
This was a significant increase as compared to the previous year. MyGlamm is an online beauty brand providing direct-to-consumer services with headquarters in Mumbai, India.
10. Mellora
Mellora is a Bengaluru based leading D2C Company founded by Saroja Yeramilli in 2015 ,is widely known for its unique services in jewels category. The first ever lightweight jewellery start-up that offers jewellery in wide range of designs and affordable prices.The startup said that the current funds raise saw its valuation double from a fundraising round in October 2021 when it raised $24 million.
Launched in 2016, Melora has grown at a 200 per cent CAGR over the last few years the brand currently stands at a revenue of over Rs 360 crore in FY 22.Mellora is known as the biggest distributor of jewellery in India.
