Presented by Inc42 and Shadowfax, and powered by Nitro, Avalara and Kentrix AI, with Bik.ai and Galgotias University as associate partners, the FAST42 Conclave concluded on February 13 in Gurugram
The conclave brought together key stakeholders from India’s startup ecosystem to unveil the fifth edition of Inc42’s FAST42 rankings
The event featured a series of curated conversations on varied themes including ‘D2C Growth In A Profitability-First Era’, ‘Quick Commerce And The Battle For Consumer Mindshare’ and ‘Data, Demand & The Next Phase Of D2C Scaling’
As India’s D2C ecosystem enters its next phase of growth, Inc42’s flagship FAST42 list continues to shed the spotlight on brands building at speed and scale.
Over the past six years, Inc42 has closely tracked the growth of the D2C landscape on the way to unlock a $300 Bn opportunity in the next five years through in-depth reporting, data-led research, summits and cohort-based learning programmes, chronicling how brands move from early traction to scale while navigating shifting capital cycles, operational constraints and evolving consumer expectations.
With digital adoption accelerating and omnichannel retail blurring the lines between online and offline, the opportunity for India’s consumer brands has never been larger.
Today, just around 14 out of every 100 Indians shop online, leaving significant headroom for growth as digital access deepens across the country. The surge in the D2C segment will be powered by a rising smartphone penetration and a digital shopper base widening to 500 Mn by 2030.
As consumption expands beyond metros into Tier II and III markets, D2C brands are increasingly recalibrating their playbooks to balance growth, profitability and long-term retention.
This February, Inc42 brought together the country’s most ambitious founders, operators, investors and ecosystem leaders at the FAST42 Conclave in Gurugram. This half-day, invite-only gathering saw more than 150 attendees across four sessions, discussions and networking touchpoints – all centred on what it truly takes to build, scale and sustain high-growth D2C brands in India.
The conclave featured a curated lineup of speakers from across the D2C ecosystem, including founders, operators, investors and enablers. Names like Praharsh Chandra, cofounder and CBO of Shadowfax; Umair Mohammed, cofounder and CEO of Nitro Commerce; Shantanu Mishra, revenue marketing lead – India & APAC at Avalara; Ritish Garg, cofounder of Longway; Saurabh Kapoor, cofounder of Wellbeing Nutrition; Akash Agrawalla, cofounder of ZOFF Foods; Deepak Agarwal, founder of Auric; Srishti Tanwani, cofounder and CEO of Indo Era; Divyansh Raghuvanshi, Cofounder & CPO of Kentrix.ai; Harsh Somaiya, cofounder of The Bear House; Shreyans Jain, founder of Nutrabay; Mohit Jain, founder and CEO of Miraggio, Rithish Kumar, cofounder of Pee Safe; Anup Jain, founding partner of BlueGreen Ventures; and Renu Bisht, founder and CEO of Commercify360, shared their insights with FAST42 founders.
In a series of sessions, speakers unpacked themes such as speed, density and the rise of hyperlocal distribution, quick commerce and the battle for consumer mindshare, D2C growth in a profitability-first era, and data, demand and the next phase of D2C scaling.
The conclave also marked the official unveiling of the fifth edition of the FAST42 list – Inc42’s definitive ranking of India’s fastest growing D2C brands. Selected from over 250 applications after a rigorous evaluation process, the 42 identified brands collectively reflect the scale, discipline and momentum, shaping the next chapter of India’s consumer economy.
None of this would have been possible without the support of our sponsors and partners, whose collaboration and commitment helped turn FAST42 from a ranking into a platform for meaningful dialogue and ecosystem-level impact.
Presenting Partner
Shadowfax
Shadowfax is a last-mile delivery giant, having delivered over 1 Bn parcels across more than 14,700 pin codes. It focuses on last-mile and hyperlocal deliveries, serving ecommerce, food delivery and quick commerce companies across India. The company went public recently.
Powered By
Avalara
Avalara is a global leader in tax and compliance automation, helping businesses navigate complex indirect tax and compliance requirements with ease. Its cloud-based solutions simplify GST, invoicing and cross-border tax compliance, enabling ecommerce and D2C brands to scale across markets while staying compliant.
Kentrix AI
Kentrix AI is a product intelligence platform that helps businesses build their go-to-market strategies, target the right consumers, and expand into the right markets. All this is done with trusted data and insights to improve profitability, reduce inefficiencies and make faster, data-led decisions at scale.
Nitro
Nitro is a revenue-as-a-service full-stack for ecommerce, D2C and retail brands, solving acquisition and retention bottlenecks with technology. The ecosystem addresses challenges such as anonymous visitors and conversion obstacles while simplifying complex marketing tasks for D2C businesses.
Associate Partners
Bik.ai
Bik.ai is a conversational AI-commerce agent enabling D2C brands to drive customer engagement and conversions. The platform helps brands automate customer support, marketing and retention journeys, allowing them to build personalised, high-intent interactions across the customer lifecycle.
Galgotias University
Galgotias University is focussed on building industry-ready talent through outcome-driven education. With a strong emphasis on entrepreneurship, innovation and technology-led learning, the university plays an active role in nurturing the next generation of founders and business leaders.
Rukam Capital
Rukam Capital is an early stage venture capital firm that invests in consumer products and services companies with strong growth potential. The Delhi-based firm targets businesses focussed on innovation and transformation. It counts startups like GO DESi, Sleepy Owl, Burger Singh, Curefoods, Beco, and Yoho in its portfolio.
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