Thank You, Sponsors, For Powering The D2C Retreat 2025

Amid 8,000 acres of protected forest at the foothills of the Shivaliks, India’s first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, laid bare what it truly takes to become the best — the sacrifices, the discipline, the loneliness of chasing excellence.

In front of him sat 50+ founders — some of India’s most driven consumer-brand leaders — reshaping the buying habits of 1.4 Bn Indians. All bound by one question: what does it really take to be the best?

This powerful exchange marked a pivotal moment at the second edition of Inc42’s D2C Retreat, an exclusive three-day residential unconference (12–14 September 2025) where India’s leading D2C founders came together not just to network but to explore, deeply and honestly, the nature of excellence in building brands that move the nation forward.

Surrounded by sal, sheesham and silence at The Oberoi Sukhvilas, Chandigarh, 50+ founders of the country’s top consumer brands stepped away from pitch decks and daily routines to regroup as a community — choosing relationships over networking, transparency over transactions, and vulnerability over vanity.

The conversations were fuelled by passion, genuine curiosity and a shared belief that they are collectively taking India forward, one step at a time.

Each founder at the retreat is steering a business with at least INR 100 Cr in annual revenue; together they drive INR 20,000 Cr+ in turnover. Inside this circle, the dialogue cut deep — IPO readiness, wealth architecture, strategic exits, and more.

The residential retreat hosted folks like Aman Gupta (cofounder & CMO, boAt Lifestyle), Ankit Chona (managing director & founder, Hocco), Vedang Patel (cofounder, The Souled Store), Siddharth Dungarwal (founder, Snitch), Shivam Shahi (cofounder & COO, Blue Tokai), Shivani Soni (cofounder, Beyoung) and Nikhil Doda (cofounder & COO, Lahori Zeera), among others.

Beyond the boardroom energy, every detail — from breakout sessions and immersive experiences to artistic performances and multi-course meals — was curated with precision. Music and magic converged in a private, curated concert: Bismil’s exclusive Sufi-meets-techno fusion (performed on special request) and a throwback set by Gajendra Verma, India’s first indie viral sensation.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our partners — Simpl, Shadowfax, Litestore, NITRO, IndigoEdge, PrsmX (by Mobavenue), HYPD and CashKaro.

Adding a thoughtful touch, the welcome gifts came from Three Sixty, Blue Tokai and NOOE.

Presenting Partner Simpl

Simpl is a pay-later platform inspired by traditional khatas, simplifying ecommerce with one-tap checkout. It processes $1 Bn+ in annual transactions, serves a community of 1.2 Cr shoppers, and partners with 26,000+ trusted brands.

Powered By Shadowfax

Shadowfax is a last-mile delivery giant, delivering 20 lakh+ shipments per day and progressing towards an IPO. Beyond powering the retreat, Shadowfax ensured attendees didn’t have to carry 5 kg of gifts home — delivering them safely to their doorsteps.

Litestore

Litestore helps leading D2C and retail brands expand from online to offline. With 120+ brands across 300,000 sq ft of retail space, Litestore supports names like UniSeoul, Newme, The Pant Project and Bewakoof in setting up offline presence with ease.

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 spans Nitro X, Nitro Capital, Nitro SSO, Nitro Links, Nitro Rewards, Nitro Ads and Nitro Recover, and has onboarded 2,200+ brands to date.

IndigoEdge

IndigoEdge is an investment bank that has advised 100+ transactions with a cumulative deal value of $4 Bn+. It has advised 20+ D2C companies in 30+ transactions totalling $500 Mn+. IndigoEdge also manages an INR 400 Cr secondaries fund, PixelSky Capital.

PrsmX (by Mobavenue)

Mobavenue is an AI-powered adtech and consumer growth company unifying data, AI and media outcomes to connect brands, agencies and publishers with high-intent audiences. Its flagship platform, PrsmX.ai, drives brand awareness and omnichannel programmatic video across Mobile, CTV, OTT and DOOH.

HYPD

HYPD is the operating system between creators and brands. Creators can launch their own stores, curate products and earn when followers shop. In three years, HYPD has onboarded 20,000+ creators, worked with 200+ brands, amassed 20 Bn+ impressions and delivered INR 1,000 Cr+ in GMV.

CashKaro

CashKaro is a cashback app and performance marketing partner to India’s ecommerce ecosystem, driving INR 6,000 Cr+ in annual sales and 2.5 Bn visits via its influencer app EarnKaro. It works with 1,500+ partner merchants and processed 36 Mn transactions in FY25.

Gifting Partners Three Sixty

Breathing life into premium leather through artisanal expertise, Three Sixty creates heirlooms that tell stories. For retreat attendees, the brand designed a portable bar unit that honours India’s heritage while embracing contemporary aesthetics and sustainable practices.

Blue Tokai

From introducing India to specialty coffee to building a passionate community, Blue Tokai continues to redefine how the country brews. Attendees carried home not just memories but the aroma of freshly roasted coffee with the Blue Tokai pod brewer.

NOOE

Reimagining functional desk accessories through timeless design, NOOE crafts products that turn the mundane into meaningful. For The D2C Retreat, NOOE curated the Bento Jot to accompany attendees home — a quiet nudge towards better daily rituals and a calmer workspace.

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