Go DESi Bags INR 41 Cr To Commercialise Age-Old Indian Treats

SUMMARY

The startup said that the fund will be used for geographical expansion, deepen SKU presence, and build and strengthen capacity

Founded in 2018 by the brother-sister duo Vinay Kothari and Raksha Kothari, Go DESi offers packaged Indian treats and sweets

The startup claims to have sold over 15 Mn units and their products are available in more than 40,000+ stores across the country

Go DESi, a startup which offers packaged Indian treats and sweets, has raised INR 41 Cr (around $4.9 Mn) in an undisclosed funding led by Aavishkaar Capital.

The round also saw participation from existing investors Rukam Capital, Roots Ventures and DSG Consumer.

The startup plans to use the fresh funds for geographical expansion, deepen its SKU presence, as well as build and strengthen capacity.

Go DESi was founded in 2018 by the brother-sister duo Vinay Kothari and Raksha Kothari. The startup aims to commercialise the age-old Indian treats and confectionery food items, parallelly empowering women of the country’s villages.

It claims to have sold over 15 Mn units and its products are available in more than 40,000+ stores across the country.

Vinay Kothari said, “The funding partnership with Aavishkaar Capital will help Go DESi strengthen its product portfolio, accelerate marketing, rapidly scale our geographic focus and expand our distribution reach. This investment is a validation of Go DESi’s ethos of sustainability and will play a significant role in helping us achieve our vision.”

Talking to Inc42, he further added that the startup has an omnichannel presence. In the southern states of India, the products are available on both online and offline channels, while in cities like Mumbai and Delhi NCR, products of Go DESi are available only on quick commerce and online grocery apps.

On the product line up, he said that the startup is planning product expansion in the sweets category.

According to Kothari, the products are entirely manufactured by women, and going ahead, it aims to employ more women.

Aavishkaar’s investment director Divya Gupta said, “The company has created a strong brand name and a robust distribution engine in a short time. We believe the opportunity is very significant and the Go DESi team has all the right ingredients to capture the dynamic confectionery market in India.”

The startup also made its way to the 2024 edition of Inc42’s Fast42 D2C.