Startup Mahakumbh To Convene D2C Industry Leaders Across 3 Action-Packed Days

In a bid to bring together the country’s entire startup ecosystem, industry body ASSOCHAM, alongside Nasscom, Bootstrap Incubation & Advisory Foundation, TiE, and Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), is gearing up to host Startup Mahakumbh in New Delhi from March 18-20.

Besides over 5,000 delegates, the three-day event will see participation from over 1,000 startups, 1,000+ investors, and 500+ incubators and accelerators. It will also host 10+ thematic tracks and sector-specific pavilions to showcase India’s groundbreaking startups.

A key highlight at the event would be the Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) pavilion, which will be spearheaded by Curefoods founder Ankit Nagori. The pavilion will be a meeting ground for innovators, VCs, business model architects, mentors, and successful founders to explore latest D2C trends and share their success journeys.

Across the three action-packed days, the attendees can network with the who’s who of the D2C world, including leaders from Curefoods, WOW! Momo, Wakefit, Homelane, Faballey, and Biryani By Kilo. 

The speakers at the pavilion will delve into crucial topics like building impactful brands and high-growth teams, and crafting winning GTM strategies. Additionally, the agenda includes engaging fireside chats with unicorn and soonicorn founders.

These dialogues will explore various D2C subsectors — fashion, food, consumer packaged goods (CPG) and home — providing attendees with a holistic understanding of the diverse D2C entrepreneurial landscape.

It will also host a startup exhibition which will give innovative D2C brands an opportunity to showcase their products and services.

“The D2C space is undeniably one of the entrepreneurial landscape’s fastest-growing segments, witnessing a constant influx of hundreds of new brands,” said Nagori. “With the right guidance and knowledge shared by industry veterans, aspiring entrepreneurs can flourish in this dynamic D2C ecosystem.”

Nagori’s statement is in line with the high-growth trajectory being witnessed by the D2C sector in the country. As per Inc42 data, the D2C market is poised to capture a staggering 75% or $300 Bn of the ecommerce sector’s projected $400 Bn market opportunity by 2030, making it the undisputed leader and fastest-growing segment within the ecommerce landscape.

“Consumption is going up significantly. India needs a lot of new brands in every category. There will be investors willing to be part of that growth story. 2024 will be promising for D2C,” Nagori said on investor sentiment towards D2C brands.

Expressing his optimism for D2C brands marking their global forays, he added, “One big requirement is a significant product differentiator. Once that differentiator is built, several marketplaces, such as Amazon, can help a brand go global. Direct shipping is also possible with many players in the space.”

The D2C pavilion promises to be a treasure trove for aspiring and early-stage D2C founders, offering invaluable insights from the success stories of industry titans.