The D2C Summit Agenda Is Live: Decoding D2C Brands’ Playbook To Scale In The Modern Retail Age

The D2C revolution has been reshaping retail for years, and its impact is undeniable. As consumer buying patterns evolve, digital channels boom and D2C brands eye IPOs, it’s clear that new-age retail innovators are here to stay. With India poised to become the world’s third-largest consumer market by 2026, the opportunities are more exciting than ever.

This is the landscape we aim to explore at the D2C Summit, scheduled for 8 August 2024 at The Oberoi in Gurugram. Presented by Inc42 and Broadway, co-presented by Emiza and Simpl and powered by Venture Catalysts++, Zippee, Mobavenue, and Pay10 — The D2C Summit will gather 300+ attendees to unpack the immense potential of D2C and modern retail best practices. Association partners include Peak VX Partners, Rukam Capital and Nitro.

D2C is a multidimensional space that requires mastery across offline, online and omnichannel strategies. Brands that can seamlessly integrate these elements have the potential to unlock high-speed growth and build INR 1,000 Cr businesses — a central theme of Inc42’s inaugural in-person summit.

To this end, we’re bringing real, actionable conversations to the forefront through our carefully curated sessions featuring over 40 retail stalwarts from both legacy enterprises and modern-day brands. This summit represents a confluence of decades of tried-and-tested experience and new-age disruption, aimed at unlocking 10X growth for attending D2C founders.

The summit will feature retail industry giants such as Kishore Biyani of Future Group;  Gaurav Rathod of Cello; Ferns n Petals’ Pawan Gadia and Ayush Bansal of Liberty Shoes. It will also host new age disruptors like BlueStone’s Gaurav Singh Kushwaha; Mallika Datt Sadani of The Moms Co.; Veeba’s Viraj Bahl; Dr Shashank Sinha of Drool; Pankaj Vermani of Clovia;  Renee Cosmetics’ Ashutosh Valani; Midhula Devabhaktuni of Mivi; Shauravi Malik of Wholsum Foods among others.

View The Complete Speaker Lineup

A Sneak Peek Into the D2C Summit Agenda

From immersive masterclasses to insightful panel discussions, from captivating keynotes to engaging fireside chats, the D2C Summit will be brimming with actionable insights. Here’s a glimpse into the high-impact sessions and pivotal themes:

Legacy Brands In Action

Maintaining customer loyalty in today’s fickle market is a challenge, even for brands with decades-long legacies. Yet, some have defied the odds, demonstrating remarkable resilience and achieving extraordinary growth. This summit will spotlight industry pioneers like Cello and Ferns N Petals, unravelling their secrets to success.

The View From INR 2000 Cr: Decoding Cello World’s Retail Empire: Cello is a household name in the retail industry. But how did it achieve a INR 2,000 Cr valuation and maintain its position as a retail behemoth amid fierce competition? Cello’s Joint MD, Gaurav Rathod, will address these questions in a conversation with Innov8’s Dr Ritesh Malik. The duo will also explore how this legacy player, now with a focus on online expansion, is building a digital empire.

Three Decades Of Gifting: How Ferns N Petals Cracked The Omnichannel Play: At the summit, Pawan Gadia, Global CEO and Director of Ferns N Petals, will take centre stage for a fireside chat. He will discuss how FNP became a category leader in the online florist and gifting sector. Gadia will also share his experiences with pioneering ecommerce before the startup boom and how D2C brands can establish an operational framework for both offline and online channels. The discussion will also feature Ishank Joshi, cofounder and CEO, Mobavenue as the moderator. 

D2C’s Roadmap For Exponential Growth: Lessons From Veeba, BlueStone & More

Building a loyal customer base through repeat purchases is just the beginning. To truly dominate the retail landscape, D2C brands must excel at both online and offline channels, becoming seamless omnichannel players. India’s retail sector is ripe for disruption, and several D2C pioneers have already paved the way.

At the summit, Veeba’s Viraj Bahl, in conversation with Emiza’s Ajay Rao, will decode Veeba’s secret sauce to becoming a INR 1,000 Cr revenue brand. The chat will then delve deeper into its blueprint for expanding SKUs, the challenges of starting up a D2C brand in the perishable space and competing with giants while balancing risks and opportunities.

In another fireside chat, BlueStone’s Gaurav Singh Kushwaha will deep dive into how the jewellery brand transformed from a novelty to a D2C mainstay. He will be joined by Simpl’s Nitya Sharma to explore the differences between building a brand and building a marketplace and how to address the trust deficit problem in online jewellery shopping. BlueStone’s IPO ambitions will also be discussed.

Additionally, in a panel discussion, Clovia’s Pankaj Varmani, mCaffeine & Hyphen’s Tarun Sharma, The Moms Co.’s Malika Datt Sadani and Nitro’s Umair Mohammed will share the secrets to scaling and breaking through into the INR 100 Cr Club.

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Unlocking The Secrets To Retail Success

Retail is a marathon, not a sprint. It demands unwavering patience, relentless tenacity and the ability to adapt to ever-changing market dynamics. 

Kishore Biyani, the visionary behind Future Group, will share his thoughts on scripting the future of Indian modern retail In conversation with Vaibhav Vardhan of Inc42, Biyani will offer invaluable insights for aspiring retail leaders on pushing the envelope and evolving with times and changing economic cycles.

Another panel of D2C leaders such Drools’ Shashank Sinha, Mivi’s Midhula Devabhaktuni, and Libas’ Sidhant Keshwani will discuss the nuances of selling on vertical and horizontal marketplaces, and how to maximise sales. They will share their insights on standing out, optimising costs, leveraging analytics and capitalising on the premiumisation trend. Drools’ Shashank Sinha, Mivi’s Midhula Devabhaktuni, Snitch’s Siddharth Dungarwal, Commercify360’s Renu Bisht and Libas’ Sidhant Keshwani will discuss the nuances of selling on vertical and horizontal marketplaces, and how to maximise sales.

Moreover, a panel of seasoned investors titled, Decoding The Great Indian Retail Opportunity, will shed light on the factors driving the retail boom and the key trends shaping the industry. Archana Jahagirdar from Rukam Capital, Anand Lunia from India Quotient and V S Kannan Sitaram from Fireside Ventures, Rohit Bansal of AceVector and Tital Capital, along with Anisha Singh from SheCapital will share their perspectives on seasonality and hype cycles in D2C and retail investments, the game of positioning and identifying the new opportunities in retail. 

With BlueStone’s ambitious IPO plans, and the entry of several D2C brands like Licious and Mamaearth into the unicorn club, it’s undeniable that D2C is the next retail frontier. While achieving this feat is not guaranteed for every brand, the right framework, guidance and roadmap can propel your D2C venture to unprecedented heights, surpassing the INR 1,000 crore mark. Join us at The D2C Summit to unlock the secrets to scaling your business with industry leaders. Not only will you gain invaluable insights but also forge connections with like-minded entrepreneurs and become an integral part of the thriving D2C community.

Explore The D2C Summit