Latest news with #FMCG
Entrepreneur
5 hours ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Udaan Raises USD 114 Mn in Series G Round Led by M&G and Lightspeed
The Bengaluru-based firm aims to deploy the fresh funds in expanding its presence in the FMCG and HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and catering) sectors, boosting its private-label staples offerings, and strengthening its balance sheet to support its ongoing transformation. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. B2B ecommerce platform Udaan has raised USD 114 million in a fresh round of funding led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed Venture Partners, following the USD 75 million first tranche it secured in February. This marks a significant step in the company's Series G round, bringing it closer to its public market debut. The Bengaluru-based firm announced that the newly raised funds will be directed toward expanding its presence in the FMCG and HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and catering) sectors, boosting its private-label staples offerings, and strengthening its balance sheet to support its ongoing transformation. The company is doubling down on financial discipline and a margin-focused approach, critical in today's tighter investment climate. "This fundraise is a vote of confidence in the disciplined, margin-focused model we've built over the past three years," said Vaibhav Gupta, Co-founder and CEO of Udaan. "We are on course to achieve full EBITDA profitability within the next 18 months." Udaan was founded in 2016 by former Flipkart executives Amod Malviya, Sujeet Kumar, and Vaibhav Gupta. In less than a decade, the company has grown to become India's largest eB2B platform, servicing over 12,000 pin codes and offering a wide product range—including staples, pharma, fruits and vegetables, and electronics. Udaan now claims an estimated 70% market share in the eB2B space. Udaan's pivot from a growth-at-any-cost model to disciplined execution has seen impressive results. It now operates under a cluster-led structure, empowering regional teams to drive localised efficiencies. This has helped the company report over 60% year-on-year revenue growth in 2024, a 300-basis-point increase in contribution margins, and a 20% reduction in fixed costs in early 2025. Apart from its core marketplace, Udaan is also expanding its fintech vertical, UdaanCapital, which provides vital working capital solutions to small retailers and suppliers. With nearly USD 2 billion raised to date, Udaan remains one of India's best-funded startups, and industry observers believe an IPO within 12 to 24 months is increasingly likely—contingent on continued performance in credit quality, logistics, and private-label profitability.
Trade Arabia
2 days ago
- Business
- Trade Arabia
Reliance launches Campa Cola in Bahrain with Babasons
Reliance Consumer Products Limited (RCPL), the FMCG arm of India-based Reliance Industries, has launched the Indian legacy brand Campa Cola in Bahrain. Since acquiring Campa Cola in 2022 and reintroducing it to India in 2023, RCPL has revived the heritage brand that held cult status in India in the 1970s and 1980s. Campa Cola's entry into the beverages industry in Bahrain is being launched with partner Babasons, a leading food and beverage group in Bahrain. Ketan Mody, Executive Director Reliance Consumer Products, said: 'We are excited to enter the Bahrain market with Campa, a heritage Indian brand founded more than 50 years ago. We are investing for the long-term and see great potential for accelerated growth in the region. We have a track record of delivering innovative and global quality products at affordable prices to customers. We are delighted to come together with our partners today to transform the beverage experience for consumers across Bahrain. "Campa Cola has multi-generational relevance and reignites a memory and prompts consumers to revisit and relive those cherished moments. Campa isn't just a drink; it's a revival of a legacy, a taste of India, and a celebration of the spirit of today's youth. We're confident it will introduce a new wave of fans to its refreshing taste across all consumers in Bahrain and spark nostalgia amongst Indian expats connecting them to their roots,' said Mody. Anil Nawani, General Manager of Babasons, stated: 'We are proud to collaborate with leading global conglomerate Reliance Consumer Products to bring Campa Cola to Bahrain. This partnership reflects our dedication to offering consumers high-quality, diverse beverage choices that is rooted in heritage."
Forbes
2 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Brands Can Unlock The Creator Economy
Future of the creator economy. getty An estimated 150 million Americans watched Apollo 11 land on the Moon in 1969. Brands like Volkswagen, IBM, Sony, General Electric, General Motors and Panasonic capitalized on the spectacle through broadcast advertising. Many of the world's most recognized brands have been built on the back of TV advertising. Back then, attention was easy to buy if you had a hero campaign and a respectable media budget. Today, audience fragmentation makes it more challenging and more expensive to reach the same number of people. To unlock growth, marketing spend is shifting from traditional TV to influencer marketing. New WFA research shows that 54% of multinational brand marketers plan to boost influencer marketing spend in 2025. In a recent interview, Fernando Fernandez, the new Unilever CEO, highlighted the FMCG's ambition to build 'desirability at scale.' Unilever plans to spend half of its ad budget on social media and work with 20 times more influencers. Fernandez stated, 'Messages of brands coming from corporations are suspicious messages.' He added, 'Creating marketing activity systems in which others can speak for your brand at scale is very important.' The rationale is clear. People trust people more than they trust faceless corporations. However, if brands want to unlock the creator economy's value, they need to overcome three major challenges. Influencer Fatigue Becoming a TikToker or YouTuber is now officially the number one career aspiration for Gen Alpha. Since I first wrote about the creator economy, the market has doubled and is estimated to reach half a trillion dollars by 2027. As more money flows into the sector, the creator content space will become oversaturated and commodified. In summary, a higher proportion of creator content will be brand-sponsored. This is an inherent attribute of marketing. Where attention goes, money flows. However, most people don't follow their favorite creator to learn more about mustard, Marmite or mayonnaise. Unless managed carefully, people suffer from influencer fatigue as their feeds get inundated with inauthentic brand promotions. We are already seeing the rise of digital detox and the resurgence of real-life experiences amongst Gen-Z. Young people want to break free from social media and find human connections again. To avoid influencer fatigue, brands need to surrender control and give creators the creative freedom to communicate with their audience in their own unique way, instead of reading out a corporate message. Nonetheless, working with thousands of creators can dilute brand consistency and equity. Each creator will have a slightly different approach, messaging and audience. Brand managers can't control the narrative like in broadcast media. Therefore, making brands more susceptible to backlash. As seen with Poppi's vending machine controversy, Bud Light's boycott and Shein's influencer backlash after a factory tour. Brands should focus on relevant micro-communities with shared values, interests and passions. Creator-Owned Brands Brands are no longer competing with other brands for consumers. They are now in direct competition with a new generation of creators establishing and growing their own brands. Creators have a strong parasocial relationship with their audience, whereas brands must continuously pay to reach their desired audience. A recent survey shows that 88% of creators have already launched their own product. Moreover, 33% of Gen-Z have purchased a product from a creator-founded brand. Creators are not just distribution channels. They are brand builders. Though most creator-owned brands are small and medium-sized DTC operations, we are starting to see the emergence of global creator-owned brands. For example, Huda Beauty was ranked the number one beauty brand in Q1 2025, above NYX, Dior Beauty and Charlotte Tilbury. Hailey Bieber's skincare brand, Rhode, was recently acquired by E.L.F. Beauty for $1 billion. And Emma Chamberlain's coffee brand is projected to hit $33 billion in revenue this year. For brands, the relationship with creators has to expand beyond a transactional social post into a strategic partnership founded on shared values. Brands bring global scale and resources; creators have a highly engaged community. Building joint ventures and brand ambassador programs should be a top priority. Deinfluencing The deinfluencing hashtag has over a billion views across more than 75,000 posts on TikTok. Deinfluencing is when creators tell followers what not to buy and which brands to avoid. Young people are using social media to discourage needless consumption. The cost of living crisis, growing awareness of the climate emergency and micro-trend fatigue are motivating a growing number of creators to deter their friends and followers from buying more stuff. If the trend continues to gain momentum, it poses a serious risk to brand advertising and influencer-backed campaigns. Deinfluencers often offer hacks, DIY alternatives and better-quality options. The aim is to make people more conscious of their consumption habits. If people still need to buy, a deinfluencer usually signposts their audience to the most ethical and sustainable option. The movement will make creators more wary about the brands they collaborate with. For brand marketers, deinfluencing requires a shift to more honest communication, ethical products and circular business models. Otherwise, your brands and products will be at risk of being deinfluenced. Already, 64% of Gen-Z have decided not to spend with a brand as a direct result of engaging with deiinfluencer content. In the words of Jeff Bezos, founder of the world's biggest e-commerce company: 'Your brand is what other people say about you when you're not in the room.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
British American Tobacco sells $1.5 billion stake in India's ITC via block deal
By Scott Murdoch (Reuters) -British American Tobacco has sold a $1.5 billion stake in Indian consumer goods company ITC at 413 Indian rupees per share, according to a term sheet seen by Reuters. The company sold 313 million shares in ITC, representing 2.5% of ITC, according to the term sheet. This final amount exceeded its initial plan to sell up to 290 million shares in the deal, valued at approximately $1.4 billion. The final sale price represented a 4.8% discount to ITC's closing price of 433.90 rupees on Tuesday. Shares of ITC dropped nearly 3% to 421.70 rupees on Wednesday. The stock was the top loser on both Nifty 50 and the FMCG index. BAT will remain ITC's largest shareholder after the deal, according to LSEG data. Goldman Sachs and Citigroup led the deal, the term sheet showed. The deal is the second major block trade in India this week after IndiGo co-founder Rakesh Gangwal sold a 5.7% stake in the low-cost carrier worth $1.36 billion. BAT said it would increase its 2025 1.1 billion pounds ($1.49 billion) share buyback programme by 200 million pounds as a result of the deal, which is not expected to have any other impact on its annual outlook. The London-listed cigarette maker had last year sold 436.9 million shares, or roughly 3.5% of ITC's outstanding shares, for about $2 billion in what was India's third-largest block deal ever. The British firm in February forecast 1% growth in its annual revenue, citing tax headwinds in key markets such as Bangladesh and Australia. ($1 = 0.7401 pounds) Sign in to access your portfolio
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Trade Setup May 30: Nifty rebounds sharply ahead of May 30; Buying opportunity in dips
The broader market staged a strong comeback on May 29 even as monthly derivatives expiry imparted early volatility. After an initial sell-off, the Nifty 50 rallied more than 200 points from session lows to close at 24,834—up 81 points—remaining comfortably above the 24,800 mark. IT shares led the rebound, bolstered by positive global cues after a U.S. court struck down blanket tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Mid- and small-caps outperformed again, with the Nifty Midcap 100 and Smallcap 100 rising 0.55% and 0.59%, respectively. Among sectoral indices, Metals, Realty, Pharma and IT saw notable gains; only FMCG and PSU Banks ended in the red. IndusInd Bank was the day's top Nifty gainer, climbing 2% despite SEBI barring five key executives—including former MD & CEO Sumant Kathpalia—from securities trading amid insider-trading proceedings. Looking ahead to May 30, analysts see room for further consolidation with dips providing buying opportunities. HDFC Securities' Devarsh Vakil notes that the 20-day EMA, now at 24,618, should offer immediate support, while the 24,900–25,000 zone caps upside moves. Asit C. Mehta's Hrishikesh Yedve recommends a 'buy on dips' approach, pointing to resistance near 25,000–25,100. Bajaj Broking expects the Nifty to maintain its positive bias toward 25,200–25,300, provided it holds above 24,700–24,650 short-term support (with deeper support at 24,400–24,500). Conversely, LKP's Rupak De warns that a breach below 24,670 could trigger a sharp correction toward 24,400/24,300, whereas a hold above that level might spark a swift recovery back to 25,000–25,150. On the banking front, the Nifty Bank index ended at 55,546, up 129 points. SAMCO Securities' Om Mehra says a break above 55,900 could pave the way for retesting record highs, while a slide below 55,100 may invite mild selling pressure. Yedve adds that as long as the 21-day DEMA around 54,900 holds, a relief rally toward 56,000 remains on the cards; resistance looms at 56,000–56,100. Corporate earnings will be in focus next, with quarterly results due from Apollo Hospitals, Vodafone Idea, Nykaa, AstraZeneca Pharma, Genus Power & Infra, Titagarh Rail Systems, KNR Constructions, EaseMyTrip, Inox Wind, Inox Green Energy, Bajaj Auto, Mazagon Dock, NBCC, Lemon Tree Hotels and Amara Raja.
