India’s D2C market has rapidly evolved from its early days in 2013-14 into a burgeoning sector, projected to reach a $300 Bn market size by 2030. With D2C brands now integral to people’s everyday choices, from personal care to food and beverages, their influence is unmistakable. 

The sector’s growth is further underscored by the successful public market entries of players like Nykaa and Mamaearth, showcasing promising prospects for investors and brands.

While major D2C names often capture the spotlight, numerous emerging brands across India are revolutionising consumer habits with their innovative approaches. These brands are not only challenging established ecommerce giants and traditional brands but are also setting new standards in brand building and customer experience.

At Inc42, we have been at the forefront of recognising these trailblazers. Our journey began with a virtual D2C summit in 2020 and has since expanded to form a comprehensive community encompassing D2C founders, ecosystem contributors and investors. Our interactions with these stakeholders have given us insights into how emerging brands are making remarkable strides in captivating their audiences.

In keeping with our yearly tradition, we are glad to announce the third edition of Inc42’s flagship list – FAST42. With FAST42, just like the previous years, we aim to shed a spotlight on India’s top 42 fastest-growing brands, highlighting their significant role in shaping the D2C sector’s future, as well as identifying new and emerging brands with the potential to disrupt their categories.

The third edition, in collaboration with Simpl and Emiza, FAST42 2024 aims to nurture and recognise India’s rapidly expanding D2C brands and to facilitate these brands’ discovery by investors, attract top talent and generate new business prospects.

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What Is FAST42?

The FAST42 list is a compilation showcasing outstanding D2C brands distinguished by their innovative strategies and notable growth in revenues. 

The FAST42 list of brands is categorised under two heads — ‘Growth’ and ‘Emerging.’ 

Each year, Inc42 publishes an interactive online ranking that details the journey of these brands, covering their inception, growth trajectory, key milestones and future ambitions. You can explore the previous year’s ranking here.

In the past editions, we’ve seen over 2,000 applications, a number we expect to exceed as the D2C ecosystem continues to flourish. This presents a growing opportunity for an increasing number of brands to gain recognition and be featured in this exclusive list.

Some of our recognised brands, such as — XYXX, SuperBottoms, Perfora, Snitch, Pilgrim, among others, have grown multifold ever since they made their debut on the FAST42 list.

SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION FOR FAST42!

Understanding The Application Criteria

Growth Category

In this category, India’s fastest-growing D2C brands are ranked on the basis of the highest revenue growth rates between FY2021 and FY2023.

The brands should:

• Be founded before April 2021
• Have generated at least INR 1 Cr in revenue in FY21
• Have generated at least INR 7 Cr in revenue in FY 23
• Have generated at most INR 100 Cr in revenue in any financial year
• Be privately held, for profit; based in India and independent entity 
• Should sell its own products via its own website as a key sales channel

Emerging Category

This category is for India’s emerging D2C brands who have the potential to disrupt a category. Brands will be selected by Inc42’s editorial team.

The brands should:

• Be founded on or after April 2021
• Have generated at least INR 50 Lakh in revenue in any financial year
• Have generated at most INR 7.5 Cr in revenue in any financial year
• Be privately held, for profit; based in India and independent entity 
• Should sell its own products via its own website as a key sales channel

APPLY FOR FAST42

Why D2C Brands Should Apply

With a readership spanning founder and VC ecosystems, FAST42 can offer brands access to new business opportunities and help them get discovered by investors and talent.

Here’s why D2C brands should apply:

• Brand Exposure: Get an opportunity to be seen and evaluated by Inc42’s editors, reporters and analysts. Selected brands can use this recognition as an exclusive badge of honour.
• Employer Branding: The esteemed list will raise awareness about your brand and its potential as a desirable workplace.
• Visibility: Winners will take the spotlight on the Inc42 website. Inc42 journalists will also delve into intriguing brands and trends showcased in the list.
• Credibility: Earn the prestigious Inc42 seal of approval for pioneering an innovative D2C startup in India.

FAST42 2024 is dedicated to celebrating and acknowledging the unique journeys of India’s D2C brands, offering them ample exposure to accelerate their growth to the next level.

Applications are open until December 20, and the much-anticipated list will be revealed at a grand event in Delhi, scheduled for February 2024.

APPLY NOW!