Shilpa Shetty backed WickedGud Raises ₹20 Crore after 3x Growth to Scale Omni-Channel Play

Noodles and pasta brand WickedGud has raised ₹20 crore in a fresh funding round, with existing investors doubling down to back the company’s plans to expand distribution and speed up new product launches.

The follow-on round was led by Orios Venture Partners and Asiana Fund, with actor-investor Shilpa Shetty and new strategic angel investors, including Shajikumar Devakar, Ajay Mehta, Sonika Ravula and Rahul Colaco, also taking part. The funding comes about a year after WickedGud closed its previous ₹20 crore round, underscoring continued investor confidence in the brand’s growth trajectory.

Fund Utilisation

WickedGud said the capital will be used to deepen its omni-channel presence across modern trade, general trade and digital platforms, strengthen supply-chain and backend capabilities, and accelerate innovation in high-velocity categories such as cup noodles and Korean-style spicy variants.

Founder and CEO Bhuman Dani highlighted a rapid expansion over the last 12 months, saying WickedGud has achieved threefold revenue growth and is now present in more than 5,000 retail outlets nationwide. The company’s offline footprint includes over 1,500 Reliance Smart Bazaar stores and about 50 DMart outlets, while digital distribution spans Amazon, Blinkit, Instamart, Zepto, BigBasket and Flipkart.

Product Push

WickedGud has combined affordability plays with flavour-led innovation. The company recently launched a ₹20 value pack of Masala Noodles aimed at price-sensitive markets and is expanding its Korean-style noodles portfolio with flavours such as Korean Fiery 2x Spicy, Korean Chilli Cheese and Korean Chilli Chicken. Cup noodles and Korean-style SKUs now account for over 42% of volumes and roughly 30% of value, the company said, signalling strong uptake among younger consumers.

On Amazon, six WickedGud products rank among the platform’s top 30 bestsellers in the Pasta & Noodles category, according to the company. The brand is also investing in high-visibility marketing, including a campaign fronted by Shilpa Shetty to promote its Korean range through humour-led storytelling targeted at Gen Z and millennial audiences.

Investor View & Recognition

“WickedGud’s strong execution, rapid growth across channels, and category-leading innovations make them one of the most exciting emerging FMCG brands in India,” said Rehan Yar Khan, Managing Partner at Orios Venture Partners, explaining the rationale for reinvestment.

WickedGud was recently named to the Forbes Asia 100 to Watch 2025 list, and CEO Bhuman Dani was part of a pre-Budget startup delegation that met India’s finance minister.