Outperformers Rankings 2025: Top 5 Start-Ups in the Direct-to-Consumer Segment

Renee Cosmetics

In a crowded beauty products market, the company has managed to stand out in the make-up and cosmetics segments with products such as the Fab 5-in-one lipstick and the Fab multifunctional make-up stick. It was founded in 2018 by former television star Aashka Goradia along with men’s personal care brand Beardo co-founders Ashutosh Valani and Priyank Shah.

The company’s robust performance has helped it raise $48.5mn in five funding rounds. It has managed to rope in prominent investors such as Evolence India and Edelweiss Group.

On its website, the company says it sees 'the art of cosmetics' as a true liberator and a beautiful form of expressing oneself in tones and shades. It adds that the company has led the way for novelty into the beauty industry by bringing in products that have revolutionised make-up. The company's mission statement is to create a sensation in the cosmetic industry with innovation like never before.

Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters

Consistently good coffee has ensured robust performance for the company. The Gurugram-based brand has posted 70% growth in revenue, annually. Since its inception in 2012, the company has managed to establish itself across the entire coffee value chain.

What has helped the company is a deep network of specialty coffee sourcing. This has allowed the firm to build partnerships with small-scale growers as well as established players.

The start-up has also set up coffee training centres to equip baristas with tools to assess and report for precision brewing.

Lahori Zeera

It’s not often that the Indian business ecosystem sees a beverage brand make waves. But Lahori Zeera has emerged as an outlier and the carbonated cumin-flavoured drink-maker is one of the best performing companies in the direct-to-consumer segment.

Founded in Punjab in 2017, founders Saurabh Munjal, Saurabh Bhutna and Nikhil Doda are looking to make the brand a pan-India phenomenon. The start-up not only has its focus on the business model but also on expanding its distribution network at a rapid pace.

Made with natural ingredients, the company calls its signature drink: a star in its league, a game changer and a mood enhancer.

BECO

Even while personal care, kitchen care and home care products are plentiful in the market, Beco stands apart for its commitment to sustainability. The three founders—Aditya Ruia, Akshay Varma and Anuj Ruia—came upon the idea when they were on a beach clean-up drive in Mumbai.

The story of Beco has attracted investors in a world where commitment to the environment is seen as positive for businesses. The brand ensures all its products and packaging are 100% recyclable. It has attracted investors like Rukam Capital and Titan Capital. The company says its vision is to craft, support and contribute in saving the environment for a better tomorrow by providing eco-friendly and sustainable products and craft and support positive change in the world.

Minimalist

At a time when beauty brands are competing among each other, Minimalist has carved a niche for itself. By ensuring high-quality products that are affordable, the company is delivering consistent profits in a sector which is infamous for high cash burn. The company says it has an iron-clad focus on transparency and honesty by building a range of products that do what they claim to do.

To maintain its edge, the company founders insist on keeping the cost of acquisition of new customers low and maintaining a high retention rate. The company is catering to the premium-yet-affordable segment whose demand seems to have gone up among aspirational consumers.

*Note: Scores in the ranking have been indexed on a scale of 0-100.

Competition Is King

Direct-to-consumer start-ups have been the biggest beneficiaries of ecommerce. Consumers on the apps have given new age firms an opportunity to position themselves beside legacy firms. The competition may be getting too intense

Research and data partner: Ayvole