New Delhi, 25 February 2026: The second edition of the D2C Summit hosted by TiE Delhi‑NCR concluded with strong participation from founders, investors and ecosystem leaders, offering fresh insight into India’s rapidly expanding direct-to-consumer landscape.
Quick Reads
- 300+ founders, investors, and operators gathered to discuss India’s $100B+ D2C opportunity
- Focus shifted from rapid growth to profitability, capital efficiency, and sustainable scaling
- AI, payments innovation, and open commerce emerged as major growth drivers
- Gen Z behaviour is reshaping brand strategy, retention, and product design
- Omnichannel expansion and Bharat market penetration were central themes
- Distribution depth and cost discipline identified as key differentiators for long-term success
- Summit reinforced collaboration between capital, technology, and infrastructure ecosystems
With India’s D2C sector growing close to 20% annually, the event gathered more than 300 stakeholders across lifestyle, beauty, personal care, food and beverage, and Bharat-focused brands. Discussions centred on the structural transformation driving the country’s $100-billion-plus D2C opportunity — including open commerce, omnichannel expansion, profitability and long-term brand building.
Strategic Conversations on the Future of D2C
The summit featured a tightly curated agenda exploring brand creation, technology adoption, logistics innovation and changing consumer behaviour in an increasingly personalised digital economy.
Brand strategist Harish Bijoor opened the day with a keynote on India’s consumer-led retail evolution. From the investor perspective, Fireside Ventures Co-Founder Kannan Sitaram outlined frameworks around capital efficiency, disciplined scaling and building resilient brands designed for long-term value.
Investors from early-stage and growth funds participated in candid conversations covering unit economics, brand-market fit and funding pathways for emerging consumer businesses.
Technology and Infrastructure Driving Growth
A major theme across sessions was the growing role of fintech, AI and infrastructure in enabling D2C scale. Representatives from Cashfree Payments highlighted how seamless checkout experiences influence conversions and consumer trust, particularly in Tier II and Tier III markets.
Meanwhile, speakers pointed to connected customer experience, automation and operational AI as key levers for profitability. Platforms such as Shopify and ecosystem partners demonstrated how data-driven operations are reshaping fulfilment and retention strategies.
Infrastructure voices — including leaders from Google — emphasised scalable distribution and digital reach, while representatives from Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) explained how open commerce is improving market access for emerging brands.
Payments, Distribution and Unit Economics in Focus
Speaking on checkout innovation, Yogesh Miglani, Director, Product Management, Cashfree Payments, noted:
“For D2C founders today, payments and checkout can’t be treated as an afterthought. Choosing the right payment partner and an intelligent checkout layer makes a tangible difference to conversions, prepaid adoption, and consumer trust, especially across Tier II and III markets. With One-Click Checkout, brands get the combined power of payments innovation and checkout intelligence, which directly impacts scale and unit economics.”
Founders across categories discussed how Gen Z consumers are reshaping expectations around authenticity, design and retention. Omnichannel growth, affordability and Bharat-focused strategies emerged as recurring themes.
Highlighting distribution strategy, Ankit Kumar, Founder and CEO, Skye Air Mobility, noted,
“What really determines whether a brand breaks out is how well it builds its distribution and enabler ecosystem. Relying on a single channel or outsourced systems limits long-term sustainability. Founders need to understand their cost structures deeply because cost is as critical as marketing and build systems that create value for the brand, not just for intermediaries. At scale, disciplined distribution and cost control are what separate durable brands from short-term growth stories.”
Building Durable, Culture-First Brands
Reflecting on the summit’s insights, Upasana Sharma, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR, said,
“Founders today are operating in a market where consumer expectations evolve faster than categories themselves. What emerged at this Summit is a shared understanding that winning brands won’t just be digital-first, they will be culture-first, operationally disciplined, and technologically accelerated. By convening leaders across capital, commerce, and capability-building, we are reinforcing TiE Delhi-NCR’s commitment to helping founders build durable, globally competitive brands from India.”
The event was supported by ecosystem partners including Cashfree Payments, Zoom, Masters’ Union, Cloud Ambassador, Base and Skye Air Mobility, reinforcing the summit’s focus on technology-driven enablement and operational excellence.
A Defining Platform for India’s Consumer Economy
Through multi-stakeholder dialogue and focused sectoral insights, the 2026 D2C Summit positioned itself as a key forum for founders navigating India’s next decade of consumer innovation. Conversations not only identified immediate challenges facing digital-first and omnichannel brands but also mapped the capabilities, capital pathways and collaborations required for sustained growth.
As India’s consumer economy matures, the summit continues to provide clarity, connections and long-term direction for entrepreneurs building globally competitive brands.
About TiE Delhi-NCR
For more than two decades, TiE Delhi-NCR has played a central role in nurturing entrepreneurship as one of the most active chapters of the global TiE network. Through flagship events, mentorship initiatives, investor platforms and recognition programmes, the organisation continues to support founders and shape India’s startup ecosystem.
Disclaimer
This press release is based on information shared by organisers and participating stakeholders. Event highlights, statements and projections reflect views expressed during sessions and may evolve as market conditions change. Readers should refer to official announcements from participating organisations for the latest updates.
