National | July 1, 2026:
Highlights
- Transaction: Majority stake acquired by Ananta Capital in Phitku, India’s alum-based natural odour protection brand.
- Structure: Combination of primary capital infusion and secondary share purchase.
- Founders: Sumit Marda, Neha Marda, and Rahul Dokania retain significant stake and continue to lead the company.
- Growth: In just 14 months since launch, Phitku has become one of India’s fastest-growing profitable D2C brands, serving 6 lakh+ customers.
- Vision: Targeting 4–5x growth over two years to reach ₹300 crore ARR, with expansion into international markets.
Transaction Details
- Provides fresh growth capital for Phitku.
- Enables partial liquidity for founders.
- Marks first institutional funding for Phitku, which was built entirely on a bootstrapped and profitable model.
- Partnership brings strategic expertise, institutional backing, and operational experience to accelerate:
- Product innovation.
- Brand building.
- Distribution across D2C, quick commerce, marketplaces, and selective international expansion.
Industry Context
- Consumers increasingly demand clean, science-led personal care products.
- Odour protection remains a large category with limited innovation.
- Phitku modernizes alum, a trusted ingredient, into alcohol-free, skin-friendly formulations that eliminate odour at its source.
- Products are designed for Indian climate conditions and everyday use.
Ashutosh Taparia, Founder & Managing Partner, Ananta Capital: “Consumers today are seeking cleaner personal care products and paying closer attention to ingredients. Odour protection is a large category with limited innovation. Phitku has modernized alum and built a proposition that resonates with today’s consumers. We believe the brand is well positioned to lead this emerging category.”
Sanjeev Taparia, Taparia Family: “We have been impressed by what the founders have built in such a short period. Going forward, we see an opportunity to build Phitku into a broader clean personal care platform by leveraging our consumer ecosystem, distribution network, product development capabilities, and international presence.”
Sumit Marda, Co-founder & CEO, Phitku: “Phitku was founded with a simple vision: to build a science-led personal care brand that consumers can genuinely trust. We’ve focused on clean, safe, and effective products that deliver real results. In just over a year, we’ve built a community of over 6 lakh customers. Partnering with Ananta Capital is about more than capital—it’s about scaling responsibly, accelerating innovation, and strengthening distribution across India and international markets.”
Growth & Vision
- Phitku plans to go deep and sharp within categories, establishing leadership before expanding into new products.
- Philosophy: “Do less, but do it exceptionally well.”
- New products will only be introduced where Phitku can deliver genuinely excellent solutions.
- With Ananta Capital’s support, Phitku aims to become a globally relevant, science-led hygiene brand.
About Phitku
Founded in 2025 by Sumit Marda, Neha Marda, and Rahul Dokania, Phitku is a Made-in-India, science-led personal care brand redefining body odour management through alum-based formulations.
- Served 6 lakh+ customers via D2C, marketplaces, and quick-commerce channels.
- Built entirely on a bootstrapped, profitable model before Ananta Capital’s investment.
- Focused on ingredient-conscious innovation and science-backed efficacy.
About Ananta Capital
Ananta Capital is a leading investment firm focused on consumer businesses. The firm partners with entrepreneurs to accelerate growth, strengthen brand building, and expand distribution networks, leveraging its ecosystem and international presence to scale high-potential ventures.
