Private equity firm Ananta Capital has acquired a majority stake in direct-to-consumer personal care brand Phitku in a deal worth around Rs 100 crore, valuing the startup at approximately Rs 200 crore, according to sources familiar with the matter. The proceeds will be used to accelerate product innovation, strengthen brand building, deepen the company's presence across D2C, marketplaces and quick commerce, and selectively expand into international markets, Phitku said in a press release. Structured as a combination of a primary capital infusion and a secondary share purchase, the transaction provides Phitku with fresh growth capital while enabling partial liquidity for its founders. Sumit Marda, Neha Marda and Rahul Dokania will continue to lead the company while retaining a significant stake in the business. Co-founded in early 2025, Phitku is a personal care brand focused on clean, alcohol-free and skin-friendly formulations that neutralise body odour at its source instead of masking it with synthetic fragrances. The company aims to redefine body odour management through science-backed, ingredient-conscious products developed for Indian climate conditions and everyday use. Phitku claims to have scaled rapidly in its first year, earning the trust of more than 6 lakh customers across the country through its D2C platform, marketplaces and quick commerce channels. The brand is targeting 4x to 5x growth over the next two years to achieve an ARR of Rs 300 crore, while remaining committed to building a globally relevant, science-led hygiene brand from India. Bareback Media has recently raised funding from a group of investors. Some of the investors may directly or indirectly be involved in a competing business or might be associated with other companies we might write about. This shall, however, not influence our reporting or coverage in any manner whatsoever. You may find a list of our investorshere.
