Vertical

Food & Beverage

The questions Food & Beverage brand builders ask, with curated resources on each.

Choosing what to sell

Which product categories are actually good for a new D2C brand in India right now? In India the money has consistently clustered in food & beverage, beauty & personal care, and wellness/nutraceuticals, high-frequency, premiumisabl... Beginner 4 resources →

Private label vs white label vs own mfg

Where do I find private label manufacturers in India for cosmetics, food or supplements? Category-specific private-label manufacturers, not general B2B directories, are the fastest route, most Indian nutraceutical and cosmetics private ... Beginner 3 resources →

Packaging design & development

What labelling is legally mandatory on my packaging in India? For food, FSSAI mandates your license number, ingredients, nutritional info, veg/non-veg mark, manufacturer details, batch number and expiry, displ... Intermediate 2 resources →

Tech stack & apps

Are subscription and loyalty apps worth adding, and which ones should I look at? Only add a subscription app if your product is genuinely a repeat-consumption item - skincare, supplements, coffee, pet food. Recharge is the enter... Intermediate 3 resources →

Product licenses & certifications

I'm selling packaged food/snacks online, what FSSAI license do I need, and does my turnover matter? Selling online almost always pushes you into the Central FSSAI License bracket regardless of turnover, because e-commerce/multi-state sale is treat... Beginner 4 resources →

EPR & sustainability compliance

Can I call my packaging 'eco-friendly' or 'sustainable' on my product page without getting into trouble? Not casually, ASCI's Green Guidelines (effective February 2024) require any absolute claim like 'eco-friendly', 'sustainable', or 'planet-friendly'... Intermediate 3 resources →

Business insurance & risk

Do I actually need product liability insurance as a small D2C brand, or am I overthinking it? Yes, and earlier than you think, product liability insurance isn't just an enterprise-scale concern anymore; marketplaces increasingly require proo... Beginner 3 resources →

Founder-led selling & community

Is it worth me personally showing up in my brand's WhatsApp group or Instagram comments, or should I hand that off early? In the first 6-12 months, your personal presence is the product for a community, not a nice-to-have - customers who get a reply from the actual fou... Intermediate 3 resources →

Reputation & crisis management

If I actually need to recall a product in India, what's the legal process and who do I have to notify? Under India's Consumer Protection Act 2019, the CCPA has the power to order a recall of hazardous or unsafe goods after investigation, and dependin... Advanced 4 resources →

Quick commerce

Is quick commerce actually profitable for a D2C brand, and which categories work best? For most small brands it's a paid-visibility channel before it's a profit channel, founders report margins collapsing to low single digits when hal... Advanced 4 resources →

Going offline: retail & trade

General trade vs modern trade, where should I start, and how do the margins actually work? General trade (kirana stores) still moves 70-75% of India's FMCG volume and has lower entry costs, but it runs through a layered chain, manufacture... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I get a distributor or stockist to actually push my brand in general trade? Distributors have zero built-in motivation to prioritise a new D2C brand over the established FMCG names already generating them volume, you have t... Advanced 3 resources →

Pricing & discounting strategy

How should I price differently across categories - F&B vs supplements vs electronics? Category shapes your pricing ceiling and floor: F&B and consumables live on repeat purchase and thinner unit margins, so price for trial and reorde... Advanced 3 resources →