Deal signals growing investor confidence in science-led, ingredient-transparent personal care brands
Investment Details and Leadership Continuity
Hygiene brand Phitku has been acquired by Ananta Capital, marking the first institutional investment ever made by the company since it was founded in early 2025. The deal consists of both primary capital infusion and a secondary share purchase providing both new funds for expansion, and some liquidity for the founders. Phitku will remain under the control and direction of its original founders, Sumit Marda, Neha Marda and Rahul Dokania; and the founders maintain significant equity ownership in the business.
Science-Led Product Innovation
Phitku develops body odour protection products using alum, a naturally occurring mineral traditionally used in India for personal care. Rather than masking odour with fragrance, the company’s alcohol-free formulations are designed to neutralise odour at its source. The brand has built its business through direct-to-consumer sales, online marketplaces, and quick-commerce platforms, serving more than six lakh customers in just over a year.
Investor Confidence in Clean Beauty
Ashutosh Taparia, Founder and Managing Partner at Ananta Capital, highlighted the category’s potential: “Consumers today are increasingly seeking cleaner personal care products and paying closer attention to ingredients, while odour protection remains a large category with limited innovation.” He added that Phitku has “modernised a trusted ingredient like alum and built a proposition that resonates with today’s consumers”.
Market Context and Growth Plans
The investment in Phitku represents a continuation of the major trends that have changed India’s beauty and personal care industry and its transitioned to demand for clean-label, ingredient-led and dermatologist-approved products. New commercial platforms are also rapidly becoming new and important sales channels for personal care products and new brands to reach consumers quickly.
The funding provided to Phitku will be utilized to support product development, enhance distribution as well as enable limited international growth. Phitku has also committed to focus on a few categories and avoid excessively expanding its product portfolio in order to achieve 4 to 5 times growth within the next two years.
