D2C Brands Explore Scaling Strategies Without Losing Control

Inc42, in partnership with PhonePe Payment Gateway, organized a closed-door roundtable during the D2C & Retail Summit 2026, focusing on how direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands can scale their operations without sacrificing control.

The discussion highlighted the challenges D2C founders face as their businesses grow. While visibility into what works is clear for small brands, this clarity can fade as companies expand across marketplaces, quick commerce, offline retail, and their own channels. Understanding growth drivers and identifying margin leakages becomes increasingly critical.

Moderated by Puneet Gupta of PwC India, the event brought together founders and senior leaders from India's consumer ecosystem. Participants from brands like Noise, Littlebox, and Bacca Bucci discussed the importance of tracking inventory, product-level margins, and returns. It was emphasized that sales figures alone do not provide a complete picture of a business's health, citing issues like unsold SKUs and dead stock.

Furthermore, the impact of channel expansion on profitability was examined. Brands need to assess "category-channel fit" rather than assuming success on their own website will translate across different platforms. The cost of customer acquisition and the unit economics of each channel require careful evaluation.

Regarding maintaining control during growth, the conversation shifted to building systems and hiring capable people. While founders' direct oversight may decrease, establishing robust structures is essential to ensure visibility and effective decision-making across the organization as it scales.