MAM
Vegan Wellness brand Fitspire raises pre-series funding from prominent investors
Mumbai: Fitspire, a leading brand for vegan health and personal care products, has announced that it has secured an undisclosed amount of funding in a pre-Series A round. The funding was spearheaded by prominent investors such as the founders of LC Nueva, an alternate investment fund, and renowned singer Sukhbir Singh.
Additionally, the Family Office of Jaipurias, represented by Ruchirans Jaipuria and Anuraag Jaipuria, also participated in the funding round.
The recent funding round attracted notable investors such as Ivor Braganza from Next5 Ventures Oman, Dheeraj Jain from Redcliffe London, and existing investors Amit Singhal, Fitspire also previously got invested by Rajesh Sud ( MD Financial services Bharti Enterprises), Cofco International – CEO Simmar Pal Singh, and Ban Labs director Jay Ukani.
The Delhi-based nutrition startup, which addresses contemporary lifestyle concerns, had previously raised approximately $ one million (Rs eight crore) in seed and bridge rounds. With the new funding, the company aims to enhance the HPC ecosystem, expand its market presence in Tier II and Tier III cities in India and globally, introduce additional products, and establish new sources of revenue.
Founded in 2020 by Vipen Jain, an alumnus of IIM Lucknow, Fitspire has experienced remarkable sales growth since its inception. In fact, its sales have increased by ten times each year. With such strong financial momentum, Fitspire is on track for a significant growth trajectory. The company has set a revenue target of Rs 300 crore within the next three years.
Fitspire’s impressive growth can be attributed to the company’s presence in the rapidly expanding HPC (Health, Personal Care) and Nutraceuticals market. Globally, this market is valued at a staggering USD 140 billion, while the Nutraceuticals segment alone is valued at USD 39 billion. Both segments are projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18 per cent.
Fitspire founder & CEO Vipen Jain, said, “This investment will help us expand our product range and reach global markets, bringing our plant-based products to more people. We are excited to take Fitspire to new heights and positively impact people’s well-being along the way”.
LC Nueva CIO Sohil Chand added, “The demand from consumers for plant-based protein options is experiencing exponential growth, both in domestic and international markets. The company has meticulously crafted distinctly differentiated products, boasting a high gross margin structure and embracing an omnichannel distribution approach. We take immense pride in joining forces with Fitspire on this journey, as they undertake the ambitious endeavour of creating a product that offers one of the purest forms of protein. With a robust team and visionary founder, we firmly believe that Fitspire is positioned for a sustained presence within the Indian Fitness and Wellness segment”.
Fitspire Ruchiran Jaipuria from the family Office of Jaipurias stated, “Fitspire offers healthy nutrition supplements with the highest quality ingredients, and unlike many others, I’ve tried, Fitspire products excel in taste as well. Vegan protein and taste usually don’t go hand in hand, but Fitspire has cracked that code. Additionally, a talented team of professionals with a hunger for growth and a focus on filling the market gap convinced me to invest”.
Fitspire owned by StarCap Wellness Pvt. Ltd, today boasts of over one million customers and a strong network of 10,000 fitness influencers. Fitspire has assembled a team of dedicated professionals who are committed to capitalising on this momentum. Their goal is to expand operations and further their mission of promoting plant-based health and wellness.
AD Agencies
Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
