Brands
Hardik Pandya & investors back Aretto’s kids’ footwear tech with $550k seed funding
Mumbai: Aretto’s leap toward innovation has just become stronger as the company announces the successful completion of its seed funding round. The company secured $550K from a clutch of angel investors and advisors, which included renowned cricketer Hardik Pandya; Abhineet Singh(co-founder of VegNonVeg and founder Brewhouse), Shyam Raichura (MD of Aan Group), Raunak Munot (ex-CMO of Bombay Shaving Company), investment banking firm Veromint Advisors, Vinayak Shrivastav (co-founder Videoverse), and Kunal Sumaya (MD Julius Bear).
Aretto is a game-changer in the kids’ footwear industry, offering technologically designed shoes that adapt to the shape and size of kids’ feet as they grow. The company will strategically channel and utilise the funds to expand its market presence, drive team expansion, and increase research and development efforts to introduce newer product ranges.
Elated at the successful seed funding, Aretto CEO Satyait Mittal commented, “We are immensely grateful for the support and trust shown by our investors at this crucial stage of Aretto’s journey. Each investor is a mentor in their own capacity and a well-wisher of the brand, sharing our larger vision and belief in the team’s determination and grit. This seed funding is not only a testament to our investors’ confidence in our innovative kids’ technology, but it also reiterates our commitment to revolutionizing the industry.”
Bombay Shaving Company ex-CMO Raunak Munot commented, ‘It’s rare to come across a company that has a truly innovative product, in a big addressable market, that has the potential to redefine a category, globally. The fact that Aretto’s products are designed and made in India instills a sense of pride in me. Clubbing that with the team’s passion and execution agility further amplifies my trust in the brand’s vision. As someone who has recently embraced fatherhood, I believe Aretto’s approach seamlessly matches the demands of modern parenting.’
Aretto is implementing a robust growth strategy to expand its market presence. The company plans to open its first retail store in Pune, offering an immersive shopping experience for families. In addition to Pune, the brand has ambitious plans to establish stores and partner with multi-brand outlets in key metropolitan cities, catering to a wider customer base in India.
With this funding, Aretto is enthusiastic about welcoming new talents into its passionate and dynamic team. The company seeks individuals who are driven, creative, and share the vision of nurturing kids’ growth.
Aretto remains ever-committed to innovation and will continuously expand its product range with a focus on R&D-driven designs. The company will introduce a diverse array of styles, catering to various preferences and needs of young ones. Each new collection will be meticulously crafted with an ergonomic fit, ensuring maximum comfort and support for growing feet. Listening to its customers’ valuable feedback, Aretto will tailor its products to be even more customer-centric, delighting parents with the quality and functionality of Aretto shoes, cementing its position as the go-to brand for parents seeking the best for their children.
Brands
Reliance Retail FY26 revenue rises 11.8 Per Cent to Rs 3.7 lakh crore
Q4 revenue up 11.1 Per Cent, hyperlocal orders surge 4x, PAT steady
MUMBAI: Reliance Retail isn’t just ringing up sales, it’s ringing doorbells faster than ever. Reliance Retail Ventures Limited (RRVL) reported a steady FY26 performance, with growth powered by store expansion, a sharp surge in hyperlocal commerce, and consistent traction across grocery, fashion and jewellery. For the full year, revenue rose 11.8 per cent year-on-year to Rs 3,70,026 crore. In the January–March quarter, revenue from operations climbed 11.1 per cent to Rs 87,344 crore, up from Rs 78,622 crore a year earlier.
Operating performance remained stable, with Q4 EBITDA inching up 3.1 per cent YoY to Rs 6,921 crore from Rs 6,711 crore. However, quarterly profit after tax held steady at Rs 3,563 crore. For the full fiscal, PAT grew 11.7 per cent to Rs 13,842 crore.
Expansion remained a key lever. RRVL added 1,564 new stores during FY26, while simultaneously scaling its digital and hyperlocal commerce play. The latter emerged as a standout, with daily orders surging more than fourfold year-on-year in Q4, underlining a clear shift towards faster, localised fulfilment.
In grocery, large-format stores maintained momentum, aided by festive demand and the expansion of Smart Bazaar, which crossed 1,000 stores. Promotional campaigns such as ‘Full Paisa Vasool’ delivered record results, with sales rising 26 per cent YoY.
Digital commerce also picked up pace. JioMart added 5.8 million new users in Q4, nearly doubling its registered base year-on-year. Hyperlocal orders grew 29 per cent sequentially and over 300 per cent annually during the quarter.
Fashion and lifestyle saw steady traction. Ajio recorded a 23 per cent YoY rise in average bill value, while fast-fashion platform Shein crossed 11 million app installs, scaling rapidly with expanding product lines.
The jewellery business added further shine, with average bill value jumping 53 per cent YoY, largely driven by rising gold prices and sustained consumer demand.
Commenting on the shift, RRVL executive director Isha Ambani said hyperlocal commerce has become a structural growth driver, with orders rising more than fourfold over the year.
Looking ahead to FY27, the company is betting on technology to deepen engagement. The focus, Ambani noted, will be on AI-led merchandising, sharper pricing strategies and disciplined execution turning scale into sustained customer value.
In short, the carts are fuller, the clicks are quicker, and the next phase looks less about reach and more about precision.
