Brands
Sundrop Brands posts 80 per cent Ebitda jump in Q3
Revenue rose 10 per cent while gross margins expanded 330 basis points
GURUGRAM: The latest quarterly results from Sundrop Brands, formerly known as Agro Tech Foods, suggest the snack-maker has found its second wind. For the quarter ended 31 December 2025, consolidated revenue rose about 10 per cent on a pro forma basis, supported by strong trading performance, the company said in its earnings call.
Under the stewardship of group managing director Nitish Bajaj, the firm is aggressively pivoting from low-margin staples towards “joyful food experiences” in the premium packaged segment.
The strategy appears to be paying off in the P&L; consolidated Ebitda soared by 80 per cent during the quarter, aided by a 330-basis-point expansion in gross margins. This “profitable growth” was driven largely by the foods business, even as the company ramped up marketing spend by 22 per cent to defend its turf.
The group’s flagship popcorn brand, Act II, remains the “crown jewel”. Ready-to-eat formats grew at a blistering 36 per cent as they muscle into the wider snacks market, maintaining a “moat” through a savvy Rs 10 price point and an efficient backend that challenges newcomers like Marico’s 4700 BC.
However, it is not all smooth sailing; the spreads business remains under pressure from nimble competitors, prompting a flurry of seven new high-protein peanut butter launches to regain lost share. Despite these hurdles, the company’s innovation engine is humming, with new products launched in the last two years now accounting for 5 per cent of total sales, or some Rs 55 crore.
Integration with the Del Monte franchise is also yielding fruit, particularly in B2B channels which now account for 40 per cent of that division’s revenue. While a dip in global olive oil prices dented value growth, volumes in the Italian segment jumped by 16 per cent, with olive oil volumes alone surging by 34 per cent. This suggests that Sundrop’s appetite for market share is far from sated. The company is also betting big on digital distribution, with quick-commerce channels growing at nearly 50 per cent and sales force automation now covering over half of its vast retail network.
Looking ahead, Sundrop Brands has signaled an ambitious intent to double its top line over the next three to four years, targeting a compounded annual growth rate of roughly 15 per cent.
Management aims to squeeze further efficiencies from the business, eyeing a 3-4 per cent expansion in gross margins and a 3 per cent reduction in SG&A costs, while keeping the marketing budget steady at 6 per cent of revenue.
With a fresh five-year Esop plan tying management’s fortunes to these performance milestones, the board is betting that this racy trajectory is more than just a flash in the pan.
Brands
Aman Gupta’s OFF/BEAT secures Rs 100 crore seed funding round
Bessemer backs new venture betting on AI and India’s digital shift
MUMBAI: Aman Gupta has raised Rs 100 crore in seed funding for his new venture OFF/BEAT, with Bessemer Venture Partners leading the round as it bets on a new wave of AI-led, consumer-first businesses in India.
The funding marks an early but significant push for OFF/BEAT, which is positioned to tap into a rapidly evolving market shaped by a digitally native generation and advances in artificial intelligence. The venture aims to build at the intersection of culture and technology, where brand identity and innovation increasingly go hand in hand.
Gupta, best known for co-founding boAt and scaling it into a Rs 3,000 crore-plus business, is now looking to apply those learnings to a new playbook. His focus this time is not just on building a consumer brand, but on leveraging AI and global networks to accelerate growth.
OFF/BEAT founder Aman Gupta said, “Having built from scratch before, I know what capital can do and what it cannot. This time, I was looking for partners with a global perspective who can help me leverage technology and AI, because that is where the future lies. Bessemer’s track record with companies like Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn says it all.”
The choice of investor reflects that ambition. Bessemer Venture Partners has backed global technology players such as Anthropic, Shopify, Canva and LinkedIn, bringing not just capital but strategic support and global reach.
Bessemer Venture Partners partner Anant Vidur Puri said, “We back founders who see around corners. Aman saw how a new India would come to think about aspiration, identity and quality, and built boAt as proof. He is now applying that same instinct to a market being reshaped by AI and by a generation with entirely new expectations.”
The investment comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is being reshaped by both consumer behaviour and technological disruption. Founders are increasingly expected to understand not just products, but the cultural shifts that drive adoption.
For OFF/BEAT, the journey is just beginning, but the signal is clear. In a market where attention is fleeting and expectations are rising, building something truly distinctive may be the only way to stay on beat.
