Bewakoof Journey: A Proven D2C Brand Success Story

Soumya
By
Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot built Bewakoof with Rs 30,000 before Aditya Birla’s TMRW acquired control for Rs 200 Cr in December 2022.

Quick Take

  • Bewakoof began in 2012 from an IIT Bombay dorm with just Rs 30,000 in seed money.
  • The D2C brand hit Rs 173 Cr operating revenue in FY25 and shipped over 20,000 products daily.
  • Aditya Birla’s TMRW bought control for Rs 200 Cr ($22 Mn) in 2022, starting a new phase.

The Bewakoof journey traces a rare climb from a second-year IIT Bombay dorm room in 2012, built on Rs 30,000, to a D2C fashion brand that clocked Rs 173 Cr in FY25 revenue and sold to Aditya Birla’s TMRW for Rs 200 Cr ($22 Mn) in December 2022.

Co-founders Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot, both civil engineering graduates, started by selling graphic t-shirts to college students. According to the official Bewakoof story page, the brand was founded on impact through innovation, honesty, and thoughtfulness, not financial gain alone.

StartupFeed Insight

The most telling number in the Bewakoof journey is not revenue, it is the loss curve. FY25 losses narrowed 29% to Rs 73 Cr while unit cost dropped from Rs 1.65 to Rs 1.43 per rupee earned. That signals a brand switching from growth-at-any-cost to margin discipline under corporate ownership. Founders eyeing an exit to a conglomerate should watch this: the next 18 months will test whether Aditya Birla’s offline push and two-hour Bengaluru delivery can lift Bewakoof past Rs 250 Cr by FY27. StartupFeed expects the omnichannel bet to decide if this brand reaches its Rs 1,000 Cr goal. By Soumya Verma.

Bewakoof Journey At A Glance

Bewakoof is a Mumbai-based D2C (Direct-to-Consumer) fashion brand founded in 2012 that sells trend-led apparel, licensed merchandise, and accessories to Gen Z and millennial shoppers. The table below maps the key milestones of the Bewakoof journey using figures filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) and reported by Entrackr and Inc42.

Metric Detail Notes
Founded 2012, IIT Bombay dorm Initial capital Rs 30,000
Founders Prabhkiran Singh, Siddharth Munot Both civil engineering graduates
FY25 Revenue Rs 173 Cr operating revenue +8% YoY from Rs 161 Cr (RoC)
FY25 Net Loss Rs 73 Cr Narrowed 29% from Rs 103 Cr
Majority Owner Aditya Birla TMRW Rs 200 Cr ($22 Mn), Dec 2022
Total Raised Over Rs 270 Cr InvestCorp, IvyCap, Spring Marketing

The standout fact is scale versus profit. Bewakoof ships more than 20,000 products a day, yet operating revenue of Rs 173 Cr stays modest for a mass fashion label, per Entrackr’s FY25 analysis.

About Bewakoof

Bewakoof Brands Private Limited is a Mumbai-based D2C fashion company founded in 2012 by Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot, IIT Bombay batchmates. It sells graphic t-shirts, sweatshirts, joggers, and licensed merchandise from Marvel, Disney, and DC Comics. Vertically integrated and social-media led, it ships to thousands of pin codes. Key backers include Aditya Birla’s TMRW, IvyCap Ventures, and InvestCorp.

Why Did The Bewakoof Journey Work?

The Bewakoof journey worked because the founders built a content-first brand before the term D2C existed in India. Prabhkiran Singh has said the early team packed orders by hand and used Mumbai local trains for delivery. Humour-led Facebook pages and a college ambassador programme drove word-of-mouth growth at near-zero ad cost.

Bewakoof has been my baby since I was 21 years old. Bewakoof raised me while I was raising it, Prabhkiran Singh wrote in his exit note.

Regional-language prints in Hindi, Marathi, and Bengali gave the brand an Indian flavour that global labels lacked. As tier-2 towns moved online, that identity helped Bewakoof reach a young mass audience and cross the Rs 100 Cr mark first among Indian D2C fashion players.

Is Bewakoof Profitable Yet?

Bewakoof is not profitable yet, but its losses are shrinking fast. The brand reported a net loss of about Rs 73 Cr in FY25, down 29% from roughly Rs 103 Cr in FY24, according to RoC filings analysed by Inc42. Its EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation) loss improved 38% to Rs 57 Cr.

Cost control drove the turnaround. Employee expenses fell about 40% to Rs 25.5 Cr, and the firm spent Rs 1.43 to earn each rupee of revenue, down from Rs 1.65 a year earlier. Under TMRW CEO Prashanth Aluru, the company has replaced heavy cash burn with tighter supply chain management and a push toward positive margins.

How Does Bewakoof Stack Up Against Rivals?

Bewakoof competes in a crowded youth-fashion sector against digital-native rivals scaling both online sales and physical stores. The table below compares recent funding and expansion signals reported across the segment.

Brand Recent Signal Focus
Bewakoof Rs 173 Cr FY25 revenue 22 stores, quick delivery pilot
Snitch $40 Mn Series B, June 2025 Targeting 100 stores by end-2025
The Bear House $5.8 Mn raise 20 new stores over two years

 

 

What sets Bewakoof apart is its regional-language, pop-culture design library and the deep pockets of the Aditya Birla Group backing its omnichannel move.

What’s Next

Bewakoof is scaling offline aggressively, opening stores at roughly one per week across cities like Bengaluru, Raipur, and Hubli, reaching 22 outlets. It is piloting two-hour delivery in Bengaluru using TMRW’s tech stack, aiming for a long-term Rs 1,000 Cr revenue goal. With Prabhkiran Singh set to exit by March 2026, can the institutional era match the founder’s magic?

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Bewakoof journey begin?
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The Bewakoof journey began in 2012 in an IIT Bombay dorm room with just Rs 30,000. Co-founders Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot started by selling graphic t-shirts to college students, packing orders by hand and using local trains for early deliveries.

What does Bewakoof sell?
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Bewakoof sells youth-focused casual wear, including graphic t-shirts, sweatshirts, joggers, and accessories. The brand is known for pop-culture designs, regional-language prints, and officially licensed merchandise from Marvel, Disney, and DC Comics, targeting Gen Z and millennial shoppers across India.

How much revenue did Bewakoof make in FY25?
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Bewakoof reported Rs 173 Cr in operating revenue in FY25, an 8% rise from Rs 161 Cr in FY24, per RoC filings. It narrowed its net loss by 29% to about Rs 73 Cr through cost cuts, with employee expenses down roughly 40% year on year.

Who owns Bewakoof now?
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Aditya Birla Group’s TMRW owns a majority stake in Bewakoof after investing Rs 200 Cr ($22 Mn) in December 2022. RoC filings show Aditya Birla Digital Fashion Ventures held about 87%, while co-founder Prabhkiran Singh retained around 12% of the D2C brand.

Why is Prabhkiran Singh stepping down?
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Prabhkiran Singh is stepping down as CEO by March 2026 after 14 years to focus on health, family, and personal goals. He said the company is ready for its next phase under TMRW’s leadership team, marking a shift from founder-led control to institutional ownership.

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