Bengaluru: At the 5th edition of The E-commerce and Digital Natives Summit 2025, Kanwaljit Singh, Founder and Managing Partner of Fireside Ventures, laid out a grounded yet compelling blueprint for how brands can win across India, from metros to the smallest serviceable PIN codes.

In conversation with ETRetail’s Pallavi Goel, Singh reflected on his early career at Hindustan Unilever, where he learned a fundamental truth: “Consumers are the same. The context keeps changing.” Whether through sachet shampoos in small towns or premium snacking options on quick commerce platforms today, the core aspirations remain. What evolves is how brands respond.

Singh, whose firm has backed high-growth consumer startups like boAt, Mamaearth, Licious, and The Baker’s Dozen, warned against chasing channels over building a brand. “Channels are just a medium to reach the consumer. What matters is your proposition, your price, and what drives consumer love,” he said.

While many startups today look to quick commerce platforms as a fast track to scale, Singh urged founders to treat it as a starting point, not a strategy. “The Baker’s Dozen is a great example. They built a Rs 100 crore business largely on quick commerce. But it’s not a quick commerce-only brand. You still need to crack wider distribution and offline buying behaviour,” he said.

When asked about the most common go-to-market mistake he sees, Singh pointed to premature expansion and misplaced priorities. “The mistake is trying to do too many things too fast. Offline is tough. Inventory and working capital become challenges. You have to build brand-first, not channel-first.”

On the subject of what makes a founder capable of selling in India, Singh didn’t hesitate: “Founders have to be born salespeople. You’re always selling your story, your vision, your product.” He added that successful entrepreneurs all tend to share three key traits: purpose, passion, and perseverance. “I also look for Junoon, that madness to break the mould.”

Closing the discussion, Singh said he remains bullish on the potential of Indian D2C brands to rival traditional FMCG giants. “India is short on good branded opportunities. I don’t see HUL or Nestle as the competition. The real opportunity is in moving consumers from unbranded to branded choices. There’s room for hundreds of new brands to be built.”