Rural omnichannel retail platform Rozana has raised Rs 290 crore ($31.6 million) in a Series B funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments. The round also saw participation from Fireside Ventures, US-based Spark Growth Ventures, Bikaji Family Office, FE Securities and other family offices.
The fresh capital will be used to strengthen the company’s technology infrastructure, broaden product categories, develop private label offerings and deepen brand partnerships.
Founded in 2021 by Ankur Dahiya, Adwait Vikram Singh and Mukesh Christopher, Rozana operates a rural-focused omnichannel retail platform that combines a consumer-facing app with modern retail experience centres and its own distribution network. It runs over 75 retail experience centres and works with more than 35,000 women partners who act as last-mile fulfilment agents embedded within local communities.
According to the company, it has expanded its hybrid commerce infrastructure to 21,000 villages across the Gangetic plains, a region home to over 50% of India’s rural population. It currently serves more than 1 million active households across Uttar Pradesh and Haryana.
In its next phase of growth, Rozana plans to expand to over 200 stores and enter two to three additional northern states across the Gangetic belt. The company also aims to eventually reach 130,000 villages.
India’s rural consumption market is estimated to exceed $2 trillion, with more than 200 million rural households spending upwards of Rs 20,000 per month across staples, FMCG, personal care, household goods, apparel and discretionary categories.
Rozana has raised nearly $60 million in funding to date. In March 2024, the company raised $22.5 million in a Series A round led by Bertelsmann India Investments with participation from Fireside Ventures and other investors. Prior to that, the startup raised $2.5 million in a pre-Series A round from 3one4 Capital and IEG Investment Banking Group in April 2022.
