Bombay Shaving Company, a top men’s grooming and personal care brand in India, has secured ₹136 crore ($15.3 million) in a new funding round as it gears up for its IPO.
Sixth Sense Ventures led the round, which included both primary and secondary investments. Shantanu Deshpande, founder and CEO, along with Patni Family Office, GII, HNIs, and former Indian cricketer Rahul Dravid, who was already an investor, also participated. According to TheKredible, a startup intelligence platform, this brings the company’s total funding to $51.5 million.
The fresh funds will support the company’s plans to grow its omnichannel presence, expand retail distribution, and strengthen its brand. This also indicates Bombay Shaving Company’s final steps toward becoming a publicly listed company and achieving sustainable growth in the Indian D2C market.
Founded in 2015 by Shantanu Deshpande, Bombay Shaving Company started as a men’s grooming startup with a single product and has expanded into a diverse direct-to-consumer (D2C) brand. It now offers a complete range of products for shaving, beard care, skincare, haircare, and women’s hair removal through its sub-brand Bombae. Known for its creative packaging and product development, the brand aims to offer premium personal care to Indian consumers—a trend among the fastest-growing D2C brands in India today.
The company currently has a net revenue run rate exceeding ₹550 crore, doubling its performance from FY25, and has reached PAT profitability—a rare accomplishment for VC-backed D2C startups. This financial improvement shows the D2C market is becoming more mature in India, as new consumer brands prioritize sustainable profitability and IPO readiness over just increasing revenue.
Shantanu Deshpande, Founder & CEO, said that focusing on quickly consumer needs, creating good products at competitive prices, and building the brand remains central to their work. He added that they plan to take Bombay Shaving Company public soon, with the goal of including retail investors in their growth.
The company’s growth plan is in line with D2C market trends for 2025, combining a strong omnichannel distribution model with product and supply chain improvements. Bombay Shaving Company’s products are available on major e-commerce platforms, quick commerce partners, and offline channels, including retail stores, pharmacies, and salons, creating one of the most well-rounded D2C-to-retail networks in India.
The brand’s strength is in its diverse product categories. Its men’s grooming and electric trimmer lines have consistently grown by double digits, while the women’s care line, Bombae, continues to grow quickly. This proves the potential of creator-led D2C brands in the personal care area. While competitors like Beardo, Ustraa, and The Man Company are also aiming for fast growth, Bombay Shaving Company’s focus on development, omnichannel strategy, and profitability gives it a strong advantage in India’s $5 billion+ grooming sector.
For the D2C industry, Bombay Shaving Company’s funding and upcoming IPO show a wider change in the D2C funding and exit market, where profitable, large brands are preparing to go public. With strong investor support, brand recognition, and financial responsibility, Bombay Shaving Company is a good example of D2C startup valuation and growth in India.
