The D2C Brand Pyramid: Why You Can't Put boAt and a homegrown brand in the Same League

In India, D2C is the new buzzword. It gets thrown around like confetti on LinkedIn, but let's be honest: it's become a catch-all label for everything from billion-dollar giants to two-person Shopify hustles. The result? Confusion. As someone who lives and breathes marketing, I can tell you that segmenting this universe isn’t just helpful—it’s necessary.

Let’s cut the noise and break down the Indian D2C ecosystem with a framework that actually reflects ground reality.

The Problem:

We currently lump all D2C brands into the same basket. That means boAt (yep, the headphone empire) and Alainstore are considered the same type of business.

They're not. Not even close.

So, let’s fix that.

Introducing the Indian D2C Brand Pyramid:

🌋 Tier 1: Power D2C

Examples: boAt, Mamaearth, Lenskart, Sugar, Wow Skin Science

• Revenue: ₹200 Cr+

• Funding: Series A+, IPO track

• Team: 100+ employees

• Channels: D2C, retail, marketplaces, TV ads

• Brand recall: >80% in metros

• Think of them as: Consumer-tech disguised as FMCG

These brands are no longer 'pure' D2C. They’re omnichannel juggernauts with the war chests and TV budgets to match.

🌉 Tier 2: Mid-Growth D2C

Examples: The Man Company, Plum, Bacca Bucci, Zouk, mCaffeine

• Revenue: ₹20-100 Cr

• Funding: Seed to Pre-Series A

• Channels: Website + Marketplaces + Some Offline

• Founder-led with structured teams

• Think of them as: Startups looking to break into mass relevance

These are your investor darlings, Shark Tank alumni, and category challengers.

🧱 Tier 3: Indie Builder Brands

Examples: Alainstore, Herbtics, oacpens,

• Revenue: < ₹10 Cr (often < ₹1 Cr)

• Funding: Bootstrapped or small angel round

• Channels: Website + Instagram

• Founder = CEO + CMO + Designer + Logistics guy

• Think of them as: Passion-driven brands with a cult following

These brands live on love, hustle, and late-night Canva marathons.

🪙 Tier 4: Dropshippers & Resellers

Examples: The mystery watch brand you saw on Insta ads yesterday

• Revenue: Unclear / Inconsistent

• Channels: Mostly paid Insta or Meta ads

• Product: Generic + AliExpress clone with logo slapped on

• Zero brand equity or IP

More marketing experiment than business. Great for quick flips, bad for long-term brand equity.

Better Segregation: Beyond Industry Skincare isn’t a category. It’s a spectrum. You’ll find skincare brands in all 4 tiers.

What actually matters:

• Revenue range

• Funding status

• Distribution strategy

• Brand equity & recall

• Vision scale