India’s D2C ecosystem has no shortage of new brands. But as competition intensifies, identifying the businesses delivering strong revenue growth, beyond the attention generated by funding announcements, product launches and marketing campaigns, is becoming increasingly important.

This is the premise behind FAST42, Inc42’s annual ranking of India’s fastest-growing D2C brands. Now in its sixth edition, FAST42 2027 invites applications from emerging consumer brands to identify and rank 42 businesses by verified revenue growth between FY24 and FY26.

Since 2022, FAST42 has been part of Inc42’s broader effort to identify, track and recognise emerging consumer businesses. Backed by more than a decade of startup ecosystem coverage, sector research and engagement with D2C founders, the initiative has consistently focused on a measurable indicator of business growth: revenue.

The numbers from previous editions illustrate the scale of businesses featured in the ranking. The FAST42 2026 cohort, selected from over 250 applications, comprised 42 brands that collectively generated ₹2,154 Cr in annual revenue and employed more than 6,700 people.

Over the years, FAST42 has recognised brands such as Pilgrim, The Sleep Company, Snitch, Sweet Karam Coffee, Beco, Perfora, XYXX, Innovist, Fix My Curls and The Pant Project, among others.

These brands represent a cross-section of India’s consumer economy, spanning established categories, emerging niches and different approaches to building and scaling a business.

With FAST42 2027, Inc42 is looking to identify the next set of emerging brands demonstrating exceptional revenue growth.

Presented by Inc42 and Shadowfax, and co-presented by PhonePe Payment Gateway, the sixth edition will culminate in the unveiling of India’s 42 fastest-growing eligible D2C brands in February 2027.

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