Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) is making a follow-on investment in the Indian omnichannel retail platform Rozana. The Bertelsmann Investments fund is leading the company’s €31.9 million Series B funding round. Founded in 2021, Rozana specializes in the delivery of everyday goods in rural India. The start-up, in which BII has held a stake since March 2024, partners with thousands of local micro-enterprises. Since the previous funding round, Rozana has quadrupled its revenues, according to the company. It now reaches more than one million households across 21,000+ villages in the Ganges plain, a region where more than 50 percent of India’s rural population lives.
The opportunities of the rural market
India’s rural consumer market, which is home to nearly 12 percent of the world’s population, exceeds $2 trillion, according to BII. More than 200 million rural households spend more than 20,000 rupees (around €185) per month on everyday goods. Demand in rural areas has grown significantly faster than in urban areas over the past six quarters. Despite this momentum, the rural market remains underserved by existing e-commerce and retail players.
India’s next consumption wave
“India’s next consumption wave will be won in Bharat’s heartland, and Rozana is building the kind of trusted, omnichannel retail platform that rural households actually need,” said Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director of Bertelsmann India Investments. “With revenue up fourfold since the last round, Rozana has demonstrated both product–market fit and disciplined execution at scale.” BII is pleased to support the company again as it deepens its presence across the Gangetic belt, expands its product categories, and continues to grow to serve more rural households.
Rohit Sood, Partner at Bertelsmann India Investments, added: “The rural commerce opportunity is massive and underserved. Rozana’s model is unique in the way it embeds women entrepreneurs at the center of the supply chain and builds consumer trust in Bharat’s heartland, where traditional e-commerce has struggled. We are excited to back Rozana once again as it scales responsibly across rural India.”
Rozana operates an omnichannel model that combines a consumer-facing app and digital commerce platform with more than 75 retail centers and its own distribution infrastructure. At the heart of its last-mile fulfillment network are over 35,000 women entrepreneurs rooted in local communities, who act as trusted intermediaries and fulfillment agents. This fundamentally differentiates the company from the transaction-driven, discount-led marketplace model common in urban e-commerce in India.
Strengthening rural communities
“Rural India is home to nearly a billion people, yet the basic act of shopping has long lacked fairness, dignity and choice,” said Ankur Dahiya, Co-Founder of Rozana. “At Rozana, we are changing this by building trust through women partners, modern experience centers, and access to products that households can see and believe in. This funding will help us deepen our presence, broaden our categories, and continue empowering communities across Bharat.”
Adwait Vikram Singh, Co-Founder of Rozana, added: “Rozana founders are committed to dedicating their lives for rural transformation. It is a means for wealth creation not only for investors but an opportunity to create wealth for a community far away from the sector’s imagination. Our commitment through Rozana is for rural empowerment.”
Long-term goal: reach 130,000 villages in India
Rozana currently operates in the Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, already serving more than one million active households. In its next phase of growth, Rozana plans to expand to more than 200 locations and enter two to three additional northern states along the Gangetic belt. Its long-term goal is to reach 130,000 villages across India. The new capital will be used to strengthen its technology infrastructure, expand product categories, develop private label offerings, and deepen brand partnerships.
