BRND.ME turns worthwhile, generates money: CEO Ananth Narayanan

Home of manufacturers unicorn BRND.ME, previously often called Mensa Manufacturers, has achieved profitability and is producing money, Founder and CEO Ananth Narayanan mentioned. 

“So the reply is we’re worthwhile. There are such a lot of EBITDA definitions that we do not know precisely whether or not you might be worthwhile or not,” he mentioned throughout a hearth chat with YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma at TechSparks 2025. 

“The one factor that basically issues is whether or not we’re producing money yearly,” mentioned Narayanan. “Final 12 months (FY24), we consumed Rs 25 crore of money; this 12 months (FY25), we’re producing Rs 15-20 crore of money, which actually issues if you consider. It consists of all the things—working capital as effectively. We’re producing money, which I really feel very happy with. Money movement issues.”

Narayanan was talking on the sixteenth version of YourStory’s flagship occasion, TechSparks 2025.

BRND.ME had clocked an working income of Rs 557.6 crore in FY24, and narrowed its losses to Rs 155.8 crore. The corporate is but to file its outcomes with the Registrar of Corporations. 

Narayanan mentioned that he’s but to finalise the timelines for a public itemizing, and is at the moment within the means of shifting its domicile to India. “I do not know the timings. We’re flipping into an Indian firm, and that ought to hopefully occur quickly. Once we began, we have been in Singapore,” he mentioned.

BRND.ME can also be not shying away from investing additional in corporations if the correct alternative arises. Roll-up commerce corporations have been on a shopping for spree through the funding growth post-pandemic, which stopped because the funding winter set in, with focus shifting towards making current investments worthwhile. 

“At Mensa, we’re at all times open to investing. Proper now, we’ve three-four massive manufacturers, and if it suits into our manufacturers, then we are going to make investments,” mentioned Narayanan. 

He added that constructing manufacturers in India is troublesome amid a glut of digital-first manufacturers and rising prices of promoting via on-line marketplaces, in addition to via Meta and Google adverts. The web market in India additionally comes with limitations.

“I believe it’s (troublesome to begin a shopper model),” he mentioned. “One fascinating pivot for entrepreneurs in India beginning shopper manufacturers goes world. The whole variety of shopping for customers in India on-line is anyplace between 70-100 million. Should you take ecommerce, fast commerce, and so forth. That pool is rising, however it’s rising slowly. The variety of shopper manufacturers making an attempt to promote on-line is rising rather more dramatically. So one recommendation I might have is, why not consider a worldwide model?”

Narayanan pointed to the instance of the peanut butter market in India, which has a market alternative of Rs 1,500 crore. MyFitness, a peanut butter maker, is among the largest manufacturers in BRND.ME’s portfolio. 

“Now, when you take your peanut butter product providing to the Center East, it turns into a Rs 4,500 crore alternative,” he mentioned. “The worldwide logistics and provide chain infrastructure is definitely now very environment friendly globally.”