Entrepreneurship at Scale: Lessons in Building a House of Brands Ananth Narayanan's three lessons: choose niche markets, think global from day one, and use technology wisely.

In today's fast-changing business world, many entrepreneurs find it hard to grow their companies while keeping each brand special. Many D2C startups in India begin with great ideas but struggle to scale up. They face problems like strong competition, changing customer needs, and complex distribution systems. The main question is how to build several successful brands under one company while staying efficient and profitable.

To discuss these challenges, the "Entrepreneur 2025" event was held in New Delhi to bring together business leaders and innovators from across the country. One of the most awaited sessions was the keynote speech by Ananth Narayanan, Founder and CEO of BRND.ME (formerly Mensa Brands). His topic, "Entrepreneurship at Scale: Lessons in Building a House of Brands," focused on how entrepreneurs can grow multiple consumer brands from India and make them successful globally.

About Ananth Narayanan

Ananth Narayanan is one of India's leading entrepreneurs in the consumer internet industry. He founded BRND.ME, a tech-driven company that builds and manages several brands in health, wellness, and lifestyle. Under his leadership, BRND.ME became Asia's fastest and the world's second-fastest unicorn in just six months. Today, the company runs ten strong brands that are growing worldwide.

Before starting BRND.ME, Ananth was the CEO of Myntra, a fashion and lifestyle platform under the Flipkart and Walmart Group. He also co-founded Medlife, a leading e-health company that later merged with PharmEasy.

Before becoming an entrepreneur, he worked at McKinsey & Company for 15 years. Ananth calls himself an "accidental entrepreneur" who is now focused on using technology to build global consumer brands from India.

Highlights from the Keynote Speech

During his keynote, Ananth explained how brand building has changed in recent years and shared lessons from his own journey. His goal with BRND.ME was to create a modern version of Unilever in India—a company that owns and supports many successful consumer brands.
He said brand building is changing in three big ways.

First, distribution is now more open and equal. In the past, large consumer companies depended on thousands of distributors to sell products. Today, digital platforms and e-commerce allow even small brands to reach customers directly, both in India and abroad.
Second, people now discover brands online. Even if they buy products in stores, they usually first hear about them on social media or through online communities. "Brand building is no longer about TV ads," Ananth said. "It's about being part of the online communities where your customers are."

Third, product development has become more scientific. Instead of guessing what customers want, brands can now use data to understand trends and create products that fit those needs. For example, BRND.ME noticed a rising global interest in rosemary oil and launched a product early, which went on to become a best seller.

Three Lessons in Building and Scaling Brands

Ananth shared three main lessons from BRND ME's journey, which has now become a USD 200 million profitable company.

1. Choose the right market

He advised entrepreneurs not to always go after the biggest markets, as they are often crowded and less profitable. Instead, focus on niche categories where competition is low and customer needs are clear. "For instance, BRND ME's MyFitness brand sells peanut butter for the healthy snacking segment, and PartyPropz offers party supplies online in a space that was earlier unorganised. Niche markets may be small, but they give you better margins and stronger customer loyalty," he explained.

2. Think global from the start

Ananth encouraged entrepreneurs to look beyond India and think about building global brands. India already has strong advantages in design, manufacturing, and sourcing. Majestic Pure, BRND ME's aromatherapy brand, uses Indian essential oils and sells them worldwide. "We already make great products," he said. "Now we need to build global brands around them."

3. Use technology wisely

According to Ananth, technology is a powerful tool that helps brands compete with large global companies. "BRND.ME uses artificial intelligence to manage advertising, pricing, and marketing campaigns automatically. This allows them to run more than 100,000 ad campaigns efficiently. Technology helps reduce costs and improves the way we operate," he said.

The Future: India as a Brand-Building Nation

Ananth ended his talk with an optimistic view of India's future. Over the past 20 years, India has gone global in industries like IT, pharmaceuticals, and automobile manufacturing. He believes that the next 20 years will be the age of Indian consumer brands.

With digital distribution, online marketing, and advanced technology, Indian entrepreneurs now have the tools to compete globally. A "house of brands" model, he explained, creates shared support systems in technology, marketing, and operations. This allows multiple brands to grow faster and more profitably under one company.

"We can build the next Unilever or P&G from India," Ananth said. "We don't need to copy the old models. We can create our own using technology and data."

The story of BRND.ME shows that with the right strategy, innovation, and vision, building a house of brands at scale is not just possible; it is the future of entrepreneurship in India.