MSMEs have a critical role in this ecosystem but should be cautious against scaling at the cost of fundamentals, said Ananth Narayanan, Founder and CEO of BRND.ME (formerly Mensa Brands).

“Don’t confuse growth and unit economics. Don’t take too much capital. The more capital you take, the more you need to return,” he added.

Narayanan also noted that India is entering a decade where global consumer brands can be built from the country.

“I am incredibly bullish about being an entrepreneur in India over the next 10-20 years. The macro forces are with us,” he said. “We have a young labour force, large consumer demand, manufacturing capability, digital infrastructure and capital.”

Narayanan, who has earlier led Myntra and invested in Medlife, said he entered entrepreneurship “sort of by accident”, but sees the next decade as a deliberate opportunity for Indian businesses to go global.

“Technology is a great, great equaliser. Technology allows for global access. Therefore, don’t just think India, think global,” he said, adding that global distribution has become far more democratic and affordable. “For ₹120, you can reach 20,000 pin codes in India. For $3, you can reach almost any pin code in the US.”

Drawing from BRND.ME’s portfolio, Narayanan cited the example of Party Props, a celebration products brand. “We have sort of become the number one brand in party celebration in the US, number two or number three in the UK, number three in Germany,” he said.

He also pointed to the potential in traditional categories, such as hair oils and Ayurveda. “Hair oils and hair oiling used to be very much an Indian habit. It’s now going global. But we’ve never built a global brand.”

“Every time there’s a party prop or a value-added hair oil, there are nearly 10 manufacturers,” he said. “We have a saree brand that’s gone global called Karakuri. We work with 2,500 weavers and we sell all over the world.”

emotional toll

Beyond strategy, Narayanan highlighted the emotional toll of entrepreneurship. “Independent of what anybody tells you, entrepreneurship is quite a lonely journey. One of the things I’m quite passionate about actually is mental health in start-ups and start-up ecosystems.”

His parting advice: “You have to have one eye in the telescope and the other eye in the microscope. The telescope is important because that’s what keeps you going.”

His goal over the next five years is clear: “Can we actually create a billion-dollar revenue company in India building out 4-5 large consumer brands?”

Published on June 25, 2025