D2C Brands Should Use Quick Commerce Gains To Scale General Trade: Veeba’s Viraj Bahl

D2C brands should capitalise on the quick commerce boom and use the gains generated from the channel to expand their presence across general trade, according to Veeba founder Viraj Bahl. 

“Quick commerce has become essential for B2C today. But I see brands that have scaled to ₹100 Cr largely driven by quick commerce but don’t use the runway generated from 10-minute deliveries to scale their general trade. Earn from quick commerce but reinvest that in retail in India,” Bahl said during a fireside chat at Inc42’s ‘The D2C & Retail Summit 2026’. 

Bahl said quick commerce entered Veeba’s 13-year journey relatively late but has since emerged as an important revenue channel and growth driver for the sauce and condiment maker. 

According to Bahl’s earlier remarks to media publications, quick commerce accounts for around 8%-10% of Veeba’s revenue. The company sells its products through platforms such as Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart. 

However, traditional kirana stores, or general trade, continue to account for more than 70% of Veeba’s business.

Bahl said quick commerce can help brands improve visibility and consumer discovery, which can subsequently support their expansion across general trade. He believes the two channels can grow simultaneously and create broader momentum for emerging consumer brands.

During the conversation, Bahl also reflected on Veeba’s unsuccessful bets and said some of these experiments helped the company build a business with more than ₹1,000 Cr in revenue.

He cited Veeba’s foray into the child nutrition segment with V-Nourish as one such example. The company incurred sizable losses because of heavy marketing expenditure and eventually discontinued the business in 2021.

Bahl said the experience prompted Veeba to impose stricter limits on marketing expenditure while entering adjacent categories.

The founder also indicated that Veeba could explore the high-protein condiments category. However, the company would first test the proposition in smaller markets and refine its consumer appeal before expanding aggressively in an already crowded market.

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