2026 D2C & Retail Summit: Insights from India's Leading Startups

INTRODUCTION

In August 2026, Inc42 hosted its seventh edition of The D2C & Retail Summit, themed 'Commerce In The Age Of AI & 10-Min Delivery.' The summit brought together over 600 founders, CXOs, investors, and operators from a pool of 2,000+ applications. The event featured 15+ high-impact sessions and 5 hands-on workshops, with 60+ speakers from legacy brands, new-age disruptors, investors, and commerce enablers.

SUMMIT HIGHLIGHTS

The summit was a platform for meaningful dialogue and ecosystem-level impact, with sponsors like PhonePe Payment Gateway, Shadowfax, and more.

PhonePe Payment Gateway

PhonePe Payment Gateway, the merchant payments arm of PhonePe, India’s leading digital payments major, was a presenting partner. Kamal Lochan Das, business head, joined a panel discussion on India’s shopping patterns and the next growth wave.

Shadowfax

Shadowfax, a last-mile and hyperlocal logistics major, was a co-presenting partner. Abhishek Bansal, cofounder and CEO, moderated a fireside session on building India’s sportswear house.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS

What Do India’s Shopping Patterns Reveal About The Next Growth Wave?

Kamal Lochan Das of PhonePe Payment Gateway pointed to a shift in consumer spending habits, moving from utility-led to discretionary spending.

The $1 Bn Sportswear Bet: Building India’s Sportswear House

Abhishek Ganguli of Agilitas Sports discussed building an integrated sportswear business, spanning athlete-led brands and retail strategies.

How Agentic Commerce Will Change The Way India Shops

Piyush Shah of Glance explained how AI shopping agents can recommend products based on consumer preferences and context.

TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION

Gupshup

Adwit Sharma of Gupshup discussed AI-led conversational flows for recommendations and loyalty.

Elements Wellness

Rajesh Chandan of Elements Wellness spoke on profitable growth strategies and digital education.

Nitro

Umair Mohammad of Nitro outlined the '3As' for quick commerce: availability, assortment, and advertising.

CashKaro

Swati Bhargava of CashKaro moderated a panel on engineering profitable growth.

Base.com

Pradeep Sekhar of Base.com discussed winning Gen Z and premium Indian consumers.

SafeGold

Rhea Chaterji of SafeGold spoke on turning one-time buyers into repeat customers through conversational data.

Loti

Loti AI helps protect digital identities from misuse online.

Snapmint

Amitt Sharma of Snapmint discussed using flexible payment options to improve conversion.

Stelcore Group

Bharat Mandot of Stelcore Group talked about cross-border expansion and export economics.

FAQs

**Q: What was the main theme of the 2026 D2C & Retail Summit? **A: The main theme was 'Commerce In The Age Of AI & 10-Min Delivery.'

**Q: Who were some of the key speakers at the summit? **A: Key speakers included Aman Gupta of boAt, Viraj Bahl of Veeba, Siddharth Dungarwal of Snitch, and Vedant Modi of Manyavar-Mohey.

**Q: What role did technology play in the discussions? **A: Technology, especially AI and conversational commerce, played a central role in discussions on brand building and consumer engagement.

CONCLUSION

The 2026 D2C & Retail Summit was a significant event for understanding the future of digital commerce in India, with insights from leading startups and tech companies.

CALL-TO-ACTION

For more insights on D2C and retail trends, visit blogy.in.