A new startup aiming to help global fashion brands enter the Indian market has secured early funding. Confluxe, founded by former executives from Myntra, AJIO and H&M, has raised $1.6 million in a pre-seed funding round. The round was led by Wavemaker Partners, with participation from Kriscore Capital.
The company was founded by Rajesh Narkar, a former executive at Myntra and AJIO, and Louis Coucke, who previously worked with H&M India. Together, they aim to build a technology-enabled operating platform that helps international fashion and lifestyle brands enter and scale in India.
Solving a Supply Gap in India’s Fashion Market
India’s fashion and lifestyle market is estimated to be worth around $130 billion, with growing consumer demand for global brands. However, the process for international brands to enter the Indian market remains complex and fragmented. Confluxe aims to simplify this process by offering a tech-enabled platform that combines market entry strategy, digital commerce, data-driven merchandising, and supply chain support. The platform also plans to support a localised “Make in India” supply chain to help global brands operate more efficiently in the country.
Speaking about the launch, Louis Coucke said international brands looking to enter India are not just searching for distribution channels but also need strong local execution and the right technology backbone.
He added that the fresh funding will help the company launch its first brand partnerships, strengthen its team, and build the technology infrastructure needed for the platform.
Building the Supply Side of the Fashion Ecosystem
Rajesh Narkar said one of the biggest opportunities in India’s fashion industry lies on the supply side, where global brands want to enter the market but often lack the infrastructure to scale effectively.
According to him, Confluxe aims to build that missing layer by combining technology, commerce capabilities, and local operational expertise into one integrated platform. The founders believe this approach can help global brands expand in India in a more disciplined and cost-efficient way.
Investor Confidence
Commenting on the investment, Phuong Tran from Wavemaker Partners said India is emerging as one of the most important growth markets for global fashion brands. However, premium and global brands currently account for only about 12 percent of India’s fashion market, compared to nearly 30 percent in mature markets such as the United States, Europe and China.
Tran noted that Confluxe creates a new pathway for international brands that are well established in their home markets but have not yet entered India. Nilesh Balakrishnan, Managing Partner at Kriscore Capital, added that India is one of the world’s most exciting consumer markets but entering it requires deep local understanding.
He pointed out that Rajesh Narkar’s experience across India’s e-commerce ecosystem and Louis Coucke’s background in building and operating H&M India position the founders well to build such a platform.
Expansion Plans
The newly raised capital will be used to launch the company’s first brand partnerships, build its technology and data infrastructure, and expand the team across brand operations, commerce, and growth functions.
As more global fashion brands look at India as a long-term growth market, Confluxe aims to position itself as a cross-border platform that connects global brands with local execution capabilities, helping them scale faster and more efficiently in the country.
-By Shivani Solanki
