Archana Jahagirdar, Founder and Managing Partner at Rukam Capital, has a crisp piece of advice for early-stage founders navigating India’s crowded consumer market: your product’s packaging is your first—and sometimes only—chance to pitch. “In early stage India, your packaging speaks before you do. Because in 2025, the packet is the pitch. And if you don’t make people care at the shelf, you won’t make them click at checkout,” she said.

In a recent post on LinkedIn, Jahagirdar stressed that in the fast-paced world of Indian startups, flashy pitch decks or explainer videos often go unnoticed.

“In early stage India, your packaging speaks before you do. No one’s reading your pitch deck. No one’s watching your 4-minute explainer video. And no one’s giving you 2 scrolls of attention. You have 3 seconds. One glance. One shot to explain who you are. And in India, that shot is your packaging,” she wrote.

Highlighting brands that have mastered this art, Jahagirdar cited examples of how good packaging builds brand identity before a consumer ever tries the product.

“GO DESi didn’t just sell imli pops. They made it look proudly Indian. The yellow, the typography, the vibe—it said ‘this isn’t a compromise snack.’ It was nostalgia, packaged with confidence.

Sleepy Owl Coffee put cold brew into clean, aspirational bottles. You didn’t just buy coffee. You bought calm, routine, and minimal hustle energy.

Antinorm, the newest in the game, put personality on their labels. Not claims. Not noise. Just identity. A statement of what they believe in — before you even open the cap. That’s the thing,” the VC founder added.

Jahagirdar emphasised that for early-stage startups, the battlefield isn’t about legacy but about recognition.

“In early-stage India, we’re not competing on legacy. We’re competing on recognition.

You have 2 seconds to:

• Say what you stand for
• Show who it’s for
• Build trust
• Trigger desire

If your packaging doesn’t speak, convert, or spark recall, your ads will bleed. Your D2C funnel will die. And your CAC will spiral. Because in 2025, the packet is the pitch. And if you don’t make people care at the shelf, you won’t make them click at checkout.”

Her post resonated strongly online and quickly went viral.

“Your insights on branding in early-stage India resonate deeply. The emphasis on packaging as an identity and trust-builder is crucial. It’s fascinating to see how effective branding can create a narrative that engages consumers beyond just the product itself. Your examples illustrate the power of perception, reminding us that in such a competitive landscape, we must always be mindful of the first impression we convey. Thank you for sharing this perspective!” wrote one user.

Cofounder of BoldEdge commented, “It’s crazy how much of early-stage storytelling happens on a 5×6 inch label. We’ve learned the hard way if the pack doesn’t click, nothing else will.”

“Spot on. In early-stage India, packaging is positioning. At Backrr, we see standout founders win trust in 2 seconds, on shelves and screens. Design drives distribution,” replied the Founder and CEO of Backrr.