In an industry crowded with synthetic formulas and loud fragrance claims, Phitku built its entire identity around something Indian households have trusted for generations – alum, or fitkari. Founded in early 2025 by Sumit Marda, Neha Marda and Rahul Dokania, Phitku is a digitally native personal care brand built around alum, a trusted natural ingredient used for generations for odor protection, reimagined through clean, alcohol-free formulations free of artificial fragrances and harsh chemicals.

The brand’s origin is deeply personal. Co-founder Neha Marda, a well-known television actress, discovered fitkari’s effectiveness after experiencing severe postpartum body odor that commercial deodorants failed to resolve – a lived problem that became the brand’s founding insight, with her brother Sumit Marda taking on the CEO role alongside co-founder Rahul Dokania.

Phitku’s visibility accelerated after its appearance on Shark Tank India, where the founders pitched the brand as a natural alternative to conventional deodorants and secured investment from sharks Aman Gupta and Anupam Mittal – a moment that introduced the brand to a much wider national audience and lent it early credibility.

The real milestone, though, arrived this week. Ananta Capital has acquired a majority stake in Phitku via a combination of primary capital infusion and a secondary share purchase, with the startup having achieved profitability within 14 months of launch while targeting an ARR of ₹300 crore within the next two years. Ananta Capital is backing this Made-in-India personal care and hygiene brand focused on body odour management through science-backed, alum-based formulations, marking Phitku’s first institutional funding round after a fully bootstrapped run.

From a grandmother’s grocery-shelf remedy to an acquisition target for a Taparia-family-backed PE firm, Phitku’s journey is a masterclass in perception-led brand building – proof that the right story can turn tradition into enterprise value.