Indigenous personal care brand Zlade has announced its partnership with BIC– a company known for producing razor blades and shavers for men and women in India. The Pune-based start-up also raised $1.5 million in an investment round led by Shivansh Holdings ( Family Office of Vikas Poddar) and Amit Kalyani. It is also in advanced talks with marquee investors and the family offices to raise another $1.5 million. 

The start-up is aiming to tap into India’s emerging men’s grooming product market in India. According to an IMARC report, India is one of the fastest-growing markets for men’s grooming products. It was valued at $1.86 bn in 2021 and has a projected CAGR of 7.93% during 2022-2027.

Speaking on the latest development, Thomas Brette, BIC Group Partnerships and New Business Officer said, “Our partnership with Zlade is part of the business-to-business strategy for our Blade Excellence division. Zlade is on a strong growth trajectory. Its founders have built a team with a solid focus on resolving consumer pain points and we are excited to support with our blade innovation and manufacturing expertise.”

Mihir Vaidya, Co-founder and co-CEO of Zlade, added, “We are delighted to join hands with BIC. We are singularly focused on building a brand that owns the men’s shaving and intimate grooming space. Over the past 4 years, it has been our constant endeavour to align with the right partner for getting superior quality razors to the Indian consumer at the right price. As we boost our operations by building an omnichannel presence, we needed the support of a legacy brand that could guide us on scaling up our capabilities,”