India’s fast-growing children’s nutrition brand, Gladful, has raised ₹8 crore in a fresh funding round to scale its clean-label, protein-focused product offerings. The round was led by Eternal Capital, the venture fund founded by former BharatPe COO Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, with participation from returning investors Antler India and Venture Catalysts, along with RWA Advisors, Arav Ventures, and angel investors Aman Tekriwal and Sairam Krishnamurthy.

This is Gladful’s second major funding milestone, following a ₹7 crore seed round in 2023, bringing the company’s total capital raised to ₹15 crore.

Founded with Purpose: The Story Behind Gladful

Gladful was established in 2022, by sibling entrepreneurs Parul Sharma and Manu Sharma. After previously leading brand strategy for Mondelez’s flagship brands (Cadbury Silk, 5 Star) and personally dealing with the chronic deficiency of protein in Indian children’s diets, but more personally, as a mother, Parul was ready for a new challenge. Manu, who has struggled with pancreatitis since childhood, also brought firsthand experience to the table with regard to planning health-conscious diets.

Their combined experiences inspired them to found Gladful to provide Indian families with protein-rich, clean-label nutrition, with their initial efforts focused on breakfast mixes that are easy and convenient for children and families.

What Gladful Offers: Clean Nutrition for Busy Families

Gladful’s current lineup includes chilla, dosa, pancake, and idli mixes, all designed to be ready in under 10 minutes. These products are:

• Made with plant-based proteins
• Free from refined sugar, palm oil, maltodextrin, and preservatives
• Enriched to deliver 5 to 8 grams of protein per serving
• Manufactured in US FDA-registered facilities, meeting stringent safety and nutrition standards

Each product is formulated to support children’s daily protein requirements in a form that is easy for parents to cook and enjoyable for kids to eat.

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Strategic Expansion: Entering the Kids’ Health Drink Market

Recently, Gladful announced NutraMilk, a plant-based milk mix for children, in an effort to gain a share of the lucrative health drink market in India worth ₹12,000 crore. Unlike traditional malt-based powders, NutraMilk contains nuts, seeds, jaggery and dates, and 25 vitamins and minerals fortifications.

This move responds to rising parental concerns over excessive sugar and artificial ingredients in legacy children’s drinks. NutraMilk is completely refined sugar-free, chemical-free, and built for daily consumption without guilt.

The brand built NutraMilk after collecting direct feedback from thousands of mothers, further validating its product-market fit.

Funding Utilization and Growth Strategy

The newly raised ₹8 crore will be directed towards:

• Team expansion: Growing the R&D, product innovation, and marketing teams
• New product development: Enhancing the breakfast and milk mix portfolio
• Geographic scale: Expanding into Tier I and Tier II cities through digital platforms and quick-commerce players like Zepto and Blinkit
• Brand building: Boosting visibility among new-age health-conscious Indian parents

According to CEO Parul Sharma, Gladful’s mission is “to make protein-rich, clean-label meals a daily habit, not a luxury.” She emphasized the importance of building trust among families who are becoming increasingly attentive to food labels and ingredients.

Why Investors Are Betting on Gladful

Lead investor Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl of Eternal Capital said the brand fills a critical need in the Indian market: clean, trustworthy, high-protein nutrition for children. He applauded the founders’ consumer-first approach, rapid iteration, and strong traction.

Rajiv Srivatsa, Partner at Antler India, also noted Gladful’s high customer repeat rate and impressive scale-up post its seed round. He said the company is well-positioned to become a market leader in the kids’ nutrition category.

Rapid Market Traction and Revenue Vision

Since its inception, Gladful has already served over 20,000 families and seen its business triple since the previous round. The company’s products enjoy strong repeat purchases, especially in urban households looking for nutritious and quick meal solutions.

Gladful plans to reach ₹60 crore in annual revenue within the next few years. The company is going to ramp up distribution across D2C platforms, e-commerce marketplaces and quick commerce channels, while also innovating in breakfast and beverages.

A Rising Force in India’s Nutrition Market

Gladful’s quick ascent is indicative of a broader movement in Indian consumer behavior towards ingredient transparency, functional food and clean-label products. With a well-defined target audience, expert product development, and a growing distribution footprint, Gladful is setting itself to become a household name in children’s health and nutrition.

By combining scientific formulations, consumer empathy, and modern distribution, the brand is well on track to become a front-runner in India’s next wave of family-focused food innovation.

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