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Tag: WestBridge Capital

  • Arun Srinivas appointed as Meta India’s new country head and MD

    Arun Srinivas appointed as Meta India’s new country head and MD

    MUMBAI: From tea leaves to timelines, Arun Srinivas is now brewing strategy at Meta India. In a move that signals both continuity and elevation, Meta has announced the appointment of Arun Srinivas as its new Managing Director and Country Head for India. Already a key figure within the company, Srinivas will now oversee all business, innovation, and revenue priorities across the region cementing Meta’s long-term commitment to the Indian market.

    Srinivas joined Meta in 2020 and has since led its Global Business Group and Ads Business for India, steering strategic revenue levers like AI, Reels, and Messaging. In his expanded role, he will now unify Meta India’s core pillars to better serve the platform’s advertisers, partners, and users.

    With nearly three decades of experience under his belt, Srinivas has worked across marquee names like Hindustan Unilever, Reebok, Ola, and private equity firm Westbridge Capital. His past roles included launching Ola in London, leading Unilever’s food, skincare, and beverage verticals in South Asia, and investing in high-growth consumer brands during his stint at WestBridge.

    Meta’s leadership hopes the appointment marks a sharper, localised strategy in a market that remains one of its largest and most dynamic.

    “As we look ahead, we remain focused on building products that drive growth for our partners while driving innovation for the ecosystem,” the company stated.

    With Srinivas now leading Meta India’s charge, all eyes will be on how he blends deep-rooted brand-building wisdom with the platform’s global tech playbook and what that could mean for India’s digital future.
     

  • DesignCafe raises Rs 200 cr in series B funding

    DesignCafe raises Rs 200 cr in series B funding

    MUMBAI: DesignCafe, a Bengaluru based online home interior design platform, announced that WestBridge Capital will invest up to Rs 200 crore in a series B round of funding with participation by existing investor Fireside Ventures. Bangalore-based boutique Investment Bank Sprout Capital Advisors LLP was the exclusive financial advisor for the transaction.

    Design Café co-founder Shezaan Bhojani said, “We are very pleased to have Westbridge, one of the leading PE investors in India, join the Design Cafe team. We are also excited to strengthen our already close relationship with existing investor Fireside Ventures, who is also participating in this round. These investors share our long-term mindset and align with our values and we are thrilled to have them join us in our journey to script the next chapter of Design Café.”

    Westbridge Capital managing partner Sandeep Singhal commented, “We have been impressed with Design Cafe’s rapid scaling up and initial success. Their high customer satisfaction rate is an excellent achievement and is a testimony to the company’s deep domain expertise in this sector, hard work, and good business judgment. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with Design Cafe in their journey of taking the business to even greater heights and building a marquee brand in home design services and products.”  

    Fireside Ventures managing partner Kanwaljit Singh said, “DesignCafe operates in a large white space and have built a solution that caters to a large target audience. Gita and Shezaan come with significant design experience which helps them understand the consumer need better. We have backed the company since its early days and are excited to partner with them to build a large home interior services brand.”

    DesignCafe was set up to address a large personalisation and execution gap that existed in the mid-segment (i.e. homes of 1,000-2,000 sq ft.) home interior market. Founded in 2015 by Gita Ramanan and Shezaan Bhojani, it offers customised interior solutions and personalised designs to consumers. The company also allows the consumers to visualise their home in virtual reality before execution. The company proposes to use the additional capital to expand operations in 6 other cities including Mumbai, NCR, and Hyderabad.