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Marmalade, the company behind Brightside Craft Whiskey, has raised Rs. 6 crore in an early-stage funding round. The round was backed by angel investors from the alcoholic beverage, consumer brand, and startup ecosystem.
The story is interesting because Marmalade is not trying to sell whiskey only through old ideas of heritage and heavy branding. Its aim is to make whiskey feel smoother, more approachable, and more relevant for India’s new generation of legal-drinking-age consumers.
What Marmalade Does
Marmalade is a new-age alco-bev startup building flavour-led spirits for Indian consumers. Its first product is Brightside Craft Whiskey, which was launched in Pune in January 2026.
Brightside is positioned as a craft whiskey for people who may find regular whiskey too harsh, bitter, or difficult to enjoy. The brand is built around an easier-drinking experience, while still staying in the whiskey category.
A simple way to understand this is to think of a first-time whiskey drinker at a casual house party. Instead of choosing a very strong, smoky, old-school bottle, they may prefer something smoother and easier to mix or sip. Marmalade is trying to serve that kind of consumer.
Founders and Startup Background
Marmalade was founded in 2025 by Udit Mediratta and Surojit Bhattacharya.
Udit Mediratta has experience in marketing and sales, including past roles at HomeLane and AB InBev. Surojit Bhattacharya comes from a finance and strategy background. Together, they are building Marmalade as a modern Indian drinks company, starting with Brightside.
The startup has also developed Brightside Craft Whiskey in partnership with Amrut Distilleries and master blender Ashok Chokalingam.
Funding Details and Investors
The Rs. 6 crore round saw participation from around 20 angel investors. Reported names include Ashok Chokalingam, COO of Amrut Distilleries; Robert Sellares from the Don Q Rum founding family; Ishank Gupta, former AB InBev director and founder of Humyn Labs; HomeLane founders Srikanth Iyer and Tanuj Choudhry; and founders of Malt Society Arabia.
For a young alcohol brand, this kind of investor mix matters. It brings not only capital, but also experience in spirits, distribution, branding, and consumer behaviour.
Funding Purpose
Marmalade plans to use the fresh capital for distribution expansion, brand building, and strengthening sales and operations.
The company’s near-term focus is Mumbai and the broader Maharashtra market. This makes sense because the brand started in Pune and can use Maharashtra as a strong base before entering more states.
As per ETRetail, Brightside is priced at Rs. 1,750 for a 750ml bottle in Maharashtra. The company is also targeting Rs. 15 crore annualized revenue run rate by December 2026, after reaching a reported Rs. 5 crore run rate in September 2026.
Competitors and Market Context
Marmalade is entering a crowded but exciting market. India already has recognized whiskey brands such as Amrut, Paul John, Indri, Rampur, Godawan, and other premium Indian labels. At the same time, mass-market whiskey brands continue to dominate large parts of the category.
Brightside’s challenge will be clear. It has to stand out in taste, packaging, pricing, and availability. The opportunity is also clear. Many younger legal-age consumers are open to trying Indian brands if the product feels modern and easy to enjoy.
Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Marmalade’s Rs. 6 crore funding gives the startup a chance to move from a promising Pune launch to a wider Maharashtra play. The brand is still young, but it is entering the market with a sharp consumer idea and backing from people who understand alcoholic beverages and consumer brands.
Key takeaways –
- Marmalade raised Rs. 6 crore in early-stage funding.
- The startup was founded in 2025 by Udit Mediratta and Surojit Bhattacharya.
- Its first brand, Brightside Craft Whiskey, launched in Pune in January 2026.
- The funding will support distribution, brand building, sales, and operations.
- Mumbai and wider Maharashtra are key focus markets.
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