In a major boost to India’s fast-evolving fashion-tech sector, ZILO, a startup founded by former Flipkart and Myntra executive Padmakumar Pal along with serial entrepreneur Bhavik Jhaveri, has successfully raised $4.5 million in seed funding. This significant financial backing marks a strong vote of confidence from key investors like Info Edge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures in ZILO’s ambitious plan to reshape the way urban Indians shop for fashion. The company’s core promise is simple yet disruptive — to deliver trending fashion to consumers’ doorsteps in under 60 minutes. In a market where quick commerce is rapidly gaining ground, ZILO is aiming to be the first to own the “quick-fashion” space.
ZILO’s Vision and Mission
ZILO was launched with a sharp focus on solving a unique urban problem — the increasing demand for instant access to fashion. Whether it’s for a last-minute party, an urgent meeting, or simply the desire to try something new, Indian consumers today expect both speed and style. ZILO’s mission is to become the go-to platform for on-demand fashion needs, offering same-hour delivery, a home trial experience, and a wide variety of branded products.
The startup was co-founded in early 2025 by Padmakumar Pal, who brings years of experience from leading roles at Flipkart and Myntra, and Bhavik Jhaveri, known for building and scaling successful ventures. Their combined expertise has helped build a unique hybrid supply chain model that leverages both dark stores and brand tie-ups to ensure lightning-fast fulfillment.
The Business Model: Fast, Flexible, Fashion-Forward
At the heart of ZILO’s model is its hybrid logistics system that allows the company to deliver products within 60 minutes of ordering. This is achieved through strategically located dark stores, which stock inventory in high-demand areas, and close partnerships with over 250 popular fashion brands, including Puma, Reebok, Louis Philippe, and many others. The company already offers a rich catalog of over 100,000 styles, covering apparel, footwear, accessories, bags, and watches.
What sets ZILO apart is its 30-minute home trial service, a customer-friendly feature that allows buyers to try on products before finalizing their purchase. When a delivery is made, ZILO’s staff waits up to 30 minutes at the doorstep, giving customers time to try out the outfits and return anything they don’t like — without any extra charges or delays. This mirrors the comfort of an offline store but with the speed of quick commerce, blending the best of both worlds.
The $4.5 Million Seed Round: Who’s Backing ZILO
ZILO’s fresh capital injection of $4.5 million came from Info Edge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures, two well-known names in the Indian startup ecosystem. These investors are placing their bets on the growing importance of quick-commerce infrastructure, especially in the lifestyle and fashion space.
According to Kitty Agarwal, Partner at Info Edge Ventures, the future of commerce lies in speed, personalization, and consistent delivery. She emphasized that speed drives first-time adoption, while personalization increases conversion rates, and consistency helps in building customer loyalty and encouraging repeat purchases. These three pillars align perfectly with ZILO’s strategic direction.
The startup plans to utilize this funding to enhance its hybrid supply chain, expand operations to new cities, increase its product catalog, and improve its tech platform for smoother user experiences. The funding will also support the company’s brand marketing, hiring, and real estate investments to establish more dark stores in metro cities.
Why Quick-Fashion Is the Next Big Thing
Over the past few years, quick commerce has revolutionized how Indians shop for groceries, personal care items, and daily essentials. The market has seen rapid growth, expanding from just $0.5 billion in FY22 to over $3.3 billion in FY24. With platforms like Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart leading the charge in grocery and FMCG, there’s now a huge untapped opportunity in fashion — and ZILO is the first mover in this space.
Urban consumers, especially millennials and Gen Z, want access to fashion that’s both trendy and immediate. Waiting 2-5 days for a delivery from traditional e-commerce platforms no longer meets their expectations. ZILO fills this gap by offering instant fashion gratification. Whether it’s for a weekend party or an important meeting, ZILO ensures that customers don’t have to compromise on style due to time constraints.
Expansion Plans and Strategic Roadmap
Currently operational in Mumbai, ZILO has ambitious plans to expand to Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and other major Indian metros by the end of 2025. These cities offer the ideal mix of fashion-forward consumers, tech-savvy users, and dense urban zones that suit quick delivery logistics.
In addition to geographic expansion, ZILO aims to further diversify its catalog. The current product range, which includes clothing, footwear, bags, and watches, will be expanded to include fashion accessories, ethnic wear, office wear, and even seasonal collections curated for festivals, weddings, and special occasions.
The company is also working on personalizing user experiences through tech upgrades. This includes building better recommendation engines, improving app UI/UX, and integrating faster checkout systems. Plans are in place to introduce AI-driven styling assistants that suggest full outfits based on user behavior, local weather, and trending styles.
Competitive Advantage and Market Position
Although other players in the quick-commerce space like Blinkit and Swiggy are experimenting with limited fashion offerings, ZILO’s singular focus on fashion gives it a major edge. Unlike grocery players who dabble in apparel as a secondary category, ZILO is building its entire infrastructure and customer experience around fashion and lifestyle. This deep specialization allows for greater curation, better brand partnerships, and stronger consumer trust.
Additionally, ZILO’s trial-at-home feature removes one of the biggest pain points in online fashion — the inability to try before buying. This not only increases customer satisfaction but also reduces return rates, which are notoriously high in the apparel category.
The Bigger Picture: Transforming Urban Retail
ZILO’s model doesn’t just benefit end consumers. It also creates new sales channels for fashion brands. By partnering with ZILO, both established and emerging labels can reach new customers in a hyper-local, real-time manner. Brands also gain access to rich analytics about what styles are trending in different neighborhoods, helping them adapt inventory and collections accordingly.
Moreover, the rise of platforms like ZILO is transforming how retail is defined. No longer confined to physical stores or slow online deliveries, fashion retail is entering a new age of on-demand, high-speed shopping experiences. If successful, ZILO’s model could set a template for fashion brands and delivery services across the globe.
Challenges on the Road Ahead
Despite its strong start, ZILO faces several challenges as it scales. Managing inventory across dark stores in multiple cities can be complex and expensive. Ensuring consistent 60-minute delivery amid growing traffic and urban congestion will require sophisticated routing algorithms and a robust logistics team.
Another challenge lies in consumer education. Many shoppers may still be unaware that such instant fashion delivery options exist. Building awareness through effective marketing campaigns will be critical for adoption. Additionally, ZILO must strike the right balance between affordable pricing and premium service, especially in a price-sensitive market like India.
Competition will also heat up, as other e-commerce giants or quick-commerce platforms may enter the fashion space aggressively once they see the potential. ZILO will need to stay ahead by constantly innovating and delivering superior service.
ZILO’s $4.5 million seed funding marks more than just a financial milestone. It signals a shift in how the fashion industry is evolving in India. As urban consumers continue to embrace convenience, speed, and personalized experiences, ZILO is uniquely positioned to deliver on all three fronts.
By building a fast, flexible, and fashion-forward platform, ZILO is not only changing how people shop but also setting new standards for what they expect from retail. With a strong leadership team, clear value proposition, and supportive investors, ZILO has the tools and vision needed to become a household name in Indian e-commerce.
The coming months will be crucial. As ZILO expands to new cities, scales its logistics, and fine-tunes its technology, it will have to prove that the model can sustain itself at a national level. But if it succeeds, ZILO will not just be delivering clothes — it will be delivering a whole new way of living fashionably, instantly.
