Over the last year, I’ve realised something about my own buying behaviour: I’ve slowly started choosing Indian D2C brands over brands I’ve used for years.

And I didn’t really plan for it to happen.

From switching from Dove to Be Nude, Oral-B to Perfora, and basic lip balms to Indie Wild, to discovering DailyObjects, Mokobara, Blablie Blue, Kica Active, Kawa, Terractive, Bodai and several other homegrown Indian brands, my “default” brands have quietly changed.

And it got me thinking: what does it actually mean when D2C brands move from being brands we discover on Instagram to brands we automatically choose?

In this episode of eCommerce, Clearly, I talk about:

• Why I’ve become more willing to experiment with Indian D2C brands
• How newer brands are replacing legacy and international brands in my own buying behaviour
• The journey from discovering a D2C brand to becoming a repeat customer
• How D2C brands have started influencing my family’s purchase decisions too
• Why Instagram and social media have completely changed brand discovery
• How Indian D2C brands are competing on product, branding, design, experience and community
• What this shift says about Make in India and the growth of India’s D2C ecosystem
• And why the biggest sign of D2C success might not be how many brands are launching—but how many are becoming our new defaults.

Because ultimately, the goal isn't:

“Please buy Indian.”

It’s:

“You have choices. And we’re one of the best ones.”

And maybe that’s when an Indian D2C brand has truly made it.

When you stop thinking of it as a “small Indian brand” and simply think:

“This is the brand I use.”

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If you’re building or growing an e-commerce brand and constantly working on creatives, ads and content, check them out.

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If you’ve also switched from some of your old favourite brands to newer Indian D2C brands, I’d love to know what those switches have been.

Until then, keep observing.

And clearly, keep questioning your defaults.

#eCommerceClearly #IndianD2C #D2CBrands #IndianBrands #IndianStartups #MakeInIndia #D2CIndia #eCommerce #eCommerceIndia #ConsumerBehaviour #HomegrownBrands #IndianEntrepreneurs