Hunger Inc Raises INR 215 Crore to Scale Bombay Sweet Shop and Veronica's - Rusk Media Secures INR 103 Crore

New Delhi, October 2025 – Hunger Inc, the Mumbai-based parent company behind popular F&B brands such as Bombay Sweet Shop, Bombay Canteen, Veronica's, O Pedro, and Papa's, has raised ₹215 crore in a fresh funding round. The investment was led by Lighthouse and DSG Consumer Partners, who together picked up a significant minority stake in the company. This funding comes at a time when Indian startup funding has jumped significantly in 2024.

Cofounder Sameer Seth confirmed that the capital will be primarily used to expand the company's production and supply chain infrastructure, with a focus on scaling Bombay Sweet Shop and experimenting with the Veronica's café format, which centers around sandwiches and coffee — seen as a high-potential, scalable category. This expansion strategy aligns with how India's new foreign investment rules are supercharging startup growth.

Hunger Inc plans to expand beyond Mumbai, but will continue to take a measured approach to scaling Bombay Canteen and O Pedro, which are currently positioned as flagship destination dining concepts. The company's strategic growth mirrors the success of other Indian startups like Porter, which recently joined the unicorn league with a substantial funding round.

Rusk Media Raises ₹103 Crore in New Funding Round

In a parallel development, Rusk Media, a New Delhi-based mobile-first digital entertainment startup, has closed a ₹103-crore funding round. The round was led by IvyCap Ventures and included participation from LC Nueva, InfoEdge Ventures, and Woori Venture Partners. This investment reflects the broader trend of VCs betting big on innovative startups in India.

The funding included a mix of primary and secondary capital and is expected to fuel content development, platform expansion, and the company's broader growth initiatives in digital-first entertainment. Rusk Media's focus on digital entertainment taps into India's booming creator economy heading toward a USD 1 trillion future, showcasing the immense potential in the digital content space.