HealthKart

HealthKart, operated by Bright Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. and headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, sells health and fitness supplements in India through its website, mobile apps and a network of retail stores. Its catalogue spans whey protein, mass gainers, creatine, BCAAs, pre-workout, multivitamins, omega-3, collagen and Ayurvedic ingredients such as ashwagandha and shilajit, alongside foods such as peanut butter and protein cereals, aimed at men, women and children. The app lists more than 20,000 products from over 150 brands, including third-party names such as Optimum Nutrition, MyProtein, MuscleTech, Dymatize, Herbalife and GNC.

Beyond retailing other brands, the company builds its own labels. Sources describe MuscleBlaze and HealthViva as brands introduced in 2012, followed by Incredio and Phyzo, and TrueBasics, Biozyme, GritZo and Nouriza in 2019, plus HK Vitals and MB Foods; MuscleBlaze and HK Vitals are described as leading sports nutrition and online vitamin brands in India. HealthKart also offers customer-facing services including nutritionist and dietician consultations, diet plans, workout content, a store locator, an HK Cash rewards scheme and an HK Premium membership, and it launched a teleconsultation platform during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The company distributes through its own channels as well as modern trade, general trade and horizontal marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart and Nykaa. Company-profile sources report 225-250+ retail stores across India, over 3 million customers cited in the app listing (10 million cited in other profiles), and two-hour delivery in selected cities on selected products.

Founding story

HealthKart was founded in March 2011 by Sameer Maheshwari and Prashant Tandon, both IIT Delhi graduates; Maheshwari holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and previously worked at MicroStrategy, Jefferies, UBS Investment Bank and LucidEra, while Tandon studied at Stanford Graduate School of Business and worked at McKinsey, MapmyIndia and Unilever. The founders' premise was that healthcare delivery in India was highly unorganised and that rising internet penetration and e-commerce created an opening to bring organisation and quality to the sector. Before launching the consumer portal they experimented with several models, including public healthcare work and practice-management software for independent physicians and small clinics, and set up parent company Bright Lifecare Pvt. Ltd. Maheshwari, returning after about 12 years in the US, cited adapting to Indian working culture and recruiting for an early-stage startup as initial hurdles.

Business model

HealthKart operates an omnichannel retail model: it sells third-party supplement brands as a marketplace/retailer while also manufacturing and selling in-house brands such as MuscleBlaze, HealthViva, HK Vitals, TrueBasics, Biozyme, GritZo, Nouriza and MB Foods. Sales run through healthkart.com, Android and Amazon Appstore apps, more than 200 listed brands and authorised vendors, company-operated retail stores, modern and general trade, and third-party e-commerce platforms. A seller management panel lets over 400 sellers fulfil orders from their own locations. One profile characterises the model as B2B2C.

Revenue comes primarily from product sales of nutrition and wellness goods, both third-party brands sold at retail margin and higher-margin owned brands, across online and offline channels; ancillary elements include a paid HK Premium membership offering extra HK Cash, flash-sale discounts and early access, while nutrition-expert chat and dietician consultations are offered with orders.

Traction

Reported traction includes FY25 revenue of ₹1,366.3 Cr, up 27.77% year on year; more than 5 million Google Play downloads; 3 million-plus customers cited in the app listing and 10 million-plus in company profiles; 20,000+ products from 150+ brands; 225-250+ retail stores; roughly 1,408 employees; and about 2.04 million monthly web visits. An earlier founder interview cited 1.5 million customers served and 80,000+ products delivered to 500+ cities per month at that time.

Latest developments

Inc42 records a $153 million late-stage round announced in November 2024 involving A91 Partners and other investors, and reports FY25 revenue of ₹1,366.3 Cr, up 27.77% year on year. Recent app updates add two-hour delivery in selected cities and a feature showing the best available price and all active offers for a product in one place.