Get All Access for $5/mo

The State Plate Raises Pre-Seed Funding From Antler India The platform will use the investment to grow their private label and build a range of high quality and affordable products liked by the masses in the country

By Prabhjeet Bhatla

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

The State Plate

The State Plate, a curated platform for India's regional foods, on Wednesday announced to have raised pre-seed funding from Antler India.

The State Plate is pursuing the massive unbranded regional foods market and will use the investment to grow their private label and build a range of high-quality and affordable products liked by the masses in the country. The startup will also use the funds to expand its team across design, marketing, and procurement. With a strong focus on storytelling, pricing, and curation, the startup is on its path of disrupting a massive yet nascent niche within the F&B segment.

"We are not a traditional marketplace where vendors are free to list and sell on the platform - we are a curated platform wherein we research, sample, and handpick every product we put in front of our consumers. Our thoughtful curation and high bar on quality is our differentiator and makes our customers' buying process much easier. While running The State Plate over the past year, Raghav and I came across several regional food products being sold without labels, branding, or good packaging. We want to fill this gap, and see a big opportunity for creating a strong brand that appeals to the modern consumer and has pan-India relevance. We will double down on our private label strategy over the next few months, and see it as a large part of our platform play in the long-term," said Muskaan Sancheti, co-founder, The State Plate.

The State Plate was founded in August 2020 by Muskaan Sancheti and Raghav Jhawar. Driven by the unavailability of ethnic food products in big-box stores, the startup is on a mission to bring Indian consumers closer to home and nostalgia. Additionally, they are facilitating the exploration and discovery of the best flavors of India from outside of one's hometown.

Since its launch, The State Plate has delivered over 35,000 orders to customers across India from their curated inventory of more than 500 products across 9 Indian states. The platform is growing over 45 per cent month-on-month, with 50 per cent of total customers returning for repeat purchases.

"With rising inter-state migration, and consumers wanting to explore beyond the standard packaged food options, the demand for niche Indian foods is increasing. The F&B market is getting crowded with players in the healthy snacking, meals, and gourmet food space, yet there aren't many focusing on regional food, which is still dominated by traditional, unorganized businesses. The Indian ethnic food segment in urban centres is a $30 billion opportunity but is underserved and largely untapped due to highly localized brands, weak supply chains, and commercial parameters like shelf-life and packaging requirements. Beyond India, we also see a huge opportunity in this space globally. The State Plate is disrupting the market by organizing it and creating a one-stop solution for Indian regional foods; focusing on convenience, quality, comprehensive curation of variants, and updated packaging formats to appeal to the modern Indian consumer," shared Rajiv Srivatsa, partner, Antler India.

The startup has recently announced the launch of its private label, which currently spans 14 new products native to different parts of the country. The team plans to expand the State Plate white-label offering to more than 500 products by the end of 2022.

Prabhjeet Bhatla

Former Staff

News and Trends

"45% of All Ongoing Hydropower Projects in India are Ours": Patel Engineering

Patel Engineering reported a turnover of INR 4,400 crore in the last fiscal year, with a projected 10 per cent growth for the current year.

Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Science & Technology

5 Rule-Bending AI Hacks to Make Your Mornings More Productive and Profitable

By 2025, AI will transform productivity by streamlining workflows and cutting costs. Major companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI are leading the way, advancing AI into "Phase 3," where tools act as digital assistants. Discover 5 AI hacks to boost efficiency and redefine your daily routine.

Marketing

5 Critical Mistakes to Avoid When Giving a Presentation

Are you tired of enduring dull presentations? Over the years, I have compiled a list of common presentation mistakes and how to avoid them. Here are my top five tips.

Leadership

Should I Stay or Should I Go? 8 Key Points to Navigate the Founder's Dilemma

Here are eight key signs that help founders determine whether to persevere or let go.

Business News

Former Steve Jobs Intern Says This Is How He Would Have Approached AI

The former intern is now the CEO of AI and data company DataStax.