Tuco Kids, a personal care brand catering to children and teens, has announced the appointment of Chanakya Gupta as co-founder. Gupta, a former Flipkart executive, will play a key role in scaling up and expanding the company’s presence in the kids’ personal care market. His appointment comes shortly after Tuco Kids raised $2 million in seed funding from Fireside Ventures and Whiteboard Capital.
With over 23 years of experience in consumer businesses, Chanakya Gupta brings a wealth of industry knowledge to Tuco Kids. Before joining the company, he was the Business Head for Play (erstwhile Fitso) and Group Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) at Curefit. Before that, he spent nearly a decade at Flipkart and held multiple leadership roles, including Vice President of Strategic Partnerships.
During his tenure at Flipkart, Gupta led major category businesses, including electronics, fashion, and beauty, and was instrumental in launching initiatives such as Flipkart Boost, a D2C brand accelerator aimed at supporting digital-first brands and 2GUD, a platform for refurbished goods, providing customers with affordable yet high-quality pre-owned products.
Before joining Flipkart, Gupta worked for Hindustan Unilever (HUL) for nearly a decade, managing modern retail partnerships and spearheading brand development initiatives in the soaps category.
Tuco Kids’ Vision and Market ExpansionTuco Kids was founded in 2023 by Aishvarya Murali to provide natural and sustainable personal care products for children aged 3-13 years. The company offers diverse products, including soaps, lotions, creams, sunscreens, shampoos, oils, deodorants, and even kids’ makeup, all made with Indian ingredients and packaged in recycled plastic.
Speaking about the appointment, Murali expressed confidence in Gupta’s ability to drive the company forward, “We are thrilled to welcome Chanakya to Tuco Kids. His deep expertise in scaling consumer businesses and building brands will be invaluable as we expand our presence in the kids’ personal care segment.”
Gupta also shared his excitement about joining Tuco Kids, “I’m excited to join Tuco Kids at this pivotal moment. The company’s commitment to creating natural, sustainable personal care products for children and its innovative packaging and formulation approach presents a unique opportunity to build a meaningful brand in this underserved segment.”
Tuco Kids recently secured $2 million in seed funding from Fireside Ventures and Whiteboard Capital, providing the brand with the necessary resources to accelerate its growth. The company’s products are already available across multiple platforms, including E-commerce giants Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Nykaa. Parenting-focused platforms: FirstCry and Quick commerce services: Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart.
Gupta’s move to Tuco Kids is part of a broader trend where former Flipkart executives—often called the ‘Flipkart Mafia’—have gone on to lead or start their ventures. Reports indicate that as many as 44 startups, collectively valued at $25 billion, have been founded by ex-Flipkart executives.
Recent similar appointments include Vipin Kapooria, former VP of Business Finance at Flipkart, joining Blinkit as CFO and Amitesh Jha, former Senior VP at Flipkart, now heading Swiggy Instamart. This trend highlights Flipkart’s impact as a talent incubator, with many of its alumni shaping India’s startup ecosystem.