The Return of The Retail Raja: Kishore Biyani 2.0 and the alchemy of ‘The Foundery’
21 December 2025, Mumbai
The empty green leather chair stands as a silent invitation between two icons of Indian industry. To its right, Kishore Biyani—the veteran architect of Indian consumption—stands with the steady gaze of a man who has seen every cycle of the market. To its left, the narrative takes a sharp, modern turn: his co-founder in this venture is Nikhil Kamath, the visionary co-founder of Zerodha and Gruhas. This image is more than just an advertisement; it is a manifesto for Kishore Biyani 2.0. It marks the official launch of The Foundery, a powerhouse partnership designed to reshape the landscape of Indian enterprise far beyond the traditional storefront.
Beyond the Shop Floor: The concept of The Foundery
The "Retail Raja" has shed his old crown to become an industrialist of innovation, and in Nikhil Kamath, he has found the ultimate digital-first ally. The Foundery is Biyani’s radical shift into the world of venture building, a mission captured in two powerful words: Forging Entrepreneurship. This is not a traditional investment firm that merely provides capital; it is a high-heat "foundry" where raw ideas—sourced from a proprietary "business opportunity vault"—are hammered into market-dominating businesses. Biyani and Kamath are moving upstream, merging decades of deep-rooted wisdom in supply chains and consumer psychology with the cutting-edge financial and tech-native intelligence of the new economy.
This second innings is already taking physical and digital form through the family’s latest ventures under the Think9 venture studio. Biyani’s daughters, Ashni Biyani and Avni Biyani Jhunjhunwala, have already pioneered the shift toward premium, mindful consumption with D2C initiatives. Simultaneously, his nephew Vivek Biyani has unveiled Broadway, a revolutionary "content-to-commerce" space that acts as a physical social marketplace for over 100 D2C brands. Notably, Nikhil Kamath’s investment firm, Gruhas, has already backed Broadway, signaling the deep synergy between the Biyani legacy and Kamath’s forward-looking capital. Whether the sector is technology, lifestyle, or consumer services, The Foundery provides the infrastructure and the "gut-feel" mentorship needed to scale in an increasingly complex market.
A powerhouse ecosystem of mentors and operators
To move from concept to market at lightning speed, The Foundery has assembled a formidable "think tank" of India’s most successful operators and strategists. The ecosystem is built on a 90-day residential launchpad model in Alibaug, where co-founders aren't just coached—they are "forged" alongside a legendary roster of mentors. This circle of expertise includes retail stalwarts like Varun Berry (Britannia) and Mithun Sacheti (CaratLane), tech titans like Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm) and Kunal Bahl (Titan Capital), and brand visionaries like Santosh Desai and Rama Bijapurkar. By bringing together experts like Rajan Anandan (Peak XV) and Haresh Chawla (True North) with design thinkers and AI specialists and others, The Foundery ensures that every venture is born with institutional-grade "firepower." It is a complete support system providing capital, clarity, and a community of peers as fierce as the founders themselves.
The Co-Founder Call: A new meritocracy
The striking campaign headline—"READY TO BE OUR CO-FOUNDER?"—signals a fundamental shift in the Kishore Biyani 2.0 strategy. He and Kamath are no longer looking for employees to manage a hierarchy; they are looking for partners to share a throne. In this new era, Biyani and Kamath are providing the "Forge" by offering access to unparalleled networks and institutional knowledge while simultaneously supplying the "Fuel" through capital and operational support that moves faster than traditional VC funding. They provide the "Fire," creating a collaborative environment where a new founder's spark meets the combined expertise of India's most successful retail and fintech minds.
A legacy reimagined
The Return of the Retail Raja is less about reclaiming what was lost and more about inventing what comes next. Through The Foundery, Kishore Biyani and Nikhil Kamath are betting that the most valuable commodity in India today is the entrepreneurial spirit itself. The empty chair in the advertisement is not a sign of absence; it is a space reserved for the next disruptor. Biyani and Kamath have built the forge. They are simply waiting for the right person to help them strike the hammer.
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