Fresh grocery and gourmet foods platform Elixiir Foods has entered the offline retail segment with the launch of its first store under the FreshTerra brand, intensifying competition in India’s premium grocery market.
Arvind Mediratta and Ambuj Narayan, both retail veterans, founded Elixiir Foods after securing $9 million in seed funding led by 3one4 Capital, with participation from Incubate Fund Asia.
The first FreshTerra outlet is now operational in Gurugram, and the company plans to open 12-15 additional stores across the Delhi-NCR region by FY28.
Commenting on the company’s retail strategy, Arvind Mediratta, Founder and Chief Executive of Elixiir Foods, said, “We are applying a survival of the strictest standard across all categories – from live-milled flours and cold-pressed oils to certified organic staples and direct farm produce.”
India’s gourmet foods market continues to expand rapidly. IMARC Group valued India’s gourmet foods market at US $5.4 billion in 2025 and projected it to reach annual sales of US $24.5 billion by 2034. The research firm attributed the category’s significant growth to the expansion of boutique bakeries, premium dessert offerings, specialised retail networks, and e-commerce platforms.
Highlighting the company’s target customer base, Mediratta, who previously held leadership positions at Metro Cash & Carry and Walmart India, said, “We are reaching out to consumers who are health-conscious and willing to pay a premium for good quality food. Younger consumers too are very conscious about what they’re eating; they’re reading labels and researching ingredients – that’s where our focus is.”
Investor interest in the gourmet and fresh foods segment has also been increasing. Last month, gourmet retailer Foodstories raised Rs 50 crore from Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, with participation from existing investor Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office.
Speaking about the company’s operational approach, Ambuj Narayan, Co-founder of Elixiir Foods, who has previously held leadership roles at Titan, Metro Cash & Carry and Walmart India, said, “We’re designing our backend supply chain and app experience to ensure that shopping is transparent and seamless.”
The FreshTerra stores will be company-operated rather than franchised. The outlets will offer farm-sourced fruits and vegetables; antibiotic- and chemical-free meats, poultry and seafood; organic staples and condiments; along with private-label FreshTerra products at competitive prices.
The launch of FreshTerra marks Elixiir Foods’ entry into India’s fast-growing premium grocery retail segment, with the company focusing on quality, transparency and health-conscious food choices as it expands its footprint across Delhi-NCR.
