Bertelsmann Investments announced Bertelsmann Next India (BNI), a new platform to build and scale majority-owned, founder-led operating businesses in India.
The initiative deepens Bertelsmann’s long-term commitment to the country and signals a buy-and-build approach across high-growth sectors relevant to Bertelsmann. With Next, Bertelsmann brings its successful growth program to India, having already partnered with entrepreneurs across Europe and the US to build new-age technology businesses in the verticals Mobile Ad Tech, HR Tech, and Pharma Tech.
As its first investment under the BNI platform, Bertelsmann has acquired an 80% majority stake in LetsTransport, which will now be renamed and operate as LetsTransport Group (LTG). The founders remain in full operational leadership as the company scales from one of India’s leading trucking marketplaces into one of the country’s foremost, tech-enabled logistics platforms for enterprise and mid-market customers.
BNI will be headed by Pankaj Makkar, who currently leads Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) as Managing Director and will become the Chairman of the board of directors of LTG. BNI will support LTG with access to long-term capital and governance support, as well as enabling access to Bertelsmann’s global network, including Arvato, a leading global supply chain solutions provider. Over the next few years, BNI plans to add complementary businesses and products within the LTG ecosystem, organically and via acquisitions, to help LTG become one of India’s most trusted logistics platforms.
LTG will also work with other Bertelsmann and BII portfolio companies, including Shiprocket, to explore mutual collaboration opportunities. It has signed an operating agreement to collaborate with Shiprocket on its trucking needs. Bertelsmann, via its BII fund, is the largest investor in Shiprocket, holding a significant minority stake.
Bertelsmann India Investments continues unchanged in its role as a purely financial, sector-agnostic, early-growth stage VC fund with the same mandate, team and growth momentum. BII is deploying out of its recently raised $500 million fund, and Bertelsmann remains committed to the BII journey as it deepens its commitment to India.
Under this partnership, LetsTransport Group will support Shiprocket’s intra-city and mid-mile deliveries through its nationwide trucking network, while Shiprocket will help expand LetsTransport Group’s part-truckload and warehousing offerings. The collaboration aims to improve speed, efficiency, and scale across logistics operations in India.
Carsten Coesfeld, CEO, Bertelsmann Investments, said, “India has been a standout growth market for us, powered by exceptional founders and ambitious companies. With Bertelsmann Next India, we’re deepening that commitment—partnering for scale with patient capital and global know-how, while keeping founders in the driver’s seat. LetsTransport Group is a flagship for this approach: a strong team building a category- leading logistics business for the long term.”
Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director, Bertelsmann India Investments, said, “BNI combines Bertelsmann Group’s strengths with founder-led autonomy to build durable operating businesses in India. While BII continues to back stellar startups as a sector-agnostic, early-growth VC fund, BNI will partner with founders at majority ownership to compound value over decades without the efforts to raise capital every year. LTG is the first chapter in that story—a platform we aim to grow into a national logistics leader.”
Pushkar Singh, Co-founder & CEO, LetsTransport, said, “BNI is designed for builders. It gives founders the space to operate independently while backing them with patient capital and a shared long-term vision through a globally successful BNI platform. That kind of partnership lets us think bigger and build deeper—giving us the flexibility to scale both organically and inorganically as we grow LetsTransport into a national logistics leader, expand our offerings, and serve our customers better—while remaining deeply involved in shaping how the company evolves.”
