Shadowfax eyes 30% growth in FY27, bets big on dark stores, Qcommerce push

The logistics startup plans to increase its dark store count to 100 from 15 currently in FY27 as it scales what it describes as "vertical quick commerce" category-focused hyperlocal delivery platforms spanning segments such as grocery, apparel, pet care and industrial supplies. Mumbai: Shadowfax Technologies Ltd. expects to grow its revenues by 28%-30% in fiscal 2027, outpacing the broader third-party logistics industry, as the company expands its dark store network and boost investments in quick commerce infrastructure, Chief Executive Officer Abhishek Bansal said in an interview with ET. "We are looking at the market growing for the 3PL industry by about 15-18% and us growing at about 28-30%," Bansal said. The company also expects profitability to improve by another 100-120 basis points over FY26 levels. The logistics startup plans to increase its dark store count to 100 from 15 currently in FY27 as it scales what it describes as "vertical quick commerce" category-focused hyperlocal delivery platforms spanning segments such as grocery, apparel, pet care and industrial supplies. "Verticalised quick commerce is going to eventually take 15-20% of the quick commerce market," Bansal said. The company is also targeting expansion to 10,000 pin codes this fiscal, with plans to eventually cover all 19,000 pin codes across India over the next two to three years. Shadowfax reported a consolidated net profit of ₹56.4 crore for the quarter ended March 31, compared with a loss of ₹9.2 crore a year earlier. Revenue for the quarter jumped 73.6% to ₹1,262.8 crore, while expenses increased to ₹1,223 crore. For fiscal 2026, the company posted a net profit of ₹118.8 crore as revenue nearly doubled to ₹4,201.7 crore from ₹2,154.5 crore in the previous year. Total annual expenses stood at ₹4,115.6 crore. According to Bansal, growth in FY26 was driven by a 66% increase in order volumes and market share gains in the express delivery segment. The company spent ₹185 crore on capital expenditure in FY26, with 69% allocated toward network expansion and automation, 14% toward geographic expansion and 12% toward technology investments. For FY27, Shadowfax expects capex intensity to moderate to 2.5%-3.5% of revenue, though technology's share of the budget is expected to rise to 19% as the company increases spending on automation and operational systems. Bansal said the company remains focused in India rather than overseas expansion for the near term. "We understand India, we have built our technology for India," he said. "I don't think anywhere else in the world the potential to increase digital penetration is as high as India."