The former BharatPe leader has been appointed chief business officer of the startup.
B2B quick commerce startup Fairdeal.Market has appointed former BharatPe executive Karan Khanna as its Chief Business Officer (CBO), adding one of India’s most experienced merchant-commerce operators to its leadership team as it prepares for its next phase of growth.
The appointment comes weeks after the company raised $15 million in a funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments (BII). The fresh capital is expected to support expansion efforts at Fairdeal. Market strengthens its position in India’s rapidly evolving kirana commerce ecosystem.
Khanna brings more than two decades of leadership experience across fintech, commerce, telecom, and consumer internet businesses. Over the course of his career, he has held leadership roles at BharatPe, MobiKwik, Zomato, Hindustan Times’ Shine.com, Reliance Communications, and The Times Group.
Building on Merchant Commerce Experience
Khanna is best known for his work at BharatPe, where he played a key role in building the company’s merchant acquisition engine and helping expand its reach to millions of merchants across India.
During his tenure, he led multiple high-growth business verticals spanning payments, UPI, point-of-sale solutions, payment gateways, and lending. His contributions helped establish BharatPe as one of India’s most influential merchant-focused fintech companies.
The experience is expected to play a significant role at Fairdeal. Market, which is focused on solving procurement and supply-chain challenges for small retailers and kirana stores across the country.
Focus on Expansion and Scale
In his new role, Khanna will work closely with co-founders Prateek Bansal and Yash Bansal to accelerate the company’s growth strategy, strengthen brand partnerships, and support expansion beyond Delhi-NCR.
He will also help build the commercial infrastructure needed to serve retailers at scale as the company expands its footprint across new markets.
“Great companies are built by great people, and Karan is one of the best operators in India’s merchant commerce space. Yash and I have admired his work for years, his rigor, speed, and merchant obsession. Having him as our Chief Business Officer strengthens Fairdeal’s ability to achieve the growth and vision we have set for ourselves,” said Prateek Bansal, Co-Founder and CEO of Fairdeal.Market.
The appointment reflects the startup’s broader ambition to build a scalable commerce infrastructure serving India’s fragmented retail ecosystem.
Opportunity in India’s Kirana Economy
Khanna said the opportunity to create meaningful impact for millions of retailers was one of the primary reasons behind his decision to join the company.
“Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to be part of businesses that transformed industries by solving real problems at scale. What excited me about Fairdeal. Market is the founders’ ambition, the strength of the foundation they have already built, and the immense opportunity to create meaningful impact for millions of retailers across India,” he said.
“Kirana stores remain the backbone of India’s retail economy, and enabling them with better access to products, stronger unit economics, and a more efficient supply chain can unlock tremendous value for the entire ecosystem.”
India’s kirana stores continue to account for a significant share of retail commerce, particularly across Tier 2, Tier 3, and rural markets. However, many retailers still face challenges related to fragmented sourcing networks, limited product availability, and supply-chain inefficiencies.
Startups operating in the B2B commerce space are increasingly looking to address these gaps through technology-enabled procurement and distribution platforms.
Growth Plans Ahead
Fairdeal.Market currently operates across Delhi-NCR and is actively expanding its retailer network, dark-store footprint, and brand partnerships.
The company operates in a highly competitive market where multiple startups are targeting the digitization of India’s retail supply chain. As demand for faster replenishment, better pricing transparency, and efficient sourcing solutions grows, platforms focused on kirana enablement are attracting increasing investor interest.
With fresh funding, an expanding operational footprint, and an experienced executive joining its leadership team, Fairdeal.Market is positioning itself to play a larger role in modernizing India’s retail infrastructure and supporting the country’s vast network of small retailers.
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(L-R) Prateek Bansal, Karan Khanna, and Yash Bansal
