Bertelsmann takes control of LetsTransport in first deal under new India platform
Bertelsmann plans to scale LetsTransport through both organic expansion and acquisitions of complementary businesses, aiming to build one of the country’s largest logistics platforms over time.
German media and investment group Bertelsmann has taken a controlling stake in digital trucking marketplace LetsTransport, marking the start of a buy-and-build strategy focused on acquiring and expanding founder-run companies in India.
The German investment firm has acquired an 80% stake in LetsTransport, which will be rebranded as LetsTransport Group, marking the first investment under its newly launched Bertelsmann Next India (BNI) platform.
BNI will buy controlling stakes in companies and help run and expand them over the long term. While Bertelsmann India Investments the venture capital unit, which had lead multiple rounds in LetsTransport will continue to operate separately.
The company said founders of LetsTransport, Pushkar Singh, Sudarshan Ravi Jha, and Ankit Parasher, will continue to lead operations as the business expands from a digital trucking marketplace into a technology-led logistics platform catering to enterprise and mid-market customers.
Under the BNI structure, Bertelsmann plans to scale LetsTransport through both organic expansion and acquisitions of complementary businesses, aiming to build one of the country’s largest logistics platforms over time. BNI will also enable LetsTransport Group to leverage Bertelsmann’s global capabilities, including supply chain solutions provider Arvato, while exploring partnerships across its existing portfolio.
The new platform will be led by Pankaj Makkar, managing director of Bertelsmann India Investments, who will also serve as chairman of LetsTransport Group’s board.
“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,” Makkar said.
Founded in 2015, LetsTransport connects more than 250,000 truck drivers and small fleet operators with corporate customers and currently serves over 100 enterprise clients, with a fulfillment rate exceeding 90%.
“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,” Pushkar Singh, co-founder of LetsTransport said.