Factrika raises Rs 8.9 crore seed funding led by Info Edge

Industrial workforce startup Factrika has raised Rs 8.9 crore in a seed funding round led by Info Edge. The company plans to use the fresh capital to upgrade its technology, hire more staff, and push deeper into India's industrial clusters.

Founded in 2024 by Kshitij Puri and Gaurav Asthana, Factrika is trying to modernise how Indian factories hire daily and seasonal labour. The startup has built an on-demand platform that connects manufacturers directly with pre-verified, skilled factory workers, bypassing the traditional network of local middleman contractors.

How the digital matching works

On the factory side, the platform matches workers to open shifts based on their specific skills and availability. On the worker side, the app allows labourers to view and accept shifts digitally, while Factrika handles attendance, processes payments, and keeps a digital record of their employment history.

The startup says it can get workers onto a factory floor within two hours of a request, and claims a shift show-up rate of over 90%. So far, more than 10,000 workers have registered on the platform across 20 different skill categories. Factrika says its deployment hours are growing between 50% and 70% month-on-month. According to the company, workers using the platform have seen their earnings increase by 20% to 30% as they pick up more consistent shifts and build up their skills.

At present, Factrika operates in several major northern industrial zones, including Bhiwadi, Manesar, Bawal, Noida, and Bahadurgarh. Its client list already includes prominent manufacturing and retail names such as Lenskart, Munjal Kiriu, Asahi India Glass, Jubilant Foods, and Epack Durables.

Tackling a chronic labor deficit

The startup is entering a market defined by chronic labour volatility. Factrika estimates that Indian factories face daily worker shortages of 20% to 25%, a problem exacerbated by highly fragmented, contractor-led recruitment models. By offering a centralized, digital alternative, the company is aiming for a slice of what it estimates is a $23 billion manufacturing workforce market in India.

The seed round comes amid a broader wave of investment into India’s blue-collar and grey-collar hiring sectors. Investors are increasingly backing tech-enabled platforms that promise to bring structure to India's massive informal workforce. Late last year, rival platform WorkIndia raised Rs 97 crore in a Series B round led by Aavishkaar Capital, and Nia.one secured $2.4 million in seed funding from Elevar Equity.