Global IndianstoryThe Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty

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The Indian startups that are turning the spotlight on all things beauty

Written by: Global Indian

(July 15, 2021; 12.15 pm) Beauty is big business and everybody wants a share of the pie. Store fronts and e-commerce platforms are filled with perfectly made out models screaming the power of makeup. Lately, there’s also more spotlight on toxin-free products and clean beauty is fast turning into the buzzword. It’s no longer about buying only big, luxury brands anymore. Probably why, several Indian startups are finding the right audience both in India and overseas markets when it comes to offering clean, affordable beauty products.

Here Global Indian looks at five of the most promising Indian beauty brand startups that are at par with any international label.

Juicy Chemistry

Megha and Pritesh Asher; Photo Courtesy: The Weekend Leader

Launched in 2014 by husband-and-wife duo Megha and Pritesh Asher, Juicy Chemistry is all about clean beauty. The no-chemical, organic cosmetics company sells everything from soaps, scrubs, essential oils, shampoos to toners and dry shampoos. Set up in Coimbatore, the company fuses science with tradition. From starting off with experiments in their kitchen to now having a presence in 30 countries and retailing across several e-commerce platforms, Juicy Chemistry has come a long way.

The idea for Juicy Chemistry came about when Pritesh happened upon an “all-natural” beauty product whose ingredients he realized are used as raw material in their petroleum products plant. The irony wasn’t lost on him: despite its natural label, it was filled with preservatives, parabens and mineral oils. Their hunt for pure and natural products too came to naught and that’s when they decided to launch their own clean beauty line. The couple leveraged on Pritesh’s knowledge of formulation and launched a skincare line that replaced mineral oils with butters and carrier oils, synthetic fragrances with essential oils, and plastic exfoliants with organic AHA rich sugars. All of their products also come in plastic-free packaging to a large extent.

Initially a bootstrapped company, Juicy Chemistry raised $6.3 million in series A funding led by Verlinvest earlier this year. Today the brand has over 100 products and is certified organic by Ecocert (France).

Mama Earth

Varun and Ghazal Alagh; Photo Courtesy: Forbes India

When Ghazal and Varun Alagh were looking for toxin-free products for their baby boy, they were stumped at the lack of options in the country. They had to rely on bringing in products from abroad. That’s when the couple decided to bridge this gap by launching their own company and launched Mama Earth in 2016 with six baby care products. Today, the company, which is backed by Sequoia India and Fireside Ventures, is Asia’s first personal care brand with MadeSafe certified, toxin-free products for mothers and children.

They procure ingredients from around the world and ensure that they are ISO, GMP and Non-GMO compliant. Their product range includes skin and hair care products for men and women as well as products designed especially for expectant mothers.

The company is said to be in talks to raise around $100 million in funding from European investment Sofina.

Nykaa

Falguni Nayar; Photo Courtesy: Outlook Business

Launched in 2012 by former banker Falguni Nayar, Nykaa was initially an e-commerce platform that curated a range of beauty and wellness products. The fact that it was a one-stop shop for all things beauty and also brought to India some luxury brands such as Charlotte Tilbury, Farsali, Chopard and Chloe, helped it cement its place in the sector. Soon after they diversified into fashion and also offline stores. More recently, Nykaa stepped in with its own labels such as Nykaa Cosmetics, Nykaa Naturals, and Kay Beauty that feature formulations hand-picked by actor Katrina Kaif. Their products range from skincare essentials to make-up products. In 2018 they also launched Nykaa Man for men’s grooming.

The company has raised several rounds of funding and counts Steadview Capital and Sharrp Ventures among investors. Currently valued at $3.5 billion, Nykaa gained unicorn status a couple of years ago and is now looking to go public. According to recent reports, Nykaa is in talks to raise anywhere between $50 million to $150 million through a secondary sale of shares.

SUGAR Cosmetics

Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee

Ever since its launch in 2015, SUGAR Cosmetics has been all about breaking the proverbial glass ceiling. Founded by IIM-Ahmedabad alumna Vineeta Singh and Kaushik Mukherjee, the makeup brand found popularity among customers with its signature Scarlett O’Hara lipsticks and foundations that catered to most Indian skin tones; a feature not offered by leading international brands. By 2020, the Mumbai-based brand had managed to clock in an annual revenue of $1 billion, something that took bigger brands like Revlon years to achieve. Today, the brand offers a host of makeup products such as primers, bronzers, lip colors, foundations, face palettes, eye makeup and even a skincare range.

In February 2021, the cruelty-free makeup brand raised $21 million in a series C round led by Elevation Capital with participation from existing investors A91 Partners and India Quotient.

Plum

Shankar Prasad

Plum is India’s first 100% vegan beauty brand and was founded in 2014 in Thane by IIT-Bombay and ISB alumnus Shankar Prasad. The entrepreneur had earlier worked with companies such as Hindustan Unilever, Everstone Capital and McKinsey before he decided to branch out on his own and dive into the world of beauty. The idea came about when he found a list of cosmetics brands that were Peta-approved but the companies were under no such regulation in India. He decided to launch a truly cruelty-free brand and today Plum offers a range of 60 skincare and body and bath products that are made using plant-derived chemicals and are completely free from all sorts of animal products, even dairy and honey.

With a footprint across 6,000 retail stores in 200 cities, Plum is backed by investors such as Unilever Ventures and Trifecta Capital. In November last year, the company raised $1 billion in funding in a round led by Faering Capital and is expecting its annual revenue to touch $2 billion crore by this year.

RELATED READ: Meet the Indian fintech startups that are changing the way India spends

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Published on 15, Jul 2021

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Sakshin Niranjan: The Indian entrepreneur making New Zealanders’ everyday life easy

(July 7, 2022)Had he listened to his heart, Sakshin Niranjan would still be in the food delivery space. But it was his mind that told him it was "crowded" and nudged him to start something of his own. This led to the launch of NexDo in New Zealand during the pandemic. Dubbed as the "Uber for home services", it connects home services providers with customers via an app. That's not all, in less than two years, it already boasts of 10,000 customers and recently raised $2 million in funding. "We empower local businesses through our startup, and at the same time are solving an everyday problem faced by many New Zealanders," Forbes 30 Under 30 Sakshin tells Global Indian. Entrepreneurship in blood The Chennai-born and raised, who comes from a business background, dreamed of becoming a pilot. But like many childhood dreams, this didn't come to pass as he realised this wasn't the right path for him. That's when he enrolled in the Bachelor of Business Administration at SRM University. This led to a job at Amazon as an associate which helped him gain "experience in technology and how the market works." "Those two years at Amazon triggered an interest

or of Business Administration at SRM University. This led to a job at Amazon as an associate which helped him gain "experience in technology and how the market works."

Indian entrepreneur | Sakshin Niranjan | Global Indian

"Those two years at Amazon triggered an interest in business. In fact, my best friend at university and I decided to start our first company soon. But it didn't work out as he left for higher education, and I moved to Zomato in 2015." The high-growth environment and the workings of a startup turned out "pretty well" for Sakshin, who learnt a lot in the process. The stint helped him bag a position in Ola in 2016, but to climb up the ladder, he was told in various ways that MBA is a must. He chose Auckland University of Technology and flew almost 11000 km to start afresh in a new country.

"I did it out of peer pressure," laughs the 30-year-old who was surprised by the difference in the work culture. While he was studying full-time, he worked with Ola part time. "While India has a very hierarchical culture, where the down below is often suppressed, New Zealand has a flat culture. Everyone can speak to the CEO and present their ideas. Initially, it was a little challenging to adapt to this but it changed me as a person," adds Sakshin, one of the key members who helped launch Ola in New Zealand in 2018. Having worked in India for years, Sakshin was ready to bring the ride-sharing company in competition to Uber, but with his own set of challenges. "It was a different ball game in terms of market. I had to understand how the consumers work, understand the change in marketing and accordingly customise the product," says the entrepreneur who learnt a lot through trial and error. "Understanding what's local was the key, and helped me understand what I can bring to the table."

How pandemic became a boon

The pandemic nudged Sakshin to return to his dream of being an entrepreneur. "Seeing uncertainty in the market and people losing their jobs, I started questioning what I truly wanted to do. Though I had a job and was even getting better offers at such a time, this gave me enough confidence that things were certain for me even in such uncertain times. With no family to support and locked in the country for two years, I knew this was the best time to give it a shot," says Sakshin who launched NexDo in 2020.

Indian entrepreneur | Sakshin Niranjan | Global Indian

"I always had a passion for solving a problem, and the idea of NexDo stemmed from a personal requirement. I realised that it took days to get an appointment, so I knew it was a space that I could explore for my startup. As many like me were feeling the heat, I took the plunge," says Sakshin but venturing into entrepreneurship came with its learnings. Like most startups, he started in a garage with just two-three people. "Each day I was waking up early to clean the place, search for funds, and learn how to run Facebook ads. I took a course on YouTube to learn design and make marketing campaigns. I knew I always wanted to do something of my own, but it did get overwhelming at times," says the entrepreneur whose team has now expanded to 15 members and also employs 150 contractors.

Making an impact

With NexDo, Sakshin is "empowering service professionals and turning them into entrepreneurs." "Most employees are exploited in terms of pay or work hours. What we are doing with NexDo is creating micro finances for free, where we give them training and guidance," says the man who made it to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. He calls it "shocking" but is happy with the validation that he's on the right path. "There was a time I was cold-emailing so many people but now, right people are reaching out to us."

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Bringing a new idea to a new country has its advantages, and this "edge" helped Sakshin find footing in New Zealand's startup ecosystem with NexDo. "Had I started the same thing in India, it would have been easier to find funding with the kind of contacts and experience I possessed. Would I have succeeded? Maybe. But in New Zealand, it was a bit harder initially. However, the media helped in spreading the word. Since we were doing something unique for this market, the novelty struck the right chord with the customers and investors," says the entrepreneur."I started by borrowing money from family and friends. Within six months, local investors started showing interest and in these last two years, we have seen 200-300 percent growth."

Sakshin, who likes to unwind by spending time with friends and watching movies, has plans of expanding NexDo to Australia. The entrepreneur, who has now made a name for himself in New Zealand, says "there is no rule book to follow. You can be anywhere and make things happen if you have a vision."

Follow Sakshin Niranjan on LinkedIn and Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

Agnikul Cosmos: IIT Madras-incubated startup that built the world’s first 3D printed rocket

As a child, Srinath Ravichandran was obsessed with all things space. Every time ISRO launched a rocket, the Chennai boy would be glued to his television set devouring all the footage Doordarshan would afford its viewers. Little did he know that one day he would co-build a startup that would fulfill all his space dreams. Today, Agnikul Cosmos is the world's first company to successfully test a fully 3D printed rocket engine that can carry a payload of up to 100 kilos into lower earth orbit. [caption id="attachment_3563" align="aligncenter" width="358"] The 3D printed engine and pump by Agnikul Cosmos[/caption] Backed by the likes of Mayfield India, Anand Mahindra, Naval Ravikant, and Nithin Kamath, the IIT Madras-incubated startup has signed a pact with ISRO to receive tech support and is gearing up to launch its first rocket into lower earth orbit next year. “We had planned on a December 2021 launch, but things got pushed a little due to the pandemic,” 36-year-old Ravichandran told Global Indian. The company put on hold its liquid oxygen-based testing during the pandemic’s second wave when the country immediately needed medical oxygen for Covid-19 patients. http://twitter.com/AgnikulCosmos/status/1384720021469884419?s=20 From finding it incredibly hard to get investors to raising Series A funding of $11 million in May, Ravichandran and his co-founder Moin SPM have come a

ch support and is gearing up to launch its first rocket into lower earth orbit next year. “We had planned on a December 2021 launch, but things got pushed a little due to the pandemic,” 36-year-old Ravichandran told Global Indian. The company put on hold its liquid oxygen-based testing during the pandemic’s second wave when the country immediately needed medical oxygen for Covid-19 patients.

http://twitter.com/AgnikulCosmos/status/1384720021469884419?s=20

From finding it incredibly hard to get investors to raising Series A funding of $11 million in May, Ravichandran and his co-founder Moin SPM have come a long way.

Coming of age

Despite his love for all things space, Ravichandran found himself pursuing an electrical engineering degree at College of Engineering, Guindy, following which he took up a regular 9-to-5 job in Bengaluru. Two years later, he flew to New York for a master's in financial engineering from Columbia Engineering and landed a cushy job on Wall Street. However, it failed to retain Ravichandran’s interest; he found himself pursuing a film course to figure where his interests actually lay. “All of this helped me learn so much about myself. I realized that space tech was where my true happiness lay and I enrolled in an aerospace engineering master’s program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign,” he says.

[caption id="attachment_3569" align="aligncenter" width="420"] Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell visiting the Agnikul Cosmos team at NCCCRD, IIT-Madras[/caption]

But he soon realized he was still cut off from the hub of all space tech action: Los Angeles. Ravichandran decided to convert his full-time program into an online one and moved lock, stock and barrel to Los Angeles, took up a job in finance again, and used all his free time to network with the space tech community. “I’d never been a very conversant person, but as I worked my way around the community, I learnt to better myself. It was during this time that I realized there was a problem here,” he says. “The whole launch industry had perfectly good, viable rockets sitting around in labs; nobody was launching them.”

He wondered why. “That’s when it struck me that I could build a small rocket to get small satellites in space.”

“Like all brilliant ideas; I discovered that there were others working along similar ones,” he laughs, “At least it was validation that my idea wasn’t super crazy.”

Back to base

Around that time Ravichandran got in touch with Professor Satya Chakravarty, a rocket scientist and head of National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD), at IIT-Madras. Prof, as he is referred to by the Agnikul team, was willing to give Ravichandran’s idea a real shot. So, in 2017 Ravichandran moved back to India and formally co-founded Agnikul Cosmos with Moin and Prof Chakravarty. The company was incubated at IIT-M and the founders met RV Perumal, former ISRO scientist and the man behind the PSLV launches. “RV Sir guided us on who to hire and how to approach things. With Prof’s help we had access to lab facilities at IIT. We were completely bootstrapped; Moin and I pooled in all our savings,” he says. Gradually the two began meeting the investor community, but most meetings turned out to be more educational than transactional; the industry was at a very nascent stage back then.

[caption id="attachment_3562" align="aligncenter" width="429"] Agnibaan, the rocket designed by Agnikul Cosmos[/caption]

They got their first break when Vishesh Rajaram from Speciale Invest helped them with seed funding of $500,000. Gradually people began taking them more seriously and they test-fired their first rocket in 2018. By February 29, 2020 they got more investors on board and raised $3.5 million. Three weeks later the country entered a nationwide lockdown. “But we used the time to focus on design, backup strategies, ways to minimize hardware iterations and maximize software iterations,” says Ravichandran.

Space for more

But Agnikul is not the only player in this burgeoning space. Several companies such as Skyroot Aerospace, Oneweb, Pixxel, Bellatrix Aerospace, and Dhruva Space are vying for the honors, Hyderabad-based Skyroot, founded by former ISRO scientists Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, too revealed their fully 3D-printed cryogenic rocket engine called Dhawan-I late last year.

The government’s decision to throw open space tech to private players in June 2020 came as a shot in the arm for Agnikul. The team went on to consolidate their standing by signing a formal agreement in November 2020 to work with ISRO on building launch vehicles from India.

[embed]http://twitter.com/anandmahindra/status/1359417110762450945?s=20[/embed]

Earlier this year Anand Mahindra tweeted about the company and announced that he had invested in them in a personal capacity. In February 2021, the team successfully test-fired Agnilet, a completely 3D printed rocket engine; probably the first to be made entirely using a 3D printer.

[embed]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1GVGbn4-U4[/embed]

Interest in space tech is starting to grow. In fact, the global space industry is expected to generate $1.1 trillion by 2040, according to a report by Morgan Stanley.

Agnikul’s clients include people wanting to do satellite imaging, telecom companies, pharma companies, people looking to store data in space, researchers experimenting with microgravity, and even people looking to create artificial fireworks.

“We are essentially a cab ride for these people. We help them take their payload up to space. India is now being taken seriously for its private space tech and the industry is changing as we speak,” says Ravichandran.

Reading Time: 10 mins

Kheyti to Phool: 5 Indian green startups to look out for in 2023

(January 5, 2023) PM Modi's LiFE Movement (Lifestyle for Environment) was the theme of the Indian pavilion at the COP27 in Egypt last year, and it speaks volumes about India's efforts toward sustainable living. Taking this vision forward is a lineup of green startups that are working on ways to make the earth greener. Global Indian turns the spotlight on some green startups which have sustainability at the core of their value systems, and are ready to shift the paradigm in 2023. Kheyti Winning Prince William's Earthshot Prize in December 2022 was nothing short of a watershed moment for Khyeti as the spotlight was suddenly turned on the Indian startup, that designed the "greenhouse-in-a-box" for small hold farmers. With India home to 100 million small-hold farmers and one of the most climate-affected nations in the world, the startup helps reduce costs, increase yields and protect livelihoods in a region on the frontlines of climate change. Kheyti also trains and supports farmers to ensure their greenhouse is as effective as possible. [caption id="attachment_33509" align="aligncenter" width="774"] Kheyti's Kaushik Kappagantulu with the Earthshot Prize 2022[/caption] "We are honoured to be recognised by The Earthshot Prize this year. The world depends on its small-hold

ign="aligncenter" width="774"] Kheyti Kheyti's Kaushik Kappagantulu with the Earthshot Prize 2022[/caption]

"We are honoured to be recognised by The Earthshot Prize this year. The world depends on its small-hold farmers and yet their lives are amongst the hardest on earth. Our Greenhouse-in-a-Box is empowering farmers in India today. The steps we have already taken at Kheyti are now building to change farmers' lives at scale," said Kaushik Kappagantulu, co-founder, Kheyti.

Founded in 2015 in Hyderabad, it is currently working with 1000 farmers in six Indian states and aims to reach 50,000 farmers by 2027.

Phool

Ever wondered what happens to the flowers offered to the Gods in temples and mosques across the country? Well, the floral waste mostly makes its way to either dumping yards or rivers in the vicinity, adding to the pollution. It was at one such ghat in Kanpur that Ankit Agarwal, a native and an engineering student, had an epiphany. That watershed moment changed it all and gave birth to India's first biomaterial startup Phool in 2017, which five years later, became one of the finalists at the Earthshot Prize 2022.

[caption id="attachment_24463" align="aligncenter" width="662"] Green startups | Phool Ankit Agarwal and Prateek Kumar, the co-founders of Phool[/caption]

The Kanpur-based startup accumulates floral waste from temples in Uttar Pradesh, including the biggest temple, Kashi Vishwanath, averting 13 tonnes of waste flowers and toxic chemicals from reaching the river every day. The waste is then handcrafted into charcoal-free incense sticks and essential oils through 'flower cycling' technology by women from Dalit communities that the startup has employed. Moreover, they convert the floral waste into a material "that behaves exactly like animal leather" - Fleather.

"Fleather solves multiple problems. First, there is the deep environmental footprint of animal leather. Second is the inhumane animal slaughtering. The third is the pollution caused by ceremonial flowers in rivers in India," says Ankit Agarwal, the founder of Phool, which has now found a new home in Bodhgaya.

Green startup | Phool

With three-fold growth in just two years, it has garnered interest from marquee investors, having raised $8 million in a funding round from Sixth Sense Ventures in April 2022, which the company will use to scale up operations and ramp up R&D efforts to make animal leather obsolete.

Takachar

Each year, Delhi is covered in a thick layer of smog during the onset of winter, courtesy of the unabashed stubble burning in areas of Punjab and Haryana. Delhi-based Vidyut Mohan is on a mission to cut through the thick haze with Takachar, a startup that's fighting climate change by transforming massive amounts of waste biomass into marketable products. Started in 2018 by Vidyut and Kevin Kung, Takachar turns agricultural waste biomass into usable fuel and fertiliser, while reducing air pollution.

[caption id="attachment_13563" align="aligncenter" width="736"] Takachar won the 2021 Earthshot Prize.[/caption]

Takachar, which impacts four UN Sustainable Development Goals – Responsible Consumption and Production (12), Climate Action (13), Decent Work and Economic Growth (4), and No Poverty (1), is on a mission to fight climate change and create a livelihood for the rural population. The initiative made Vidyut earn a spot in Forbes 30 Under 30, and won him the Young Champions of the Earth 2020 award and the Earthshot Prize 2021, also known as Eco Oscars, under the Clean Our Air category.

“I have always been environmentally conscious growing up, and being passionate about energy access, I wanted to do something that not only creates income opportunities for the poor communities but also protects the environment,” Vidyut told Global Indian.

Banyan Nation

While pursuing a degree at Columbia Business School in 2013, Mani Vajipeyajula was aware of India's environmental crisis - much of which was triggered by non-recycled plastic. He knew he had to find a solution to the looming waste crisis plaguing Indian cities, and from that germinated the idea of Banyan Nation - a startup that helps global brands use more recycled plastic instead of virgin plastic in mainstream products, thus enabling reuse in the manufacturing process.

[caption id="attachment_24468" align="aligncenter" width="750"] Green Startups | Banyan Nation Mani Vajipeyajula and Rajkiran Madangopal, the founders of Banyan Nation[/caption]

"Recycling activities in India are mostly driven by market forces that are informal, illegal, and largely invisible. Banyan is innovating and integrating the informal sector and providing consistent quality recycling. By taking a complete value chain approach, we have developed innovative technologies that clean plastics to eliminate all potential contaminants. It is our mission to help brands sustainably ‘Make In India’ by replacing the use of virgin plastic with recycled plastic that is comparable in quality and performance," Mani had said in an earlier interview.

In 2021, Banyan Nation was recognised as a Technology Pioneer by the World Economic Forum for disrupting the recycling value chain via technology solutions that encourage source segregation.

Yulu

In 2017, Hemant Gupta, Amit Gupta, RK Misra, and Naveen Dachuri united for a mission - to create a bigger impact on society. And they did this with Yulu, a micro-mobility service provider that gives eco-friendly UMaaS (urban mobility as a service) which is a scalable solution for the first and last-mile commute options for citizens. It does not just focus on solving urban mobility problems but also addresses the rising air pollution and traffic congestion issues. Interestingly, it is the only company in the country, in the micro-mobility segment, operating with swappable solutions for EVs.

[caption id="attachment_24470" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Green startups | Yulu Hemant Gupta, Amit Gupta, RK Misra & Naveen Dachuri, the founders of Yulu[/caption]

Working with InMobi in Bengaluru, Amit Gupta was irked by the constant traffic congestion during his commute between HSR Layout and Indiranagar. He remembered the success of bicycle-sharing companies like Ofo and Mobike, which he had seen on frequent trips to China. He decided to start a similar venture, customised to suit Indian needs.

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In September 2022, Yulu raised $82 million to expand its business model and grab a larger pie of the growing last-mile mobility segment.

Reading Time: 5 min

Maya Vivek and Minal Dalmia: Recycling ‘HolyWaste’

(May 10, 2023) Maya Vivek and Minal Dalmia, two Telangana-based social entrepreneurs, tackle India's flower waste pollution with their innovative startup, Oorvi Sustainable Concepts. By recycling flower waste into eco-friendly products, they not only contribute to sustainability but also provide employment for marginalized women. “Every year, approximately eight million tons of waste flowers are dumped in the rivers in India, choking them to death. The pesticides and chemical fertilizers used to grow flowers mix with the river water, making it highly toxic,” states a report published by the International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology (IJRASET). “Various drains and waterways connected to the water bodies also get clogged, creating civic problems of great magnitude. We always tend to blame the industrial waste but never give a thought to flower pollution,” the report mentions. The city of Hyderabad alone generates some 1,000 metric tons of flower waste per day, and Telangana-based social entrepreneurs Maya Vivek and Minal Dalmia decided to do something about it. They founded Oorvi Sustainable Concepts, which recycles flower waste collected from temples and social gatherings, and processes them into eco-friendly products like fertilisers, incense sticks and soaps. The social entrepreneurs are not just

ed to the water bodies also get clogged, creating civic problems of great magnitude. We always tend to blame the industrial waste but never give a thought to flower pollution,” the report mentions.

The city of Hyderabad alone generates some 1,000 metric tons of flower waste per day, and Telangana-based social entrepreneurs Maya Vivek and Minal Dalmia decided to do something about it. They founded Oorvi Sustainable Concepts, which recycles flower waste collected from temples and social gatherings, and processes them into eco-friendly products like fertilisers, incense sticks and soaps. The social entrepreneurs are not just doing their bit for sustainability but also creating livelihoods for marginalised women in their locality. “We work with most beautiful things that nature has ever created – flowers and women,” says Maya, in an interview with Global Indian.

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A post shared by Holy Waste • Products from Upcycled Flower Waste. (@holy.waste)

It all began when…

Maya and Minal, who became friends while picking up their kids from school, had been toying with the idea of doing something for the marginalised women of their area, Gundlapochampally. While Minal was involved with her family business, Maya was thinking of a career switch, after spending two decades as an international logistics and freight forwarding professional. They wanted their next career move to be purposeful and of value to the local women.

As they brainstormed various ideas, they came across a video of Kanpur-based entrepreneurs who were recycling flowers and making a difference. The idea resonated with Maya and Minal, who decided to adopt the cause too. “We started our organisation in 2019. However, we had begun experimenting in 2018. Once we were ready with the prototypes, we went ahead and registered the firm,” tells Maya.

HolyWaste

They named their company ‘Oorvi’, or ‘earth’, and their products are made under the clever brand name, HolyWaste. They infuse new life into floral discards through a process they call ‘FloRejuvenation’.  

“We wanted to get into a business where women and the environment could benefit together. Waste management was a huge area where we could explore possibilities and floral waste seemed niche, full of opportunity.” Mays says. “Any problem in the environment affects a woman’s life first. So, she is best suited to think of solutions too,” she adds.

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A post shared by Holy Waste • Products from Upcycled Flower Waste. (@holy.waste)

Slow and steady growth

Oorvi began operations with just one temple, setting up their first bin to collect used flowers at the Skandagiri temple in Secuderabad. They set up their processing unit in Gundlapochampally village, which is a half-hour drive from Hyderabad. Four years later, the organisation partners with more than 40 temples.

“A friend knew the head of Sri Subrahmanyaswamy Temple in Skandagiri, so the idea clicked," says Maya. The sarpanch of Gundlapochampally was happy with their idea of benefitting local women. He helped them out by giving them access to the village community hall to start their initial operations.

This helped the duo win the trust of the local families and attract local women, who started joining their venture. The local women were trained in how to segregate and make eco-friendly products. Since the workers were mothers too, Maya and Minal made sure work hours were convenient – from 10 am to 4 pm every day. It allowed the women to devote themselves to work without worrying about neglecting their home and kids.

As the enterprise grew, Oorvi’s operations moved to a rented premise in the vicinity. The entrepreneurs have been partnering with places of worship, vendors, event planners, decorators, and just about anybody who generates floral waste.

[caption id="attachment_38339" align="aligncenter" width="603"] Maya Vivek | Minal Dalmia | Indian Social Entrepreneur | Global Indian Maya and Minal with few of the Oorvi workers[/caption]

The extra mile

The entrepreneurs wanted HolyWaste products to be totally sustainable, down to their eco-friendly packaging. To avoid the use of plastic, the products are packed in pouches stitched from old and traditional handloom sarees and dupattas. To add a personal touch to their products, they attach handwritten notes on handmade paper with every package. "More than the products themselves, we found that people were fascinated with our process," Maya smiles.

They made an impact quickly and IDEA, the startup incubator at the ICAR-National Academy of Agricultural Research Management, Hyderabad, took Oorvi under its wing, giving them the mentorship they needed. IDEA helped the HolyWaste project with the minutest of details, like getting just the right butter paper to lock the fragrance and freshness of the soaps and incense sticks to make the dream project successful.

Later, Maya and Minal’s startup was incubated by WE Hub (Women Entrepreneurs Hub), which is India’s first and only state-led incubator to promote and foster women entrepreneurship.

With dedication and the right mentorship Maya and Minal managed to find success despite starting operations just before the pandemic hit. They process over 1,000 kilograms of floral waste every week, preventing it from ending up in waterbodies and landfills.

The entrepreneurs were awarded the India Sustainability Award 2022. Their social venture was also honoured with the coveted Best Green Startup award in the Eco Ideas category at the prestigious Green India Awards, 2019. 

“What is holy today is becoming waste tomorrow, so we should try to make it holy again,’ signs off Maya.

[caption id="attachment_38345" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Maya Vivek | Minal Dalmia | Indian Social Entrepreneur | Global Indian Ambar gift box by HolyWaste[/caption]

Takeaways:

Sustainability through innovation: Oorvi Sustainable Concepts demonstrates how identifying a niche environmental issue, like flower waste pollution, can lead to the development of innovative solutions and business opportunities.
Vocal for local: The founders of Oorvi recognized the importance of empowering marginalized women, and their venture exemplifies how social entrepreneurship can create meaningful employment opportunities and improve local communities.
Social empowerment and profitability: Oorvi's commitment to sustainability, demonstrated by their eco-friendly packaging and products, serves as a reminder that businesses can have a positive impact on the environment while still being profitable.
The social entrepreneurship landscape: The recognition and awards received by Oorvi, such as the India Sustainability Award and the Best Green Startup award, highlight the potential for social entrepreneurs to gain support and acknowledgement when addressing pressing environmental and social issues.

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Vashi Purswani’s contribution to Thai-Indian diaspora earns Pravasi Bhartiya Samman

(January 3, 2023) The Indian diaspora in Thailand is thriving. Ace industrialist Vashdev Tikamdas Purswani has played an instrumental role in this. He is one of the first businessmen of India to set base in the country known as the ‘Land of Smiles’. The founder of the renowned Thai Martin Group, and the cornerstone of Sindhi community in Thailand, Purswani was honoured with Pravasi Bhartiya Samman Award (PBSA) in 2021. His unwavering dedication for making it possible for other Indians to build up their lives in Thailand, has been recognised. Fondly known as Vashi Purswani, the retired industrialist was just 25 when he first landed in the Southeast Asian country in 1964. He was already married by that time. Entrepreneurship was in his blood - owing to his father’s entrepreneurial stint of trading silver and linen in Egypt, and his own exposure of working in Hong Kong. Those were the times of Vietnam wars. [caption id="attachment_33445" align="aligncenter" width="516"] Vashi Purswani | Photo Credit: Masala Magazine[/caption] Tryst with Thailand Purswani spent his early twenties in Hong Kong, working a variety of jobs to earn money. He spent time at a tailoring shop and sold Korean products to the American army personnel

an>25 when he first landed in the Southeast Asian country in 1964. He was already married by that time. Entrepreneurship was in his blood - owing to his father’s entrepreneurial stint of trading silver and linen in Egypt, and his own exposure of working in Hong Kong. Those were the times of Vietnam wars.

[caption id="attachment_33445" align="aligncenter" width="516"] Indian Entrepreneur | Vashi Purswani | Global Indian Vashi Purswani | Photo Credit: Masala Magazine[/caption]

Tryst with Thailand

Purswani spent his early twenties in Hong Kong, working a variety of jobs to earn money. He spent time at a tailoring shop and sold Korean products to the American army personnel stationed there. One old customer, Martin, from the US Airforce, with whom he went on to become good friends, gave him a purchase order worth $40,000 to supply textile products from Bangkok to Vietnam. Martin even told young Vashi that Thailand is an upcoming business hub in the Asia-Pacific region.

Acting on his friend’s advice, Vashi made the trip. When he first landed in Bangkok in 1964, he felt at once that he could set up a life there.

Cut to sixty years later, Purswani is now one of Thailand’s most successful industrialists. Always indebted to his dear friend Martin, who played such an instrumental role in directing his life’s journey to a new and unknown land, Purswani named his company the Thai Martin Group.

His message on the Thai Martin website reads:

Remember, there are no failures in life, only results. There are no true tragedies, only lessons. And there really are no problems, only opportunities waiting to be recognized as solutions by the person of wisdom.

Seizing opportunities

Now retired, Purswani remains one of the most respected members of the Thai-Indian diaspora. His four children run a range of businesses across several industries, including hospitality, agriculture, property, finance, trade and retail.

The Thai Martin Group also does joint ventures with prominent international players, like TVS Group, Aditya Birla Group, and Thapar Group from India and Siam Cement Group, Global Franchise Architects, and Kamalaya in Thailand.

“Of all my ventures, the partnership with Nestle, Switzerland felt like an achievement beyond my imagination,” the serial entrepreneur said in an interview.

The tailor shop

In 1964, when Purswani landed in Bangkok, he had five years of experience running a tailoring shop in Hong Kong. Still, life there had not been the stuff of his desires. His days of hard work had not fetched him much – he lived in a cramped apartment with the family of a business partner in Hong Kong.

[caption id="attachment_33446" align="aligncenter" width="1111"] Vashi Purswani was handed over the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) from Indian Ambassador to Thailand, Suchitra Durai | Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Bangkok[/caption]

One year before he made his fateful trip to Bangkok, he had been married. His wife remained in India because he could not afford to bring her to or support her in Hong Kong.

As he was confident of his abilities. In Thailand, he set up a tailor shop not long after arriving there. He named it Martin Tailor. Fortune found him early, the shop became successful enough for Purswani to bring his wife and their new-born son, Nash, to live with him. Nash is now the MD of the Thai Martin Group in Bangkok.

Over the course of the next two decades, the Global Indian went on to open more than a dozen Martin Tailor shops across the country. The brand grew and went on to become the largest franchise of tailoring businesses in Thailand. This was a huge leap for Purswani considering the fact that he used to earn a meagre ₹ 80 a month at Hong Kong.

Taking obstacles in stride

Not all was well in Thailand the year Purswani arrived. The country was under a military regime, one that wasn’t friendly to foreigners doing business – and his friends cautioned him before he made the move. Purswani was fearful of the unstable political state and wondered whether he would be able to build a stable life for himself and his family but stayed put nevertheless.

“I was a headstrong, business- minded youngster who, having seen the challenges in Hong Kong, felt that obstacles could be overcome by hard work and building good local relationships,” he said in an interview.

[embed]https://twitter.com/IndiainThailand/status/1442049569127239682?s=20&t=lMJqDGix5hwKrSU5aNIqHg[/embed]

Building Thai-Indian diaspora

As the franchise grew, Purswani began recruiting young Sindhis from India to work for him. Creating an environment of camaraderie and a sense of community helped business flourish.

“My first Sindhi apprentice was my brother-in-law, followed by 25 others. It was like a small ‘tailor cartel’, where each ran their own show, but we would all meet up to play cricket, have picnics, and share anecdotes of our customers,” he said.

Today many of the young apprentices and aspiring businessmen whom Purswani brought to Thailand are full-fledged business owners in the country. “I am very proud of every one of them and what they have built themselves into, both in their personal as well as their professional lives” he said.

The Sindhi community is a close-knit community in Thailand and the credit goes to Purswani – for always being there, ready to counsel and advise.

The Indian diaspora in Thailand now boasts of 7,000 families in the community. ‘It’s been an honour to see the community grow,’ he remarked.

Growth of Thai-Indian businessmen

After Purswani’s tailor shop franchisee burgeoned, he began venturing into larger investments with partnerships in real estate and the industrial sector. His children, who were grown up by this time, also showed interest in a more diversified portfolio of businesses.

The company was renamed, becoming the Thai Martin Trading Co. Ltd. They sold off their tailoring business to an associate, wishing him good luck. Keeping pace with the constant volatility of Thailand’s financial markets has been tough but the Indian diaspora has been able to triumph. With businesses built on a strong network of good relationships and friendships, a precedent led by Vashi Purswani, the community has been able to rise above the many challenges.

[caption id="attachment_33447" align="aligncenter" width="1026"] Indian Entrepreneur | Vashi Purswani | Global Indian Vashi Purswani during Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award (PBSA) ceremony | Photo Credit: Embassy of India, Bangkok[/caption]

For the greater good

The retired patriarch manages to stay busy. One recent achievement of which he is particularly proud is becoming a major ‘consortium’ shareholder and President of Phoenix Pulp & Paper. The nearly-bankrupt mill found its fortunes turned around by the veteran businessman, with no specialised expertise in managing such a large pulp and paper business but enough acumen to see him through.

“In my own way, I feel proud to have been part of the journey with industrialists, property tycoons, and many members of the Thai and Thai-Indian community who have gone up in the ranks and now run many key positions in businesses and in the government,” said the retired business tycoon who plays advisory roles these days.

The Purswani’s are building a Maha Kali Temple in the Chaiyaphum province of Thailand. Its uniqueness in terms of its aesthetics as well technological amalgamation is set to give the tourism industry a boost.

Vashi Purswani is a great example of one of those Indian immigrants who have not just amassed wealth but also intangible assets, like building a thriving diaspora from which generations to come will benefit.

Follow Thai Martin Group on its website

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