“People Have Become Increasingly Conscious Of Brands They Associate With”

What makes Amrutam different from other Ayurveda beauty and wellness brands? How are you different from the existing competitors?
Most of the ayurvedic brands today are working on private labels, outsourcing the complete product and thus, having no or very less control over the quality of the product. All of Amrutam recipes are prepared in house and are made with great care to ensure the best of quality. 

All our ingredients are ethically sourced from as far as Karnataka in the down south and Gujarat in the west. Some of our recipes take months to prepare but we do not compromise on the quality at all. They may take time to actually show changes and progress but true growth cannot happen without giving it sufficient time. We have also been continuously improving our processes and have also created an internal Quality Analysis lab as a stepping stone to collate Ayurveda with Modern Science. 

What is the state of the beauty and wellness sector in India currently?
As more and more homegrown brands are entering the market, people have become increasingly conscious of the brands they associate with. They are now coming to appreciate and adopt organic and clean beauty instead of chemicalized and toxic products that leave you struggling with long term effects. The conventional definition of beauty and wellness is being redefined. That said, Ayurveda is only going to grow exponentially in the coming years given its multifaceted benefit and emphasis on holistic care instead of just external beauty. I am really looking forward to see the idea of wholesome health becoming the new norm!

What challenges are you facing in running your business?
While people are finally realizing the importance of ayurveda, ancient sciences and traditional medicine, the fact that they want authentic formulations at cheap rates is a big challenge for us. A lot goes into creating and preserving these recipes without adding any artificial preservatives which brings the product at a premium rate. That said, we are trying our best to provide affordable products to people to make ayurveda more accessible. 

Coming from Gwalior, Human Resource has been one of the key challenges we have faced. It has been challenging to find the right set of talent to run a tech-enabled business. However, we have always looked at this positively and have been working remotely with individuals from all around the globe. Also, one good thing about living in Gwalior is the passion and curiosity with which each Amrutam team member contributes.

What is the state of the beauty and wellness sector in India currently?
As more and more homegrown brands are entering the market, people have become increasingly conscious of the brands they associate with. They are now coming to appreciate and adopt organic and clean beauty instead of chemicalized and toxic products that leave you struggling with long term effects. The conventional definition of beauty and wellness is being redefined. That said, Ayurveda is only going to grow exponentially in the coming years given its multifaceted benefit and emphasis on holistic care instead of just external beauty. I am really looking forward to see the idea of wholesome health becoming the new norm!

What is Amrutam’s growth story?
For the first decade, Amrutam operated as a local business in Gwalior selling ayurvedic recipes. It was only in 2017 that it transitioned into an e-Commerce brand, when my children Agnim and Stuti decided to work on it. Over the years, Amrutam has grown many-fold. From our first ever product – Madhu-Panchamrut to our latest Kuntal Care Hair Conditioner, every single recipe has undergone extensive research and we’ve continually taken inputs from our community to understand how they can best benefit from Ayurveda.

Over the years, we have curated an Ayurveda Lifestyle Kit, launched an online portal to consult with ayurvedic experts from around the globe, launched an Amrutam app and a lovely chatbot called AMRU, started many, many initiatives and blogs to celebrate the phenomenal individuals of our community and re-used over 5,000 PET bottles!