HYDERABAD: The pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns brought with them a bag full of lessons we humans could learn from. One of those greatest learnings had many of us stop, think and take the sustainable route. Cashing in on this ‘green consciousness’ were entrepreneurs in the city, who served both ecological and economical benefits.
City-based entrepreneur and co-founder of Sustainkart, Kanthi Dutt, shares, “My concern towards climate change and sustainability increased during the pandemic. It made many of us realise that our actions could heal nature. While the pandemic put into us the fear of the virus, it also showed us how nature could heal itself in the absence of human intervention. That’s when my interest in sustainable living grew immensely, I got in touch with my co-founder, Shilpa Reddy, who has been practising and preaching about sustainability for eons now. That’s how we launched the e-commerce aggregate for conscious consumers to pick and choose.”
Kanthi saw the demand for, and lack of, sustainable options. So, he created a one-stop shop for such customers to buy all they wanted. “While there were a few sustainable labels available on e-commerce platforms, there was no way for people to know if the claims were credible, hence the need to start one on our own. It was after this that I decided to be a part of ventures that impact that planet in whatever way they can,” he adds.
There’s so much truth to there being no way of finding out how healthy something that goes into your body is. Coconut, the most naturally healthy fruit the earth produces, is the first drink parents give their kids when sick, or doctors suggest for the ailing elderly. But not many know that coconuts also happen to be the most polluted fruit there is, today. Explaining what that means, Kanthi says, “A healthy coconut tree gives an average of 15-20 nuts, but to get many from a single tree, the plants and fruits are infused with dangerous chemicals that could be harmful to those who consume it. This artificial inflation for a hike in production is costing people their lives. That’s why I chose to invest in a company like Cocoworks (founded by Dr. Narasimha Reddy) which serves pure coconut water that is cold-filtered, is never heat pasteurised, has no added preservatives, no artificial flavours and no added sugar. We give it to you as nature gives it to us.”
Homecrop, another Hyderabad-based sustainable company, started at a time when awareness about organic food was nascent and supply was minimal. Their basic idea was to encourage people to grow their own organic food because brands can keep making promises of natural produce. But, there’s no real way to certify that. “We help people with vegetable-grow kits, garden maintenance, microgreens kits and smart grow bags that make gardening easy and fun for even beginners. Instead of fretting about failure, all one has to do is unpack our kit and follow instructions,” shares Manvitha Reddy, co-founder of Homecrop.
They’ve helped set up vegetable gardens for celebrities such as Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Nagarjuna and Allu Arjun. Both Kanthi and Manvitha believe the sustainable market in Hyderabad has been growing exponentially over the past two years.
“Hyderabadis are growing more conscious and entrepreneurs, too, are looking at cleaner investments. While the change is gradual, it certainly is growing with the demand and supply chain looking for an equilibrium,” Kanthi says, who is seconded by Manvitha. “The more brands there are, the more customers will be exposed to the idea of sustainable living, and prices will come down. Adoption of eco-friendly lifestyle is picking up month on month, with growing consciousness from celebs to politicians.”
Nadendla Vedasree, the founder of Fromvedas, built her brand with a strong desire to make household products and cosmetics using the traditional methods from the Vedas. “While we started around the time when people were asked to use ‘made in India’ products, sales shot up during the pandemic. People began to see the flipside of using chemicals on and in their bodies. Our products are completely made from organic oils, vegetable-extracted colours and purely natural fragrances. Our packages are largely biodegradable.”
In the past year and more, Vedasree has seen profits growing from Rs 10,000 to Rs 5 lakh! She credits organic melas and other such awareness programmes, apart from the pandemic, that have got many shifting to a greener lifestyle. “All it needs is a little more time and breaking of preconceived notions like products that don’t foam or smell well are no good,” she says. Enthusiasts and entrepreneurs are sure satisfied with the upward green consciousness and are hopeful of restoring the planet back to its green glory.
The organic way
Homecrop started at a time when awareness about organic food was nascent and supply minimal. The idea was to encourage people to grow organic food as brands can keep making promises of natural produce, but there’s no way to certify that, says co-founder Manvitha Reddy.