‘Ayurveda, the science of life’

Through T.A.C, Shreedha, along with her co-founder, has been attempting to make ayurveda evolve in the modern times and reach the furthest corners of India and the world at large.
‘Ayurveda, the science of life’

HYDERABAD: Post-covid, the industry has witnessed a paradigm shift in ayurveda. Customers have become more aware, and the choice to buy pure, unadulterated ayurvedic products over chemical-laden products has boosted the inclination towards choosing ayurveda and their willingness to try and adopt new brands and products.

HR turned co-founder of The Ayurveda Company (T.A.C), Shreedha Singh has done MBA in Human Resource Management and worked with top MNCs like Bombardier, VOLVO, DLF etc. holding managerial positions before donning the entrepreneurial hat. An entrepreneur by chance, Shreedha Singh has been a vocal advocate of the overall well-being of the body, mind and soul, through the lineage of ayurveda and the basic roots of the science of life.

Shreedha got motivated to form The Ayurveda Company, with his husband Param Bhargava, after ayurvedic skin care treatment did wonders in treating her for Urticaria — a skin condition also known as Hives. Along with Param, she launched the beauty and wellness brand Khadi Essentials in 2019 and to further make the power of ayurveda available for the masses with high quality and the right price, the duo launched The Ayurveda Company (T.A.C) in 2021, which became a leading player in the sector within a year. Through T.A.C., Shreedha, along with her co-founder, has been attempting to make ayurveda evolve in modern times and reach the furthest corners of India and the world at large.

Creating a community
Talking about what inspired her to come up with T.A.C, Shreedha says, “T.A.C started in 2021 with the vision of creating a young community that believes in the mighty powers of ayurveda and not just accepts, but chooses to adapt it in their lifestyles for generations, i.e., from before birth (sexual wellness) till old age. The products were conceptualised to create solutions for everyday problems related to skin, beauty and healthcare.

T.A.C is the result of our personal connection with ayurveda. When I shifted to Gurugram, amidst the hectic lifestyle and work, I got a chronic skin problem known as Hives. After trying every possible solution offered by allopathy, ayurveda came to my rescue.” They have just moved into Hyderabad with their first kiosk and 10 trade stores. “With this beginning, we are seeing a lot of traction towards the brand. We plan to open 3-5 kiosks & 300 stores across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh,” informs Shreedha.

Shreedha Singh
Shreedha Singh

The struggle is the time and effort ayurveda demands and the weakened belief system of consumers in ayurveda’s effectiveness. So, Param & Shreedha wanted to bring out it for the masses at the right price points in the highest quality, to make it available for everyone so that people can adopt ayurveda in their everyday lives easily. “Our strength is to identify the right product for our target consumers, connect with them & focus on building a profitable & sustainable brand that is the largest go to ayurveda brand in the country. We have grown leaps and bounds as a brand. We have introduced a beauty, wellness & personal care product line of 100 high quality products. With expansion in retail, we have 20 brand-owned kiosks and 350+ stores with beauty advisors,” she says.

But all was not a bed of roses, they too had a fair share of road bumps — mostly the lack of awareness about ayurveda was the biggest challenge. “The first and foremost challenge that I faced was the lack of awareness about ayurveda. It has been a consistent part of our lives in one way or the other, but the medical industry has reinforced that ayurveda is slow and ineffective for its reasons.

It is a challenge to break that stigma around ayurveda’s archaic imagery & cumbersome approach and to pull down the efforts put into building the wall through the ages to bring out and about the true power of ayurveda in front of everyone. For ages ayurveda has been on a backseat due to negative marketing by largest pharmaceuticals and FMCGs. Seeding that ayurveda is pure, safe & effective has been our biggest challenge and our largest resolve right now,” explains Shreedha.

Quality and affordability is the key factor
The ayurveda market in India has been growing exponentially. For the longest time, the divide between mass ayurveda and premium ayurveda has polarised the audience. Within the section of the audience that is aware of ayurveda could either choose mass ayurvedic products, which didn’t match the quality expectations, or premium ayurvedic products, which were not affordable for the masses.

“This is where T.A.C. comes into the picture. Our innovation lies in bringing out such high-quality ayurvedic products at the most affordable price points for the masses. We are innovating ayurveda for the masses, bringing them closer to every home. Our formulations are majorly concerned-led and concern oriented. This way, we bring solutions from the dusted pages of ayurveda to Gen Z and millennials, creating a connection with the 3,000-year-old science of life,” she shares.  

Elaborating on what beauty trends one might see in 2023, Shreedha says, it will be all about clean beauty. “The trend caught up in western countries at first and has set its foot in India as well. In the past, the unavailability has been a driving factor as people were forced to import these products at high prices with taxes & duties. Now that the concept has received acceptance across the globe, brands are encouraged to curate such formulations with high-quality and clean products, increasing its consumption. This way, there is a boost in the affordability, accessibility, awareness and increased growth in self-care and personal grooming products in general across the globe,” she says.

In the next 3-5 years, the T.A.C team expects to create a larger market for the portfolio and acquire a sizable chunk of 10% in the ayurveda market of the country. “We will be building the entire ecosystem of ayurveda — online and offline. For the online journey — the content-to-commerce approach with the entire portfolio from skincare, haircare, body care, baby care, beauty & makeup, wellness & performance etc. This will enable us to become the largest global ayurveda brand and a go-to place for every consumer requirement for solutions to ayurveda,” concludes Shreedha.

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