Over last few years, the ancient knowledge of Ayurveda has re-entered the Indian wellness and beauty space.
The market has seen a surge in Ayurvedic products with the rise of health consciousness among the present generations.
Spearheaded by several brands and products the Ayurvedic sector in India is seeing a new phase of growth and one such brand is Delhi based ‘Kama Ayurveda’.
Kama Ayurveda is a Delhi based Ayurvedic Wellness and Beauty Brand that sought to bring authentic beauty and wellness to the world.
Founded in 2002, the brand presently operates around 50 + stores across India and also has products selling abroad.
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Founded by four co-founders under the leadership of Mr. Vivek Sahni, the brand aims to inspire the ancient science of healing around the world.
The Story of the Founder of Kama Ayurveda-
Mr. Vivek grew up in Delhi and graduated from the Delhi University in 1998.
He worked for his family business for a while and then went to Parson’s School of Design, New York.
After he came back to India, he started his own design company by partnering with his friend Dave Chang.
Initially, the company designed books, magazines, and catalogues for popular Indian fashion designers.
They also did a prototype for the first Fashion Week in India, master templates for corporate identities, and graphic design for Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.
An Endeavour with the Khadi –
The story of Kama Ayurveda started when Vivek and Chang were asked to design a packaging for Khadi Village Industries: A Government owned cottage industry that also makes soaps and beauty products.
What began as a design and gift packaging project, became a very large assignment.
Later, the partners got involved thoroughly in revamping the entire brand.
Soon, not only did the partners revamp brand but also made it sustainable, without taking extra loans from the banks and by using simple designs.
The partners have endeavored on making Khadi Fabric modern and cool.
Through the word of mouth, they made significant sales.
The endeavor inspired to start Kama Ayurveda after they finished the Khadi project in 2000.
Begins the Story of Kama –
After running a graphic design firm for 9 years, Vivek decided to start a brand through his knowledge of Ayurvedic formulations.
With an aim of fitting Ayurveda into modern lifestyle, he developed knowledge in the science of Ayurveda.
According to Mr. Vivek, the modern society has been sitting idle on the science of Ayurveda.
When he saw Indians practicing very less of this ancient science, he decided to launch a brand that serves his purpose.
Hence, in 2002, Mr. Vivek founded Kama Ayurveda along with his partners Dave Chang, Rajshree Pathy, and Vikram Goyal.
In course of the next 9 years, the brand has increasingly become famous for its natural ingredients, efficient formulations, and chemical free products.
The Beginning of Kama Ayurveda –
The company began selling its retail products in 2003 through word of the mouth.
Friends and colleagues facilitated some space in their shops, saloons and parlours for the brand’s sales.
Initially, it was only oil and powder that made sales for the brand.
The idea was to make 100% natural and clean products. Later, the company added natural shampoos, creams, and soaps to their product line.
With a shop-with-in-a-shop format, the company opened its first store in 2012.
By 2017, the company opened around 20 stores across India.
The products are tested and sold in Europe and are completely compliant to the EU norms.
‘They have extremely stringent laws and want full details from the exact part of the plant to the process in Europe. They’re also working according to the western pharmacopeia so it took some work for us to explain that Eastern systems work differently.’ – says Mr. Vivek.
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Operations, Products, and Treatments –
The brand started with a range of nine Ayurvedic treatments developed in collaboration with Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu that is 100-year-old.
The company also manufactures all its products from the Arya Vaidya using unadulterated formulations and natural ingredients from local gardens.
The company has soon developed potential remedies to treat existing skin and hair concerns and ailments.
To further complement these treatments, the company has developed a set of unique products for its customers called the ‘Les Jardins D’Inde’.
The products were proved to be highly effective for skin and hair ailments.
Passionately focused on the purity of the ingredients, the products of Kama are well known for high quality and packaging.
The portfolio of the natural products is free of all artificial colours, fragrances or Petro chemicals. Further, the company claims it’s against animal testing.
The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy and Kama Ayurveda work with local forest communities and small-scale farmers.
These engagements help to source the natural ingredients that lend purity to Kama products.
Working towards the Future –
At present, the company retails out of 56 standalone stores, 45 shops in shops, hotels, and spas.
The company launched its website in 2014 and also sells online via e-commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa, among others.
While most of the customers are women, the brand now is seeing increasing number of men and teenagers forming a significant portion if its regular customers.
In February 2020, Research and Market reports estimates that the Ayurveda market in India would grow to 71,000 INR by 2024, with an expanding CAGR of around 16.06%.
Amid the pandemic, the company now has aimed to develop immunity builders and is seeing growing demand for its holistic approach.
Over years, the company has gained a lot of traction around the world. Hence, the company would like to concentrate on products that are customer specific.
For example, packaging and sizing in Japan is to be made different.
A 200ml oil would be a large bottle for the Japanese. Hence, the brand aims to adjust its products as per the market needs around the world.
The brand also plans to expand its outreach on e-commerce platforms to make the products accessible to as many consumers as possible.
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