'We Have a Strong Brand-building Muscle'

Ghazal and Varun Alagh, co-founders of Mamaearth parent Honasa Consumer Ltd., open up about the ingredients of their success and the strategies they follow while sharing their growth and expansion plans.

- Sandeep Kumar

Gurugram-based Honasa Consumer Ltd.'s beauty and personal care flagship brand Mamaearth sells about 16,000 units every hour. What started with a simple launch on Amazon in 2016, showcasing safe and toxin-free products for babies till the age of five, is today a unicorn valued at over $1 billion. In just seven years since it was unveiled, the company is a publicly listed entity with six brands under its umbrella-Mamaearth, The Derma Co., Aqualogica, Dr. Sheth's, BBlunt and Staze 9to9.

Mamaearth reported an annual profit of ₹111 crore for the financial year [FY] 2023-24, against a loss of ₹151 crore in FY23, according to its regulatory filing. The digital-first brand opened its first exclusive offline outlet in 2021 and has not looked back since.

Currently, with 110 exclusive stores, Mamaearth through its modern and general trade distribution is available in 1,80,000 stores across all platforms. The brand further aims to be available in 4,50,000-5,00,000 stores in the next four years.

Founded by Ghazal and Varun Alagh, the brand started as Asia's 1st Brand with MadeSafe-certified products for babies and soon moved on to crafting safe personal care for adults. The brand is cruelty-free as certified by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, widely known as PETA.

Mamaearth, today has a product portfolio of over 200 products and has reached over 5 million customers in 500 Indian cities servicing over 18,000 pin codes.

From losses to profit in just a year... what's the secret behind the remarkable turnaround?