[100 Emerging Women Leaders] How Harini Sivakumar built D2C brand Earth Rhythm to help her specially-abled child

After giving delivery to her son in 2010, Harini Sivakumar stop her profitable banking job as she had to take particular care of her son, who had Down Syndrome.Harini and her husband moved to totally different cities in the hunt for greatest options for his or her son. “We have been transferring to totally different cities – Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, and at last we moved to Delhi in 2015,” says Harini. She was searching for merchandise that have been light for her son, however realised there was nothing obtainable available in the market. Most of the merchandise obtainable have been loaded with chemical compounds. “I used to be searching for merchandise based mostly on his wants. One of the precise issues for my son was that he was non-verbal and it was tough for me to work out if one thing was bothering him. He couldn’t talk if his pores and skin was itchy,” says Harini. Due to the unavailability of pure skincare merchandise, Harini determined to research extra about skincare formulations herself, and did a number of programs earlier than beginning to make her personal soaps. She then began Soapworks India (now Earth Rhythm) in Delhi in 2017. It is an environmentally aware and sustainable brand that provides merchandise in hair care, skincare, and others. Harini and her father SivakumarThe early days Harini was very cautious of the merchandise she used on her son. She wished merchandise that didn’t have any fragrances and have been one hundred pc pure. “The fragrances had really triggered a number of problems into my son like allergic reactions. I began searching for shampoos and soaps and even hair oils,” provides Harini. Close to seven years in the past, this was an enormous problem, as a lot of the merchandise have been labelled and offered as medicated merchandise.  “As a shopper, I’d marvel why solely such merchandise have been obtainable,” she says. It was throughout this time that she determined to begin making her personal merchandise — a small batch of DIY soaps and chilly processed soaps at house. “I by no means dreamt of being an entrepreneur again then. But the thought of making a product and understanding what went into the product gave me plenty of conviction of utilizing the product on myself,” says Harini. Building the merchandise By 2016, Harini began learning about skincare formulations and did a number of programs. It was then she realised there was rather more that wanted to be carried out when it comes to product formulations quite than simply promoting a product. She began giving the merchandise to her household and prolonged household, and they might come again with asking for extra.  Harini then began Soapworks India in 2017. The brand was solely into soaps initially. To start with, she began promoting the brand on social media and to just a few recognized sources. After a yr, Harini determined to take this up critically and increase the brand and the enterprise. “I realised that many shoppers have been searching for such merchandise. The West had already cracked the formulations with analysis, which have been clinically examined. But it wasn’t accessible in India,” says Harini. It was then that her father Sivakumar joined the enterprise and the corporate rebranded as Earth Rhythm by 2018.  “I felt plenty of shoppers got here to small companies as a result of there’s a private contact. I subsequently gave plenty of considered what wanted to be carried out. The thought was to make our merchandise sustainable in each method,” says Harini. Adding extra merchandise Starting in 2019, the primary product Earth Rhythm built have been shampoo bars. This took off properly, Harini says, and even at this time it’s the star product within the catalogue. “We bought the options of a liquid shampoo in a bar format, with out plastic packaging.” “It is a shampoo that’s important and not a luxurious. It has all the advantages, and even get individuals to shift to a sustainable way of life,” says Harini. Earth Rhythm is Ecocert Certified (one of many largest certification our bodies on the earth).The firm says its merchandise mix pure uncooked supplies and science-backed formulations with a zero-waste philosophy, and every product formulation takes wherever from months to years to good.Earth Rhythm recorded 4X bounce in income in May 2021 as in contrast to final yr. Being a digitally native brand, nearly all of revenues (75 p.c) come instantly from the web site. The firm has additionally partnered with third-party web sites like Nykaa, Amazon, and others, which contributes up to 25 p.c of the corporate’s income. “We personal the entire manufacturing course of in India. While it’s a difficult course of, however as a founder, I’ve been tremendous passionate concerning the product. My father is keen about finance and gross sales, and so, constructing the manufacturing unit got here naturally to me. When I had earlier carried out the course, it helped me join with plenty of world producers and arrange the method,” provides Harini. The market In July this yr, Earthy Rhythm raised $1.2 million seed funding from Anicut Angel Fund, the fairness arm of Anicut Capital. The firm stated the funding could be used to strengthen its R&D efforts, for product improvement, scientific trials, advertising and marketing, and group growth. Ashvin Chadha, Co-founder, Anicut, stated, “Even earlier than we knew about Earth Rhythm, my spouse was a shopper. I’d at all times see the product at house. Also, the story of Harini resonated very strongly. The private expertise itself confirmed a deep want. We have seen massive D2C manufacturers develop. We have seen SUGAR Cosmetics develop, and now we have seen the journey of those manufacturers. We consider in taking early calls in companies that we consider in.” Today, Earth Rhythm presents professional-grade merchandise in haircare, skincare, and make-up. It claims the merchandise are protected, non-toxic, sustainable, and biodegradable. The merchandise vary from Rs 500 to Rs 1500. An Avendus report says that the nation’s D2C enterprise goes to be value $100 billion within the 5 years. India has as many as 600 D2C manufacturers – a quantity that may considerably develop within the subsequent 5 years, and greater than 16 manufacturers with an annual turnover of greater than $60 million. Some of the D2C startups within the magnificence section embody Juicy Chemistry, Mamaearth, Piligrim, Plum, and so on.Advising all girls entrepreneurs Harini says, “If you’ve got an thought and imaginative and prescient in thoughts, nothing ought to cease you from attaining it.” YourStory’s flagship startup-tech and management convention will return just about for its thirteenth version on October 25-30, 2021. Sign up for updates on TechSparks or to specific your curiosity in partnerships and speaker alternatives right here.For extra on TechSparks 2021, click on right here.

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