Urbanic Organix founders state, “Every household has its own set of nani maa ke nuske. But, how many of these household tricks actually go on to become successful business ventures?”
Stemming from the rise of pandemic khadha’s and many such age old recipes, Urbanic Organix is an upcoming Ayurveda brand that covers the A-Z of food in the goodness of natural herbs and alternatives.
Talking to Storiyaan about their most unique and loved products, the Founders also guides us with the do’s and don’ts of looking for healthier alternatives. Apart from their unique and quality products, there is one more thing about this brand, that makes it an A1 Ayurveda brand!
If you want to know the secret to their awesomeness, read below.
Urbanic Organix - The Awesomeness of Ayurveda
Interview
Questions and answers
At what point did you decide to start a brand of your own that would be natural, healthy and at the same time sustainable?
The seed of the brand was sown sometime in November 2020, during the first wave of the pandemic, when kadha and other dadi maa/nani ke nuske (grandma’s hacks) were working their magic across India. Things finally picked up steam around January 2021. Since then, our focus has been on sustainably-sourced herbs with high nutritional values and immunity-building properties.
What are some of the major problems that the food industry faces today when it comes to nutrition and how does your brand aim at solving these issues?
People are looking for healthier alternatives to the foods they’ve been consuming, in line with the shift to healthier lifestyles that the pandemic has catalyzed. Our brand provides people with ethically-sourced Indian superfoods to super-charge their journey to a healthier life, drawing from the comprehensive learnings of Ayurveda.
What do you believe is the USP of your brand that makes you different from the other similar brands in the market?
Most offerings in the market trying to drive healthier lifestyles are negatively and unknowingly impacting the environment without any wrong intention of doing so.
Our small-batch offerings are made with partner communities in mind, with most of the margins being passed onto them to power better cultivation practices, and we use sustainable packaging to lower our carbon footprint.
Tell us a bit about your human resources and some of the measures taken by your company to ensure their interests during the nationwide employment crisis in the pandemic.
We work closely with partner communities to make sure their needs are comfortably met. A majority of our margins are passed onto them to make sure that they are the primary beneficiaries of the love and labor they put into cultivating these foods.
What are the areas where you deliver your products and what are the safety protocols ensured during this time?
We deliver across India, and follow all safety guidelines set in place by our partners and the State and Central Governments.
How do you ensure shelf-life longevity of your goods since they are chemical and additive-free?
Dried whole herbs make up a majority of our portfolio, and don’t necessarily require preservatives to ensure a long shelf life. We employ traditional methods like sun-drying to ensure that only the best-quality herbs make it to our customers. Our honey is also sealed in airtight glass jars to ensure consistent quality.
Tell us a bit about your best-sellers and what makes them so coveted among the customers.
Stevia: Farm-to-table, all-natural, zero-calorie sweetener with a low glycemic index!
Shatavari: With more women in the workforce than ever before, female reproductive health is getting the mainstream traction it has always deserved. Shatavari is an uplifting tonic for modern-day goddesses who’re rearing to conquer challenges the world throws their way.
Gulkand: Our cold-processed gulkand is a tantalizing combination of wild honey and rose petals. It isn’t just food, it’s art.
Do you take clientele suggestions into account when you manufacture a new batch of products? How do you incorporate criticism?
We are always open to constructive criticism, not just from our clients but also from our internal stakeholders. Without feedback, how would we get better? Once we understand the root of the problem client feedback (at scale) addresses, we work quickly to address it and tweak the manufacturing process accordingly.
Urbanic Organix also aims for the holistic rural development & reverse-migration of marginalised local tribes, farmers, artisans or craftsmen. Could you elaborate a bit on that?
Partner communities are the backbone of our brand. We work on empowering them to adopt sustainable cultivation practices by providing financial assistance. Developing infrastructure for profitable rural employment is not just the government’s prerogative – small businesses like ours that owe everything to these communities have a debt to pay.
What are some of the strategies that you have used in order to promote your brand on the digital platforms?
We focus on helping our customers embrace a holistic lifestyle that draws on the principles of Ayurveda. We try to impart knowledge of principles like doshas and how the right input at the right time can help address these. It isn’t just about food, it is a way of life. Once we’ve helped our audience grasp the basics of Ayurveda, we plan to create nuanced content around its more complex aspects.
Quick 5
1. Your favourite product from your brand – Gulkand
2. Your source of inspiration – Our nanis (maternal grandmothers)
3. One thing that keeps you motivated at the job – The fact that we are able to give back to the community that has given so much to us.
4. One food ingredient you refrain from – Sugar
5. Health for you is…. Moderation.