Overnight success of Forest Essentials
It took 19 years for Forest Essentials to become a yearly INR 177 crore revenue brand. In 2000 Meera Kulkarni started selling handmade soaps to family and friends. Soaps were for INR 100. She went back to Ayurvedic roots, from the ingredients to chanting of mantras, to doing every thing with hands. She had no business degree or experience.
In 2002 Hyatt Regency gave it a small order. Today its clients are Rashtrapati Bhavan, Taj Hotels, The Oberoi Group, The Ritz Carlton, The Four Season and The Marriot. It owns 70 shops across the country. Its competitors are brands such as Kama Ayurveda and Shahnaz Hussain. They are part of INR 28,000 crore Ayurvedic cosmetics market.
In 2018 its revenue was INR 177 crores. It ships its products to 20 countries. Estée Lauder picked up a 20% stake in Forest Essentials, its first investment in India. It is aiming to become a billion dollar brand.
