When it comes to living a healthy, fulfilling, and sustainable life, age-old practices, or rather say Praacheen Vidhaan (ancient Indian practices), are something to look up to. They were much more sustainable than the modern practices we follow today, as people living in those times understood the importance and were well aware of the impact that they were making on mother earth.
Taking the value from old times, a company is here to promote the sustainability of ancient India through its products. Praacheen Vidhaan, as its meaning says, is all about bringing back the ancient practices into your daily lifestyle. Speaking with The EarthView, the founders Kunal M J and Chaitra Kunal told us about the drive behind the startup and what it took to put all of it together.
Earlier generations always used to rely on nature as a first option in fulfilling their needs, but with the onset of industrialisation and modernisation, people started leaving those practices behind.
Speaking about the motto behind the start-up, they said “When British era started there was a shift where people were more inclined to western country influence. That’s when people started following all kinds of aluminum cookware, and all kinds of revolutionary things just started. We wanted to build this gap and show people that if our ancestors could do it so easily with the things available locally, why can’t we”.
Talking about their journey, they told us how they have been following these practices for a very long time. But it was during the pandemic when they thought about spreading the word and sharing these practices with other people around.
“The moment we say sustainability, the moment we say chemical-free, the prices of the products are so high that they can’t afford it, and again they go back to the chemical stuff, cleaners, and whatnot”, they told us while explaining how the natural and chemical-free products can give you the same results as the chemical ones, but at a much more economical price. Their motive was to make these sustainable products accessible and affordable for everyone.
The startup has an online store where you can get a wide range of everyday use products made with 100% natural ingredients with no chemicals, and are packaged in zero-waste packaging. It is currently operational from Bangalore and run by a small team of 4-5 people. They’ve already shipped over 9000 products so far, only relying on the store’s Instagram handle for marketing.
“Why we say sustainable is because all the products are plants based, there’s no chemical, so you’re not harming the environment, that’s what we mean by sustainable,” Chaitra told us while talking about the concept of sustainability.
The startup describes its model as “eco-friendly, handcrafted, cruelty-free, chemical-free, natural, zero waste, and biodegradable.” All their products are plant-based, so there’s no animal testing involved and no added preservatives like in those we find on supermarket shelves. There’s no plastic involved in the packaging, and all the orders are packed and shipped in 100% biodegradable paper, which can be used as grounds in your compost.
Since sustainability has become the talk of the town, more and more young and independent individuals are coming forward and getting themselves involved in the practices. Praacheen Vidhaan has a vast customer base, but a big part of it comprises Millenials, who will make the shift. Elderly people also show an active interest in these products, as those highly processed, chemical-based products can be terrible for their health. The startup has finally started shipping its products globally.
Talking about the source of the raw materials that go into these products, team Praacheen Vidhaan told, “Wherever we get a good quality from the source, we pick it up from there, with no middleman involved”. Normal products go through several middlemen and channels before getting the price tag and reaching the customer, which unnecessarily spikes in the price of a very basic use product. Not to mention the price we pay in the name of ‘branded’, or ‘high-quality’ labels. Since there is no middleman involved in their business, there are no unnecessary added costs, which makes their products much more economical for a regular wage man”.
“The main plastic generating industry is the food industry. Everything you buy, organic, inorganic, everything comes in a plastic cover or single-use cover, so maybe we need more startups who sell food items with non-plastic bags or cloth bags for a better living,” they added while talking about the problem of non-biodegradable packaging prevalent in the food industry.
The 1-year-old startup is now shipping around 500-600 orders every single month and has been getting repeated customers again and again who are pulled in by the amount of quality they get at an affordable price. The unique concept of “Bioenzyme Refill Station” encourages consumers to bring their own bottles and cans and get the refill from Monday to Sunday between 11 am to 5 pm at Banashankari Bangalore.
According to them, good quality and affordable prices of the products are the two things that go hand in hand in their business. As the pandemic subsides a bit, they are planning to try out more in-person ways to spread awareness of their startup and its cause.
Tazeen Ansari