Bhookha Haathi, headquartered in Bangalore, was founded in 2018 by Abhimanyu Rishi and Kusum Bhandari to create an alternative B2B2C nutraceutical-tech brand focused on foods & health that helped customers live a healthier lifestyle by offering them great tasting products to support their well-being. The business was built on the idea of developing goods to help solve the widespread issue of tobacco chewing, which in modern India continues to be a prevalent vice. By offering a variety of safe substitute items focused on dried fruit, Bhookha Haathi hopes to eliminate this century-old vice. They understand that choosing nutritious food begins with a healthy lifestyle and are continually thinking about their customers, finding new ways to help them make better food decisions through their alternative food items.
As the company’s director, Abhimanyu leads Bhookha Haathi’s management and development, formulating long-term and short-term growth strategies to boost sales and operations that are aligned with the organization’s macro plans.
Kusum Bhandari, 42 years of age, a seasoned advertising veteran, has more than 18 years of experience bringing creative ideas to life and offering imaginative solutions for the right brand. Kusum has gained a reputation as a stellar brand creator with strength in digital storytelling and market-moving tactics through her previous experience. Kusum acts as the custodian of the brand at Bhookha Haathi and is responsible for creating the corporate identity through marketing, advertisement, and brand-related communications management. She is actively involved in the design and execution of initiatives, systems, and processes that exploit the brand, culture, and development of the organization.
The idea came from:-
The founders come from the history of the sport and have represented their sport on a national stage. They are big believers in natural health care and feel there is a void within the realm of current goods and services. That’s where the start-up concept came from. Their first inspiration came from the desire to help individuals replace their current dangerous and unhealthy chewing habits. With about 232 million tobacco users in India, 30 percent of whom are in the habit of chewing tobacco, Bhookha Haathi has a vision for 2050 where more than 50 percent of tobacco consumption among these users will be reduced. The intake of unhealthy mouth fresheners that are full of additives, preservatives and do not claim to be 100 percent natural must be restricted. In addition, the business aims to concentrate on integrating natural supplements for millennial health-conscious, fitness freaks and sports enthusiasts who have relied predominantly on protein, mineral, vitamin, etc. synthetic compositions.
USP:-The key differentiator of the company is that it is a B2B2C software startup that provides customers with AI-enabled, customized wellness solutions and products that include multiple distributors, wholesalers, medical professionals, customers, gyms, bicyclists, sports and health enthusiasts, etc.
The challenges:- The business has not yet crossed paths with any disappointment, but several obstacles have definitely been met. One of their major challenges from the sales side of the product was to persuade the wholesaler, stockist, distributor, and few independent supermarkets not to view our products as any other mixture centered on dry fruit, nuts, and herbs because nutraceutical knowledge is very low among this group. By starting their own hyper-local distribution network and reaching out directly to the consumers and neighborhoods concerned, they were able to solve the same thing. The nutraceutical industry itself is very new in India and has guidance limitations and they have to self-create/implement their own guidelines most of the time in order to provide their customers with better products and the best scientifically supported solutions. They hope that there will be more flexibility and assistance from different government bodies in the coming days to solve these teething problems together and enable more nutraceutical start-ups to find their way out for better and competitive customer services and experiences.
Future:- Automating AI technology to a two-way API-based technology where, with the aid of several interactive services, other partners can lease our proprietary technologies for a minimal cost to improve their customer health and experiences. We are working at reasonable rates towards offering medical assistance.
Success:- Success stories ranging from customers to manufacturers, where customers could profit from and get rid of different allergies, dietary disorders, etc. based on our prescription subscriptions within the desired time frame and without any side effects that were very normal otherwise when on other medicines. Because of their product being available on the shelf of each pan wala, they were able to help customers get rid of the tobacco chewing habit.
The goal:-Their immediate aim is to lift their consumer market share to approx. in terms of the number of subscribers. For half a million.
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