Ritika Jayaswal: CEO & Founder of Nourish Mantra

Interview with Ritika Jayaswal: CEO & Founder of Nourish Mantra

In 2019, Ritika Jayaswal established Nourish Mantra, driven by her curiosity, self-introspection, and passion for wellness.

Raised in a modest town in Central India in a family with a strong industrial background, Ritika draws inspiration from her grandfather, Shri Basant Lall Shaw Jayaswal, a key figure in India’s industrial revolution, who has profoundly influenced her perspective on consumer behavior since a young age.

After completing her education at Parsons School of Design in New York, Ritika entered the fashion and beauty industry there.

However, the fast-paced lifestyle in New York eventually took a toll on her, leading her to seek stillness and inner peace.

In search of a solution, Ritika returned to her roots and explored the Indian approach to healing, embarking on the practice of Vipassana.

This virtuous process trains the mind to attain zero interaction with others and involves complete silence and solitude for several days, allowing the mind to conceive creative ideas more clearly.

What inspired you to start your own skincare brand, and how did you come up with the idea for an Ayurveda-inspired line?

Ritika Jayaswal: Living a busy lifestyle in New York was taking a toll on my health. I realized that my body’s need for proper nutrition, sleep, and calm were being neglected, and I began searching for a way to restore balance and stillness in my life.

As I delved deeper into my search, I rediscovered my roots in Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system. My inspiration for this approach came from my beloved grandfather, who instilled in me a love of Ayurveda and the healing power of nature.

I took learnings of my grandfather from India and worked with doctors and formulators in the US, and this was the collaboration where age-old healing practices merged seamlessly with new age formulation techniques.

That’s how the Nourish Mantra was born. I call it a teamwork between me and my grandfather – a true combination of old-world wisdom and modern science.

Kindly brief us about  Nourish Mantra, its specialization, and the products that it offers

Ritika Jayaswal: Our brand represents a perfect fusion of modernity, heritage, and science. At our core, we believe in the power of holistic wellness, which is why we offer a wide range of skincare, haircare, and wellness products.

We are committed to modernizing traditional Indian beauty philosophies to make them relevant to today’s ever-changing lifestyles.

Our mantra is conscious living, which focuses on achieving a deeper connection between the body, mind, and soul.

Our brand was ideated in the USA, and all our products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and ethically sourced.

Currently, we have 40 SKUs spread across three categories: Skin, Hair, and Wellness. Our most popular offerings include the Cosmic Sutra Hair Oil, Advanced Hair Growth Serum, and Vedic Elixir Face Oil, which have received an overwhelmingly positive response from our customers.

We take pride in our customers’ feedback, which serves as a significant source of motivation for us to keep pushing ourselves to offer phenomenal formulations and exceptional services.

What specific Ayurvedic principles do you incorporate into your skincare line, and how do they benefit the skin?

Ritika Jayaswal: Nourish Mantra is a skincare wellness brand that celebrates the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda and believes in the principles of Roopam, Gunam, and Vayastyag. Roopam represents the beauty that is visible on the surface, including the suppleness of the skin, bounce in hair, and sheen of nails.

Gunam represents inner beauty, which includes good nature, strength of character, and intelligence, that make people truly attractive.

Finally, Vayastyag is achieved when Roopam and Gunam are in perfect harmony, leading to a timeless and ageless beauty that radiates from within.

By embracing the timeless wisdom of Ayurveda, Nourish Mantra offers a unique approach to beauty that is both sustainable and transformative.

What was the inspiration behind turning an entrepreneur

Ritika Jayaswal: Growing up in a business family that revered work as worship has been the greatest source of inspiration for me to take the leap of faith and pursue my dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.

From a young age, I was surrounded by a culture of determination, discipline, and innovation that has fueled my passion for business and entrepreneurship to this day.

My family’s unwavering commitment to building better solutions for existing problems and bridging gaps in the market has given me a solid foundation to build my own business and achieve success.

Their relentless drive to succeed in their endeavors, coupled with a deep-seated desire to make a positive impact in the world, has instilled in me an unshakable belief that anything is possible with hard work and dedication.

What advice would you give to other women who are interested in starting their own business?

Ritika Jayaswal: Growing up in a business family that valued hard work and determination, I learned early on the importance of pursuing your passions and striving for excellence.

I also understand the challenges that women in India may face when trying to break into the entrepreneurial world, such as limited access to capital and gender biases.

One of the key factors that has contributed to my success has been my ability to build a strong support network of mentors and like-minded individuals.

By seeking out guidance from those who have successfully navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship, I have been able to gain valuable insights and perspectives that have helped me overcome obstacles and achieve my goals.

What are your plans for the future of your brand, and how do you see it evolving in the coming years?

Ritika Jayaswal: For future expansion, we are looking for both our assortment & channels. We are planning to strengthen our product offerings with new launches so that our existing customers don’t have to go elsewhere.

And will be expanding through our offline channels. Our focus is on the metro cities, tier 1 and tier 2 cities.

Our audience is a mix of both men and women. With the help of offline partners, we are making our products available to people who didn’t find us online.

We are going to be working towards an offline expansion this year. For now, we will be working on this strategy for the current and next year.

Can you walk us through the process of developing a new skincare product, from concept to launch?

Ritika Jayaswal: It all starts with identifying a need in the market or a gap in our product line. This can be based on customer feedback, market research, or a personal vision.

Once we have identified the need, we move on to the research and development (R&D) phase. Our team sources ingredients, develops different formulations, and tests the efficacy and safety of the product.

Once the formulation is finalized, we develop a prototype and produce a small batch for testing and validation with a community of our trusted users who give genuine feedback so the product can be tweaked accordingly.

Next, we focus on designing the packaging. We choose the packaging materials, design elements, and branding that will best represent our product and brand.

After the packaging design is finalized, we move into the manufacturing phase. We scale up production, ensure consistency in the formulation and strict quality control, and comply with regulatory requirements.

We simultaneously work towards creating a marketing strategy, generating awareness and interest, and launching the product through various channels, such as e-commerce, retail, or direct sales.

After the product is launched, it is important to evaluate its performance regularly. We monitor customer feedback, sales, and profitability, and make necessary adjustments to the product, packaging, and marketing strategy based on the feedback received.

How do you stay up to date with the latest research and developments in natural skincare and Ayurvedic medicine?

Ritika Jayaswal: We conduct regular research and analysis of industry trends, scientific studies, and market reports to understand the latest developments in the industry.

We also partner with experts and consultants in the field of Ayurvedic medicine and natural skincare to gain insights into the latest research and knowledge.

This helps us in developing new products and formulations that are effective and safe for our customers.

We also conduct our own research and development to test and validate the effectiveness of our products to give the best of both Ayurvedic recipes and modern science.

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