What’s your Natural Mantra?
Having a tough time looking for a one-stop-shop for all your organic needs? If you’re looking for organic beauty products, baby care items, washing powders, health food – there’s just one single place to go -NaturalMantra.
Armed with almost 10 years experience in Information Technology, four years in eBay San Jose Headquarters, 33-year-old Nishant Nayak, the Founder of NaturalMantra has an in-depth experience in Web Analytics, Product Management and Internet Market on eBay for US and international markets.
He has also headed the Business Product division Futurebazaar.com and is currently the Founder and CEO of NaturalMantra.com. How the transition took place is what he shares with us. He shares his story of how he launched his dream and vision of an all organic store – NaturalMantra.
When did it all begin?
“NaturalMantra as an idea started a year ago while we were still in the US contemplating a move back to India in early 2011. While researching our move back one of the things that worried us was the presence of natural and organic products in India, especially in Mumbai, that we were so used to in the US. We looked hard, spoke to friends but couldn’t really find what we were looking for,” says Nishant.
The idea never really went away. After his move back to India with his family, Nishant started working at Futurebazaar, but his idea kept him awake at night. So he quit his job right before Diwali in October 2011 and started working full time on the idea.
The inspiration behind NaturalMantra
While in the US, Nishant and his family always bought natural and organic products, but ever since his move back with his family in April 2011, he did quite a bit of research online visited several stores in search for organic products. Nishant adds, “Alas, no one had all our needs under one roof. We had to visit multiple stores in Mumbai traffic and missed the convenience of finding everything we needed under one roof. We figured, why not build something like that in India. We were confident that there will be many people like us who are looking for these products but just don’t know where to buy it from.”
The brand name – NaturalMantra
NaturalMantra signifies a move back to a natural and sustainable lifestyle that humankind started with and moved far away from with the advent of the modern consumerism. “We also wanted to signify that the products we sell are non-toxic and safe i.e natural, just the way nature was intended to be. Our mantra is Sustainable Natural living, which means we want to provide a sustainable way of life to a wide audience in India and indeed around the world,” explains Nishant.
The philosophy
Nishant says, “At NaturalMantra, we try to keep things simple. If a product is safe and non-toxic, then it is good for you and your family. This simple philosophy has far-reaching and important implications. It means that we care about what we sell because we always keep in mind that families use these products and they need peace of mind about the quality of the products that they buy. We also look at Natural & Organic products from a lifestyle perspective meaning we sell safe and non-toxic products that you will use from morning to night.”
What makes NaturalMantra so unique
By far one of the biggest USP is that NaturalMantra ensures each and every product sold is checked for ingredients and certification claims from the supplier. It is unique in India because not many retailers can claim to do the same for the products that they sell. It’s all about ensuring that only the safest products reach their customers.
Challenges faced
Nishant admits, “Our biggest challenge has been finding the right products for our website. Many companies claim to be “natural” and it is difficult for us to select the few that are really natural and fit our listing criteria. We are really strict with our criteria because our customers depend on us to make the right choices.”
He further adds, “Fresh fruits, vegetables and milk are a huge part of the organic lifestyle but we have had a tough time figuring out how to enable the service to our audience all over the country. But we are determined to solve this problem and are looking for local partners to fulfill this demand.”
Another challenge has been educating the customers. Many of their customers are first time buyers of natural and organic and need a lot of information before they make a purchase. Nishant has worked hard on thecontent of the website and it seems to be paying off with customers being able to buy products a lot quicker on the site than before.
Products available at NaturalMantra
“NaturalMantra.com is a Lifestyle solutions company. We think of a 360-degree approach to sustainability, natural, organic and eco-friendly lifestyle. We are currently focused on the B2C segment via our eCommerce portal. Eventually, the company will transform into a full-service green solutions company,” adds Nishant.
Nishant admits that, “Green Cleaning has been a very challenging category for us personally and also when sourcing for NaturalMantra.com. Rustic Art has been the only provider who has a complete range of laundry products that are safe, biodegradable and without any harmful chemicals. “The Power laundry is used for regular clothes. The Little laundry works for delicates. Both can also be used in modern washing machines, which makes it convenient for busy families. The Bio Laundry flakes are more suited for hand washed delicates. The soap is another convenient option for families who prefer not having washing machines for their laundry.
How does NaturalMantra fit in?
“NaturalMantra understands that it is not easy or convenient for our customers today to find the right natural and organic products. We have worked hard to find a safe alternative for almost all the products that a family will use in its every day life. For example we have an entire range of Organic spices, honey, health foods, beauty products, baby products, clothing, fashion accessories and even gifts. As we like to say at NaturalMantra, people are going to run out of excuses that they cannot find the right natural and organic products because we are determined to fulfill their every demand,” quips Nishant.
If you wish to pick up one of the organic and natural products for yourself, your home or as a gift, visit Natrual Mantra and their Facebook page for more details on products available.
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