StartupTalky

Tag: Feminine hygiene products

  • Mildcares- One-stop shop for all your Period Needs

    StartupTalky’s Company Profile initiative aims to provide accurate and verified information on various startups and organizations. This post has been vetted and approved by Mildcares.

    The female hygiene market in India is a rapidly growing industry, with an increasing awareness of menstrual hygiene and feminine hygiene products among women. However, the market is still facing some challenges such as lack of awareness, taboos and low penetration of products in rural areas. According to estimates, only 12% of women in India use sanitary napkins, while the rest rely on traditional methods. Also, the lack of proper disposal facilities and inadequate sanitation facilities in schools and workplaces also pose a challenge to the growth of the market.

    Mildcares is a brand that has taken on the challenge of improving the lives of women by addressing the issue of menstrual hygiene. They have developed GynoCup, a sustainable, cost-effective, and superior form of managing periods using a menstrual cup. Let’s learn more about the company’s vision and how its co-founders plan to solve the challenges in this area.

    Mildcares: Vision and Mission
    Mildcares: Market/Industry Details
    Mildcares: The Product/Service
    Mildcares: Founder + Team Details
    Mildcares: Name, Tagline, and Logo
    Mildcares: Business Model and Revenue Model
    Mildcares: Challenges
    Mildcares: Successful Marketing Campaign or Strategy
    Mildcares: Futute Plan

    Mildcares: Vision and Mission

    Understanding femininity and her struggles, as well as how to empower the feminine race, was where it all began! GynoCup is a revolutionary invention that immediately belongs to reducing the arduous days of menstruation and making each woman’s life healthier and better. Our efforts are furthered by our significant contributions to the community, international organisations, and educational sectors.

    “I founded this company after witnessing how unpleasant menstruation was for my sister and wife. That is why I established my company with a range of hygiene products for women that are both comfortable and discreet. – Sandeep Vyas

    Team of GynoCup wants to break the taboo surrounding menstruation and mainstream the adoption and use of new and innovative menstrual care solutions.

    Mildcares intends to dominate the market over the next five years, with an emphasis on retaining production within the country’s borders and the motto ‘Aatma NirbharBharat‘ in mind and heart.

    Mildcares: Market/Industry Details

    Female Hygiene Market in India

    The feminine hygiene products market was worth $441 Mn in 2020 and is predicted to increase at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.87% between 2021 and 2025, reaching $944 Mn by 2025.

    In 2020, less than 41% of about 355 million menstrual women adopted hygienic menstruation protection techniques. In India, sanitary menstruation products such as sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, tampons, pantyliners, and intimate cleansers are widely used. Sanitary napkins are the most often used, with 17.63% of menstrual women using them.

    In India, the female sex ratio is 48% of the overall population. Out of the overall 48% female population out of which 55% menstruate (Children below 12 and those over the age of 50). The premium target audiences are 34% urban and 66% rural. which makes total target audience as 35 million people.

    Mildcares: The Product/Service

    GynoCup is a game-changing brand that aims to offer world-class products that can quickly reduce period discomfort and enhance menstrual hygiene. It prioritises women’s personal hygiene and strive hard to make menstruation less uncomfortable in order to make a significant difference in the lives of its consumers.

    MildCares (Gynocup) offers a range of products for period care, intimate hygiene, and toilet hygiene. In the period care category, the company offers Menstrual Cups, Menstrual Cup Wash, Menstrual Cup Sterilizer container, Menstrual Cup Lubricant Water Based and Period Cramp Relief Roll On. These products aim to provide safe, eco-friendly and comfortable solutions for menstruation related issues.

    In the intimate hygiene category, Mild Cares (Gynocup) offers Natural Intimate Wipes, Intimate Men’s Wash, Feminine Intimate Wash, Intimate Lightening Serum and Stretch Mark Removal Cream. These products are designed to provide effective and safe solutions for skin care, personal hygiene, and intimate area related issues.

    In the toilet hygiene category, the company offers Disposable female urination Device (Stand & pee), Reusable Female Urination Device (Stand & pee) and Disposable Toilet Seat Covers paper. These products are designed to provide a hygienic and convenient solution for using public toilets and preventing the transmission of diseases.  

    To ensure that its products are both safe to use and environmentally sustainable, they are totally made in India using FDA-certified medical-grade silicone.

    Mildcares: Founders + Team Details

    Co-founders, Mildcares

    Sanddep Vyas and Rachna Vyas are the Co-founders of Mildcares.

    Sandeep Vyas holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Institute of Management Studies Indore in India and over a decade of experience developing profitable rising enterprises. He understands marketing communication, business administration, and company growth.

    Rachna Vyas, has 7+ years of operational experience with Network 18 Involved in the research and development in the company. Her objective in life has always been to liberate women from menstrual poverty. She take a personal interest in the designing of the products and she make sure that all the products are made from organic materials.

    At Mild Cares, we don’t believe in stuffing a statistic or just boosting staff numbers to fit the stereotyped numbers. We believe in keeping things small yet effective. As a result, as of this writing, we have sixteen extremely skilled professionals working with us, including some of the most well-known front-end leaders”, says Sandeep Vyas.

    Mildcares Logo

    Understanding womanhood and her challenges, as well as how to empower the feminine race, was where it all began! “GynoCup’s tale began when we realised that no woman in any part of the world should be ashamed of her womanhood because of the pain she endures every month. GynoCup is every lady’s best friend because it is dedicatedly made and designed to help during menstruation.”, said by Sandeep Vyas.

    Mildcares: Business Model and Revenue Model

    Mildcares currently has 7000 monthly orders and more than 200000 Gynocup users [Jan 2023]. GynoCup offers goods through ecommerce marketplaces as well as its own website. The company also distributed the content through more than 50 Offline stores too.

    GynoCup also has strategic partnership with pharmacy distributors and a couple of significant NGOs to distribute products on a wide scale on a regular basis. Recently the company started exporting to the USA and Canada.

    Mildcares- Challenges

    When GynoCup was launched, there were a lot of size issues, and women were extremely confused about which size to use. The team understood that menstrual cups are not a one-size-fits-all product. That is how they started a Size Guarantee Program- if you receive the incorrect cup size or if the cup does not work for you. they provide a size exchange for free or a complete refund. This not only solved the issue but also built trust among its users.

    The company runs surveys and solicit input from its consumers about the cup and its use; this allows it to improve its product while also understanding the problems that the customers are experiencing. The company also attempted to educate its clients on the use of menstruation cups by developing instructive movies and putting them on our social media.

    Mildcares- Growth

    Initially, GynoCup used social media channels to spread awareness about menstrual cup creating content around how menstrual cup is perfect alternative of sanitary pads & tampons.

    They also worked with some influencers who were real user of GynoCup and asked them to share their experience to build customer trust.

    The family of GynoCup team also used the same products which helped them to get good word of mouth publicity.

    Their  “Size Satisfaction Guarantee” Program was a game chnager!
    The company knows that menstrual cups are not one-size-fits-all products – they’re not necessarily the right period products for everyone. That’s why the company offers 100% replacement or refund, “if you get the wrong cup size or if the cup simply doesn’t work for you.”

    “We are currently concentrating on raising awareness of this product in tier 2 and tier 3 cities, as well as in more rural locations. According to our poll in the village area, only one lady out of 500 knew about menstruation cups. So, in the future, we want to perform ground-level promotion to raise awareness of this product. In the next five years, we intend to cover at least 70% of rural and urban areas.”, said Sandeep.

    Mildcares- Future Plan

    The company is looking to touch Rs. 100 crore revenue by 2025-26” Mildcares’s Brand Gynocup was shortlisted from among 2000 startups worldwide and reached the semi-finals with their promising brand offering which offers to become a safe and hygienic product for women globally.

    In the next 5 years, we see the industry growing exponentially as more and more women become aware of the benefits of using eco-friendly menstrual products. We also see a shift in consumer preferences towards reusable and sustainable options. As a company, we plan to capitalize on this trend by expanding our product range and distribution network.

  • Azah: Promoting Feminine Hygiene

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Azah.

    Feminine hygiene and its awareness have never been given its due importance in India It is only recently that people have become cognizant of it. Still, there are many women who compromise on their health by using below-par products for menstrual hygiene.

    While awareness about feminine hygiene is seeing an uptick, the existing products available on the market, especially sanitary pads, aren’t up to the mark. The optimal ones do their work but are often out of reach of the lower classes due to their costs. To tackle this issue, two individuals from Gurgaon launched a venture named ‘Azah‘ in 2018.

    Azah was founded with the aim to innovate, improve, and deliver high-quality products that solve menstruation-related hygiene issues faced by the Indian female population. Azah sanitary pads are the most well known product of the company as it is ultra-soft organic sanitary napkins known to be safe and comfortable, according to Azah sanitary pads reviews.

    StartupTalky interviewed Azah founder Mr. Aqib Mohammad to learn more about the company.

    Azah in A Nutshell

    StartupName Azah
    Headquarters Gurugram
    Founders Shashwat Diesh and Aqib Mohammad
    Sector Feminine Hygiene
    Founded 2018

    Azah – Latest News
    Azah – About
    Azah – Industry Details
    Azah – Founders
    Azah – The Idea
    Azah – Name And Logo
    Azah – Funding
    Azah – User Acquisition
    Azah – Major Challenges
    Azah – Competitors
    Azah – Advisors And Mentors
    Azah – Work Culture
    Azah – Achievements
    Azah – Future Plans
    Azah – Founders Advice
    FAQ

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    Azah – Latest News

    20th December 2019 – Female wellness startup, Azah Raised funding from Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl & Rohit Bansal

    Gurugram based female Wellness Startup, Azah.in, announced that the company has raised an undisclosed amount in Pre- Series A funding round from Snapdeal founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, Angel List India and a few other HNIs. According to a press release made by Azah on 20th December 2019, the lead funding came via Titan Capital, a VC arm run by Kunal & Rohit.

    The startup plans to use procured funds to enhance its production, launch new products and expand sales operations in tier 2 and tier 3 cities. As said by Azah sanitary pads owner Aqib Mohammed, a good portion Azah funding will go into the research and development of new products and carrying out further innovation in the company’s current product line. The company is also planning to expand its reach to newer demographics while exploring alternative channels to drive growth and acquisition

    6th March 2020 – Female Wellness Brand Azah launches #RashFreePeriod Campaign on International Women’s Day

    On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2020, Azah, India’s fast-growing female wellness brand, has launched a month-long #RashFreePeriod campaign. The campaign aims to encourage healthier menstrual practices and help women better protect themselves from rashes and irritation.

    The campaign to be run by Azah, invites women from all across India to buy Azah sanitary pads and use them while promising its customers a 100% refund should they get any rashes during their period.  

    According to a survey done by Azah among urban Indian women, around 50% of the women reported facing rashes and irritation during their period. The #RashFreePeriod campaign aims to educate women that these problems need not be an unavoidable reality of their lives and can be easily be prevented by using chemical-free products and following basic hygiene practices. Which is why the Azah rash-free organic sanitary pads became popular in the market.

    Shashwat Diesh and Aqib Mohammed, Azah pads owner said that, “As men, we were ourselves oblivious to the problems faced by women during their period. It was only when we saw our sisters’ lives get severely impacted because of rashes, did we realize that there is still a lot that needs to be done with respect to this category. #RashFreePeriod Campaign is our effort to help tackle this problem and make comfortable, rash-free periods a much more accessible reality for women. It is an Azah promise.”

    “During the course of our journey, we realized that a lot of women have accepted rashes as an unavoidable part of their lives. Our aim is to educate as many women as possible that rash-free periods are completely possible and women need not suffer from rashes every month throughout their menstrual lives. A testament to this is the fact that more than 97% of our customers who used to face the problem of rashes with standard pads no longer face the problem after switching to Azah. This insight is based on an internal research study that was conducted with more than 3000 Azah customers.”, added the duo.

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    Azah – About

    Azah.in currently manufactures ultra-soft organic sanitary pads that are available in 3 packages –  a box of 12, a box of 15, and a box of 30 pads. Azah pads are made to ensure premium quality at every stage of the production process. The price of Azah sanitary pads is Rs 239 for the pack of 12 pads, Rs 289 for the pack of 15 pads, and Rs 519 for the pack of 30 pads. Azah sanitary napkin scan be purchased online from the company’s website as well as from other major e-commerce portals.

    The USP of Azah rash-free organic sanitary pads are:

    • Convenient: The pads are available in 2 sizes. Both can absorb the light, medium and heavy flow.
    • Ultra-soft: The top layer of the pad is made with the finest organic cotton. This ensures a smooth velvety surface to prevent irritation and rashes.
    • Chemical-free: According to azah sanitary pads review, they don’t have harmful chemicals such as chlorine, dioxins, and artificial fragrances.
    • Super absorbent: can absorb up to 1000 times its weight in water.
    • Eco-friendly: All the layers except the bottom-most are made of either cotton or paper. Each pad comes in a sealed biodegradable disposal bag.
    • FDA approved: Azah is also amongst those Indian organizations that have been approved by the United States FDA, one of the most reputed quality certification bodies in the world known for its exacting standards.
    • Free of harmful plastic and synthetics.
    Azah Pads
    Azah Pads 

    Azah – Industry Details

    The Indian feminine hygiene industry is growing rapidly with women becoming more educated, financially independent, and aware of personal hygiene. Which is why companies like Azah are launching fem care line installation company in India.

    The revenue in the feminine hygiene segment has been US$105 Mn in 2019. The market is expected to grow annually by 6.7% (CAGR 2019-2021).

    Azah – Founders

    The Azah founders are Aqib Mohammad and Shashwat Diesh, and the platform was launched in November 2018. Shashwat and Aqib met while they were working with Snapdeal and came together to start Azah.

    Aqib Mohammad graduated from IIT Roorkee in 2015. He worked with Snapdeal and co-founded Edtech startup Xolvr.com that got acquired in October 2016.

    Shashwat Diesh graduated from R.V College of Engineering in 2012. He worked with Ola and Snapdeal before Azah. He also founded an FMCG brand ‘Flossy’ in 2017 which he exited in February 2018 to focus on ‘Azah’.

    The Azah team has 9 members at the moment.

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    Azah – The Idea

    Menstruation and openness are rarely mentioned in the same breath because of the social stigma around them. Therefore, it is was a courageous act for Aqib and Shashwat to start a company based on manufacturing sanitary pads.

    It began with a casual conversation. Sometime around May 2018, Shashwat was having a general talk with one of his sisters. She casually mentioned the problem of rashes and itchiness due to the conventional sanitary pads in the market.

    Sashwat was moved by his sister’s ordeal decided to take corrective measures. He spoke about the same with his friend Aqib and the duo began researching sanitary pads. They did a survey at the end of May 2018 and got a response from 285 women attesting to the fact that 1 in 2 women face rashes and itchiness from menstrual pads. They inquired further about feminine hygiene from gynaecologists and experts.

    On the 1st of June 2018, Aqib and Sashwat left their respective professional commitments and to work full time on Azah. On 28th October 2018, Azah.in officially launched its products in the market.

    “Without support from family and friends it would have been very tough to start up a company to produce sanitary pads considering the taboo associated with it”, says Aqib, the Azah founder.

    Azah logo and the name is a Hebrew name meaning strong and bright. The brand name is inspired by the immense strength a woman carries within herself and consequently as a brand, it aims to lend the same qualities to its product line.

    Azah Logo
    Azah Logo

    Azah – Funding

    When it comes to Azah funding, the company has raised USD 200,000 in seed-round funding from a group of angel investors in April 2019.

    Date Stage Amount Investor
    April 2019 Seed $200,000 Angel Investors

    Azah funding is said to be used for the expansion of its inventory and operations across India. Azah.in plans to use a part of the fund to optimize its supply chain management and improve customer service by leveraging technology.

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    Azah – User Acquisition

    It’s extremely hard to develop and design a product that you yourself can’t use – Aquib (Azah Founder)

    While the company got its first set of customers through friends and family, the biggest factor that helped the company scale to 5,000 customers in a matter of 90 days was through positive word of mouth publicity. The company also runs social media campaigns to promote its products.

    Azah – Major Challenges

    According to founder Aqib Mohammad, brand stickiness is unusually high in this industry. There is very little consumer awareness and women resort to whatever brand they were introduced to in the beginning by their mother or sister. It has always been a challenge for an upcoming brand to convince customers to switch brands, especially when they’ve been using a specific one for as long as a decade.

    Azah – Competitors

    The company faces tough competition from international market leaders like P&G and Johnson & Johnson. The company has been still been successful in carving its niche in the market and earn the trust of consumers.  The other Azah Competitors are Peebuddy, Carmesi, Nua, Heyday Care, GlamEgo, Bharti Sales, My Urifiemme, GoGirl, among others.

    When it comes to azah pads vs nua pads, Azah Sanitary pads is better because is free of harmful synthetics such as chlorine, dioxins, and artificial fragrances, and is FDA-approved. Besides that, it also helps to prevent rashes and itchiness. Whereas Nua on the other hand, is super light, chemical-free and has great absorption, but is more expensive.

    Azah pads vs Nua pads

    Azah – Advisors And Mentors

    Azah is moving forward under the expert guidance of Mr. Mehmood Khan who served in the Global leader innovation process at Unilever from 1990-2009.

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    Azah – Work Culture

    We are friends first then colleagues – said Aqib Mohammad.

    Every member of the Azah team is motivated by the positive impact fostered through the work done at Azah. This enables the team to go above and beyond in making ever-lasting contributions.

    Azah – Achievements

    The Azah sanitary pads review are usually positive from all customers across various e-commerce platforms. It sold more than 200,000 pads within 5 months of launch. The Azah pads review also helped the company to successfully served customers in over 1800 pin codes across India with the average delivery time being only 2.5 days.

    Azah’s average monthly revenue is growing at 50%. The company’s revenue crossed INR 10 lakhs in March 2019. Azah.in claims to have a retention rate of 90% and has a net promoter score (NPS) of +6.

    Azah – Future Plans

    Azah plans to become a one-stop solution for all premium feminine hygiene products. Azah.in is expecting a ten-fold growth in order volumes by 2020. The company envisions expanding globally over time since the Azah sanitary pads review are positive and the demand for Azah sanitary pads has increased over the years.

    Azah – Founders Advice

    Don’t be afraid of taking risks. More importantly don’t be afraid of failure – Aqib, (Azah pads owner).

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    FAQ

    Who’s the Azah sanitary pads owner?

    The owner of Azah is Shashwat Diesh and Aqib Mohammad.

    Azah pads made in which country?

    China

    Are AZAH pads biodegradable?

    Yes

    Is Azah an Indian brand?

    Yes, Azah is an Indian brand.

    Are Azah pads safe?

    Azah is known for Azah rash-free organic sanitary pads which are extremely safe.

    Is Azah eco friendly?

    Azah is eco-friendly and non-toxic as it is made of organic materials.

    Who are the Azah competitors?

    The Azah competitors are Peebuddy, Carmesi, Nua, Heyday Care, GlamEgo, Bharti Sales, My Urifiemme, GoGirl, P&G and Johnson & Johnson.

  • LAIQA – Best Sanitary Napkins available in India

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by the organization it is based on.

    The scenario of feminine hygiene is fast changing in India. There was a time when there were many taboos associated with menstruation, and menstrual cycles were perceived as something unclean and shameful. However, thankfully the situations are not the same today. Now, with women becoming more educated, financially independent and aware of her body, the way the menstrual cycle is viewed has changed. Along with it has changed the market for feminine hygiene products in India. Demand for quality feminine hygiene related products has increased and many companies are coming up with innovative products to meet this growing demand.

    One such promising startup in the feminine hygiene sector is Laiqa. Laiqa sanitary pads are made from the highest quality absorbent materials – feather soft, chlorine-free & with reduced plastic-offering protection from rash, allergies and irritation, which makes Laiqa one of the safest and best sanitary napkins available in India.

    StartupTalky interviewed Laiqa co-founder Ali Mir to know more about this startup which is envisioning to empower women to embrace and celebrate menstruation by making it a comfortable period.

    Laiqa – Company Highlights

    Startup Name Laiqa
    Headquarter Gurugram
    Founder Ali Mir, Nazish Mir & Monica Bindra
    Sector Feminine Hygiene
    Founded February, 2019
    Registered Entity Name Mohar Organics Pvt Ltd

    About Laiqa
    Laiqa – Industry Details
    Laiqa – Founders
    Laiqa – The Idea and Starting Up
    Laiqa – Name, Tagline and Logo
    Laiqa – Business Model
    Laiqa – Customer Acquisition
    Laiqa – Challenges
    Laiqa – Competitors
    Laiqa – Achievements
    Laiqa – Work Culture
    Laiqa – Advisors and Mentors
    Laiqa – Productivity Hack
    Laiqa – Future Plans
    Laiqa – Founder’s Advice
    Laiqa – FAQs

    LAIQA – Idea

    About Laiqa

    LAIQA creates a hassle-free period for its consumer, right from product order to acquisition and experience. It offers a subscription model and a hotline number (functional 24/7 within Delhi NCR) promising same day delivery – to further smoothen your periods. Laiqa wants to help the Indian woman move past the stigma attached to menstruation by creating a platform for safe, healthy and comfortable discussion

    LAIQA has designed individual and combo packs to suit the needs of different Indian women:  With that each pack is a value-added pack, a free panty liner is provided to build the culture of a clean period.

    Laiqa is currently offering the following products–

    • A pack of 10 Ultra-thin day pads designed for moderate flow (1 Panty Liner-Free)
    • A pack of 10 Cosy-fluff night pads designed for heavy flow (1 Panty Liner Free)
    • A pack of 20 Panty-liners designed for everyday discharges and spotting
    • A pack of 15 Sanitary Pad – 10 Ultra-thin Day pads and 5 Cosy-fluff night pads. Designed to cater your flow at any point of your period. (2 Free Panty Liners)
    • A combo box for you to personalize according to your needs. Choose a combination Day and Night (Ultra-thin and Cosy-fluff) pads that will suit your flow for the month.

    LAIQA pads have a unique combination of features and functionalities coming together to make the perfect product. What differentiates Laiqa pads from most other sanitary pads available in the market are its features like, high-quality feather-soft top sheet, with a breathable bottom sheet, allowing breathability for your privates. The pads are rash-free, chlorine-free, fragrance-free, and protect the consumer from UTIs and yeast infections while providing them the best possible comfort.  

    The napkins are designed keeping in mind the hot and humid climate of India. Excessive amounts of perspiration and moisture make the use of sanitary napkins uncomfortable. Laiqa napkins are manufactured using a negligible amount of plastic. While conventional sanitary napkins carry 70%-80% plastic, Laiqa pads have only 7% plastic presence and come in disposable bags and cardboard boxes that are made entirely of paper – making them 100% biodegradable & recyclable.  

    Laiqa gives a platform to the users which encourages them to tell their own truths- share their own stories. This creates room for discussion, which further leads to discoveries and offers help in a space that is otherwise neglected due to constructs of shame and embarrassment.

    The best part is that the sanitary napkins are delivered to the doorstep.

    Laiqa products
    Laiqa products

    Laiqa – Industry Details

    • The Indian sanitary napkin industry is dominated by 3 players, holding a market share of 52% WHISPER 24% STAY FREE and 15% Sofy, totaling 91 %.
    • This Industry has done business worth $508 million in the last financial year (2018-2019).
    • There 42.7 million consumers in India. 18 million Urban and 24.7 million Rural using sanitary napkin
    • Industry expecting to grow by 80% till 2021.  

    Laiqa – Founders

    Ali Mir, Monica Bindra and Nazish Mir are the founders of Laiqa.

    Laiqa Founders/Owners
    Laiqa Founders- Monica Bindra, Ali Mir and Nazish Mir

    Ali Mir studied Econometrics in his undergraduate and numbers are his forte while managing the business. Ali worked at Accenture London for 2 years, prior to founding Laiqa.

    Laiqa co-founder Nazish Mir comes with a background in Management and Entrepreneurship.

    Monica Bindra is a Chemical Engineer from BITS Pilani with 15 years of experience in marketing research

    “We are from different backgrounds, which gives us the ability to bring all our different experiences together to one table – allowing various perspectives to be highlighted” –  Ali Mir quotes

    Currently, there are 10 members in the Laiqa team.

    Laiqa – The Idea and Starting Up

    Laiqa was started with the mission is to transform the experience of acquiring, using and enquiring about feminine hygiene and provide high quality, comfortable products for the consumers.

    “I was doing my 9 to 6 Job at Accenture when my cousin called me howling over the phone, concerned I rushed to meet her. She had lost a friend to TSS (Toxic Shock Syndrome). I went home thinking about how we could cure this problem if she was at the receiving end, I was pretty sure many more were in the same boat. That’s where the urge to provide a safe reliable product came through”  Laiqa co-founder Ali Mir said explaining the idea behind the startup

    It was Nazish who came up with an idea to alter an enhance female hygiene quality and supply in India and Ali soon joined Nazish, as he felt the urge to be part of the change that the feminine hygiene market needs.

    Ali and Nazish met with Monica early in their journey – she carried the same passion to help women in treating their bodies with better products and quality care. The trio found resonance in one another’s beliefs and ideas and decided to join efforts in market research and product analysis over a period of a year and 9 months.  

    “We put together a team consisting of the right resources, a product like no other and services that guarantee that you attain your pads in a wholly hassle-free manner. Laiqa strives to ensure a stress free, hassle free & allergy free period” – Ali said

    LAIQA’s name was an amalgam of having drawn inspiration from 3 separate sources to come up with a whole new self-definition. LAIQA mean the following:

    Laiqa Logo
    Laiqa Logo
    • The Laika dog: The first living being to go into space and orbit the Earth was a Russian female dog by the name of Laika. As per the founders, through Laiqa, they want to take feminine health & hygiene and launch it into a whole new space of comfort and compassion – while drawing a halo of sustainable growth in orbiting the planet.
    • ‘Laayak’ in Hindi: The word literally meaning ‘deserving,’ drew us to it very naturally as we believe all women are in fact ‘laayak’ of the best care for their menstruation, their vaginas their health and their environment.
    • LAIQA in Arabic: The dictionary definition of this word is ‘elegant’ – which for time immemorial has been highlighted as a predominantly feminine human trait. Again here, the pull was two fold – one, to acknowledge that yes, it is a product/service/safe space for women and two, to take the word elegant and cause it to mean whatever each individual woman chooses it to mean for herself.  

    LAIQA’s main tagline is: Let’s create a period of change (because that’s what we want LAIQA to be – a different, more careful and mindful avenue into treating our bodies, minds and environment.  

    Other tag-lines being used by Laiqa for marketing are:

    a)   Embrace a new cycle: to bring to notice the difference Laiqa is about

    b)  The hassle-free period: The ease & extra care it offers its users on the 5 most trying days of their every month.

    c)  Good for her, good for Earth: How the pads are toxin free & biodegradable – making them good for your health and for the environment

    d)  With you, every phase of the way: acknowledging how the female mind, body, form shift and dances like a water body along with the phasing moon  

    Laiqa’s logo is the phasing moon: reinforcing how change is a constant in the life of every person, especially a woman. The menstrual flow is exactly like the waters of the ocean, in sync with the alterations that take place during the monthly cycle of the moon. With this, not only does our physical form experience change but also the mental state with its mood alterations and simply handling PMS

    Laiqa – Business Model

    Laiqa contract manufactures the finest quality product for the consumers. Branding the product in accordance with market gap – an informative, educative and advocative brand. The company has a personalized targeted distribution network, marketing efforts and efficient use of logistics make the business model unique.

    Being a startup, we want to evaluate where the consumer finds it most convenient to attain the product, due to which we have kept all verticals of purchasing the product available.

    Laiqa products are available online, through their website, E-commerce portals and also offline in chemist stores. Besides, there is a Hotline Number that helps with urgent deliveries.    

    Laiqa – Customer Acquisition

    To understand what the consumer wants, Laiqa conducted a survey of 1500 women in NCR. Using the data, the company was able to design 5 different types of napkins to suit their demand.  

    We took the 5 napkins and made 300 consumers use all 5 and went with the napkins that were accepted by 98% of the consumers. This gave us the confidence we needed to steer our business in the desired direction.

    The products were launched on Valentines’s day, i.e 14th February 2019.

    We started with the theme of love – but we focussed on turning it inward and making an occasion of love about SELF LOVE To attract consumers.

    Laiqa was promoted across all digital platforms. The company made its products available on its own website, 7 e-commerce portals and in 50 shops pan NCR,  till date. Promotions were also done at DU colleges. Besides, awareness building campaigns were organized at corporates like TCS and Wipro. Laiqa also has a strong Customer Relationship Management that has resulted in repeat consumers. With the subscription model being a hassle free options consumers are shifting to the subscription.

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    Laiqa – Challenges

    According to Ali, getting people to believe and trust is an uphill task. The Laiqa team was formulated in May 2018. They made contact with all future vendors a good 6 months in advance, vendors, distributors, logistics, PR, marketing everything was planned from the get-go.  

    It took us all of 6 months to convince people we were the real deal and we are here to stay – Ali recalls

    Laiqa – Competitors

    Whisper, Stayfree, Sofy, Nua and Carmesi are some competitors of Laiqa. While everyone is in the business of creating the same sort of product – obviously there are variations in how each company is trying to provide its own value proposition.

    Feminine hygiene brands like LOLA, Glossier and Shethinx have been greatly inspiring for us through our teething phase as a brand.  

    Laiqa – Achievements

    We are on the rise up, with month on month showing a 158% growth from February to March 2019. Yes, it is a very small duration of time, but the acceptance of the product is obvious.  

    The consumers are buying into Laiqa’s products due to the marketing campaign #ComfortChallenge where consumers can go to the Laiqa site and within the first click avail a free sample. Within the first month, Laiqa already supplied its product to 12 different states in India.

    As informed by Laiqa co-founder Ali Mir, till March 2019 Laiqa was able to attract over 750 consumers on the company’s website. Out of these 250 are repeat buyers who are likely to shift to subscription within the first 3 months. Within just one month of its operation, Laiqa dispersed 5000 boxes in the market through their offline distribution and sold 46% of the stocks.

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    Laiqa – Work Culture

    Team Laiqa is constantly working towards bettering one another – both via active and passive reinforcement. The team believes in letting everyone focus on their forte and job and offering support in whatever form it is required. Ali, Nazish and Monica believe in giving the team members the power to make decisions so that every individual has their experience.  

    LAIQA is a small family of working hands that care for one another – which is what has comfortably slipped into our brand’s language and ethos too. Support is a word we use a lot around the office.

    Ali is driven by sports, so most of what he has learned about team building comes from there. He believes in giving everyone a chance to be themselves and display their talent and most importantly.  

    I do not believe in the concept hierarchy, we all sit together, eat together and work together. Yes, there are decisions that are made on an individual level but when it comes to work and office operations there is no hierarchy and there never will be.

    Laiqa – Advisors and Mentors

    Harmeet Bindra is the adviser and mentor of Laiqa. He is the CEO of Leixir Resources.

    Laiqa – Productivity Hacks

    Team Laiqa has a weekly saturday which, as its name suggests, is a day to regroup, rethink, collect their thoughts and bounce some new crazy ideas off one another and inside our own heads.  

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    Laiqa – Future Plans

    Laiqa is looking to capture 13,60,000 Consumers from Tier 1 cities, New Delhi, Gurgaon, Mumbai, Bangalore, Tamil Nadu and Hyderabad in the next 3 years. This is .07% Of Urban Consumers Using Sanitary napkins.

    Laiqa – Founder’s Advice

    “Make sure your heart is in it – make sure it’s a group of people you can trust to create something with. It’s like choosing a partner to have a child with – you need to be able to depend on one another to pick up slack wherever necessary” –  Ali Mir

    Laiqa – FAQs

    Who are the Founders of Laiqa?

    Ali Mir, Monica Bindra and Nazish Mir are the founders of Laiqa.

    What is Laiqa?

    Laiqa sanitary pads are made from the highest quality absorbent materials – feather soft, chlorine-free & with reduced plastic-offering protection from rash, allergies and irritation, which makes Laiqa one of the safest and best sanitary napkins available in India.

    Is Laiqa an Indian brand?

    Yes

    Is Laiqa biodegradable?

    Yes