It is often said that the darkest clouds have the brightest silver linings. When Ridhima Arora’s father was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis, the 29-year-old engineer left her fledging job at a telecom giant and moved back to her roots in Jammu.
“My father was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis. His health condition was deteriorating with each passing day. However, we did not lose hope. I changed his diet to herbal tea, ayurvedic concoctions, and locally sourced food. I completely shunned preservative items from his food menu. Within three months, my father’s condition improved significantly. Though liver cirrhosis is not curable, my father regained strength and could work on his own,” says Ridhima Arora who started her own Ayurvedic brand called Namhya Foods after gaining experience while nursing her ailing father.
Arora created Namhya Foods in the same year with an initial investment of about ₹20 lakh. The name Namhya is inspired by the Buddhist chant ‘nam myoho renge kyo’ (I devote myself to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra).
Arora always wanted to start her own business but was apprehensive about taking big risks. “The idea of starting a startup was always there but I was not convinced about taking a bigger risk. It was my father’s illness that triggered me to start a preventive healthcare brand using my family’s deep-rooted knowledge of Ayurvedic science,” she said.
Arora’s grandfather had a small store of Ayurvedic herbs in Jammu & Kashmir and had created an ecosystem comprising of Hakeem, Vaids, and doctors back in 1937. Her father took over the business in 1985 and expanded it further. “Our family has been supplying herbs as a raw material to several doctors across North India,” Arora added.
How did Ridhima Arora start Namhya Foods?
The Jammu-based 29-year-old entrepreneur started her entrepreneurial journey by sourcing and compiling Ayurvedic recipes that have been passed down by generations. A three-month ayurvedic certification course also helped her in understanding the ropes of this ancient healing system.
She created a supply chain for raw materials by connecting with local farmers. Arora visited the farms herself to ensure the herbs and plants were grown organically. Then, she took up her family-owned space to build a manufacturing unit with the necessary machines required for making the final product
After months of research and development, the entrepreneur launched three herbal teas (Heart tea, Kashmiri kahwa and periods care tea) in January 2020. “As a brand, we are trying to globalise herbs that have zero visibility outside Jammu and Kashmir, like a Paneer Dodi, Harad, Senna leaves, etc,” she said.
Namhya products
Two and a half years down the line, Namhya Foods sells around 26 products. Herbal tea for PCOS (Polycystic ovary syndrome, a hormonal disorder common among women of reproductive age) and diabetes accounts for one-fourth part of their sales. Other products include Lung Cleanse Tea, Liver Care Tea, Thyroid Care Tea, Ragi Breakfast Cereal, and Sattu Breakfast Cereals among others. According to Arora, the company has sold 50,000 PCOS tea since its launch. The company made around ₹60 lakh of profit last financial year and made inroads into the US market in June this year. Namhya Foods already operates in UAE, Canada, and Australia.
“I genuinely believe if there is anything after Yoga that will have global reach it will be Ayurveda,” said Arora. She is also a certified yoga trainer from Yoga Alliance and a certified nutritionist from ISSA.
“Our generation has grown in an ecosystem where our grandparents have tried to reconnect us to our roots. The idea of Namhya is the same, to take us back to our roots,” the 29-year-old entrepreneur added.
After winning funding of ₹50 lakh for 10% equity and ₹50 lakh debt in Shark Tank India, Arora has hired 20 new people to grow her brand. In FY22, Namhya Foods clocked a turnover of ₹1.25 crore. The Shark who stepped up to help Arora is Aman Gupta, co-founder of BoAt Lifestyle.
At present, Namhya has a team size of 28. The company will be launching a new website this month to expand content about the benefits of Ayurveda.