Pune: Radha Sukhadia took her first steps into the world of entrepreneurship in 2020. It was the year of the pandemic. And, it was the lockdowns, confinement-at-home, and ample time motivated her to use her cosmetology training productively.
She started by making small batches of skin and hair care products at home and gifting them to her neighbours, friends, and family members. The feedback spurred her on to escalate her efforts and the small steps became bigger, finally leading to a leap into the cut-throat world of business.
She founded ‘Radha’s Cosmic World’, her own brand, in that year. While the pandemic raged outside, inside her mind, the creative spark grew into a flame of passion. Her goal: to produce clean, natural skin and hair care products. Thus was born Radha the entrepreneur.
On beauty bandwagon
Armed with a diploma in cosmetology from CIDESCO International in Zurich, Switzerland, Radha, then in her 20s, decided to formally join the beauty industry. She Googled for white-label manufacturers and found a large number of such services.
“Most of them were from Haryana, which was not practical for me. I filtered my search to Pune-based manufacturers and found a few. I visited their facilities and finally partnered with a unit in Jejuri after carefully screening their processes and quality standards. It was important for me to understand how they worked, what mixing machines they had and used, whether they could handle large orders, if they had mechanised labelling machines, and so on,” she said.
After being satisfied on all counts Radha signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) with the manufacturer, stipulating that he would produce her products according to her formulations. But, how was she to know that the manufacturer was indeed following the prescribed procedures and using the right raw materials? Said Radha, “Every batch of goods comes with a detailed report of what was used and how much. And I used to check the texture and fragrance. More importantly, I had the clause that states he will be responsible if a customer complains.”
With her certifications and professional manufacturing well set, she now focussed on making her startup a trusted brand.
Lakme stint
In this endeavour, her past stint with Lakmé as a skin specialist helped. At Lakme, Radha spent eight to nine years training students in skincare and treatments. During that time, she felt something was amiss in how skincare products were made and used.
“After Covid, I noticed that people had become more conscious. They were not just careful about what they eat, but also about what they apply on their skin,” Radha said. “While the skin protects our body, it also absorbs a small amount of whatever we apply. Studies suggest that the skin can absorb between 0.8% to 12% depending on the ingredients. Even though the percentage may be small, most products contained synthetic chemicals, artificial fragrances, and preservatives. That made me question what we were really applying on our skin.”
Rebranding in 2023
This thought led her to a simple idea — what if skin care was treated like food for the skin? Instead of dishing out products like regular cosmetics, Radha wanted to create formulations that nourish the
skin using clean ingredients. The became not just the foundation of her brand, but also its tagline when she chose a new name for it.
As her startup grew, Radha understood that the old name under which it operated needed to be changed. She said, “I felt that I needed to change the name as well as the packaging. So, in 2023, I changed it to ‘Satva’ and did a complete revamp of my packaging. My products deserve to look good besides being great!”
She rebranded her startup to ‘Satva – Organic Food for Skin’, since her products combine Ayurvedic ingredients with modern formulations.
According to Radha, the market is full of products, but not all of them are trustworthy. “Many brands claim to be natural, but there is very little transparency. I wanted to build something that people can trust,” she said.
Her goal was validated by what she observed at retail stores and in conversations. “I noticed that more and more people read labels and expect brands to be completely transparent about what has been used in the product, be it a food item or a skincare lotion. The media was also reporting that people were now more conscious about clean ingredients. Noticing this shift, I decided to create a brand that aligned perfectly with honest, performance-driven and conscious skincare. I did not just want to sell products I wanted to clear the trust deficit.”
Trust building
But, how does one create trust? Here, her first experiences in brand building during the pandemic helped. She remembered the feedback she received from the handful of people she had tested her products on.
“At first, some said the products had no fragrance, which they didn’t like. But, a few weeks later, they started noticing real results. Their skin felt softer and more nourished, and their hair became healthier with reduced dandruff,” Radha said.
This helped make up her mind that quality and consistency matter a lot in the beauty industry, and that was the only way to build trust in her brand.
Radha said, “I could not have one batch differ from the next batch of creams or shampoos. So I decided that I would conduct lab tests for all my products to ensure that there were no variations and they all met safety standards.”
Today, SATVA products are developed in compliance with recognised certifications such as FDA approval, ISO certification, and GMP and cGMP standards. They are also tested as per BIS guidelines, with certifications from Quadrant Laboratories.
Growth plans
Now what she needs the most are investments. Radha was bootstrapped so far. She spent ₹30 lakh and recovered 60% of her investment. “I want to get into the B2B (Business to Business) circuit. For that, I need good vendors. I did try earlier but they did not pay up on time. I had to chase them for payment and all this caused a lot of inconvenience to the business,” she said.
Hence, to scale up her business, Radha is actively looking for good B2B vendors. She said, “Online sales help, but being in physical stores increases visibility and trust. I want to enter large retail chains like D-Mart and Reliance.”
At the same time, she is also working on new product ideas, including mono-dose facial and manicure-pedicure kits. “In many salons, products are used from large containers, which may not always be hygienic. Single-use kits can solve this problem and ensure better safety,” she explained.
Radha’s goal is simple. “I want Satva to reach every corner of India and eventually go global. More than anything, I want people to trust what they use on their skin.”
With her goal in sight and eyes fixed on the future, Radha is all set to make her baby, Satva, a household name, both within and outside India.
