An Organic Journey

Sister duo MANSI VYAS and ADITI VYAS have made a positive impact on the organic space in India through Azafran Innovacion Ltd. Against the deluge of organic start-ups that have showered the Indian market recently, Azafran is trying to return to nature, to simpler times. Bindu Gopal Rao speaks with the sisters.

Azafran Innovacion Ltd. was conceived in 2007 with the idea of bringing genuine, certified organic products to consumers in India and abroad, across domains of personal and skin care, home care, foods, and many more. 

The brains behind the concept are sisters Aditi Vyas, a B. (Hons) in Chemical Engineering from University College London (UCL), UK, and Mansi Vyas, an MBA graduate in International Hospitality Management from École hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland. 

The sisters founded Azafran Innovacion Ltd. sensing the market gaps in organic and sustainable consumer-based products for everyday use.

While Aditi’s skills lie in engineering and research, Mansi has experience in managerial finance and marketing. The venture began with organic farming – across 40 hectares of land were greenhouses to extract oils for botanical products. It culminated into a pan-India drive to create awareness on ethically sourced ingredients and clean and green formulations. 

“We come from a business family and entrepreneurial spirit is in our blood. Our father, who single-handedly set up Dishman Pharmaceuticals, a leading API company, acted as an inspiration for us when we set out to establish Azafran. Quality has always been a concern when it comes to the skincare industry,” say the sisters.

Azafran’s website delivers to 115 countries. “Covid-19 has accelerated the use of technology. This opens up new opportunities and channels for businesses to target consumers,” they sign off.

The product lines at the company are created using the best organic ingredients grown, and are harvested, extracted and processed at an in-house facility. “Our verticals include a wide range of sustainable and natural products in food, beauty, health and nutrition, wellness, and home essentials, as well as baby products infused with organic ingredients,” says Mansi.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a huge consumer base shifted to online shopping, thanks to government-enforced lockdowns. “For the current fiscal year, we have spent approximately half of our target sales on marketing. Our efforts have been concentrated on not only skincare but also ranges for mother and baby, home care, food, and nutraceuticals. We provide 48-hour nationwide deliveries as well as quick customer service,” says Aditi.