When I think about diamonds, a few words come in my mind instantly. Shiny, glamorous, precious, rare and expensive.

Buying diamond jewellery used to be a luxury for most people in India. People would save for years and buy on special occasions like family weddings, anniversaries, birthdays & festivals.

But, times have changed. And diamond trade is going through a phase of evolution. A wave of disruption caused by lab grown diamonds (LGDs).

LGDs are an exact replica of mined diamonds with a contrasting difference - their cost. Cost of LGDs are lower by 80-95% compared to mined diamonds.

Riding this wave, is Solitario - a luxury lab grown diamond brand with presence in India, Dubai, Malaysia among others.

The brand promotes sustainable practices with the aim of making luxury diamonds more accessible to a wider audience.

This podcast was a crash course for me on LGDs and I had an absolute blast hosting Anurag. We spoke on a range of topics like:

(3:13): TRICKS OF THE TRADE - How does a mall work? 

(8:03): The Engineering DNA - how can do they everything?

(14:06): Joining Solitario + creating the offline launch strategy

(20:05): GOING GLOBAL - launch in Dubai @ Burj Khalifa & other countries + how mall zoning helps in building an aspirational brand.

(27:16): A crash course in lab grown diamonds [CVD / HPHT]

(33:50): Potential of the LGD Market

(36:03): Quick take on Distribution / Marketing strategies - Target audience, Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs), Multi Brand Outlets (MBOs), Indian customer profile, Global customers

(40:11): Current challenges for growth

(42:52): Leadership Team @ Solitario (Ricky + Vivek Oberoi)

(46:17): RAPID FIRE Qs

You can check out Solitario's luxury collection here

In 1978, Nand Kishore Chaudhary (NKC) got a job offer from a Government bank and the chance to move from Churu to Jaipur -- something most people could only dream of back in the day.

But, he declined that offer. He saw an opportunity in the carpets business which was a 100% export market and was growing steadily. He also saw this as an opportunity to impact lives and connect with people.

So, he took a leap of faith. He took a loan of INR 5000 from his father. Bought a bicycle. Two looms. And started working with 9 artisans in Churu.

And that's how Jaipur Rugs was born.

Fast forward to today, he has created a sprawling empire with their carpets being exported to 60 different countries. They have trained >40,000 artisans and run various social initiatives via Jaipur Rugs Foundation.

NKC & Jaipur Rugs are a shining example of how a business can create lasting impact in the lives of people.

I learnt a lot while speaking to NKC and we spoke about a range of topics like:

(02:03): How NKC started his entrepreneurial journey with INR 5,000

(08:14): Inception of JaipurRugs — navigating early challenges of doing biz in the 1980s

(14:49): What goes into making an exquisite handcrafted rug? Wool > Yarn > Carpet

(20:31): How long does it take to make one carpet?

(22:02): Challenges in the rug making biz - machine made carpets + reduction of artisans

(25:28): BIG OPPORTUNITY — Evolution of luxury rugs market in India

(28:17): Jaipur Rugs Foundation — changing lives of artisans

(32:12): BUILDING LEGACY — Integrating children into the family biz

(36:33): New initiatives @ JaipurRugs - converting artisans to artists

(39:41): RAPID FIRE Qs

You can check out their website @ JaipurRugs

The story of Mikiamo begins in Agra, with 3 friends [Aakriti, her husband & Davide] chilling out discussing [drunk] business ideas in the midst of a lot of beer, wine & whisky.

While discussing business ideas, their Italian friend [Davide] asked if he could have a shot of Limoncello -- and all of them came to the realisation that there was no proper Limoncello brand in India. Lo & behold, an idea formed in their minds.

Why not bring this traditional Italian drink to India?

And that's what they're doing with Mikiamo. They're brining the taste and the culture of Italy to the bustling cities of India.

I learnt a lot about operating an alcohol brand in India from Aakriti and we spoke about a range of topics like:

(02:00): Introduction to Aakriti Kochhar, the founder of Mikiamo Limencello

(05:44): Aakriti’s take on the India growth story

(06:46): Making an entry in the liquor biz + idea for Limencello

(11:57): IDEA > REALITY

(15:44): What’s so special about Italian lemons?

(18:15): How is Limoncello different from whisky / wine / beer?

(24:39): What’s the best way to consume Limoncello?

(26:48): Strategy behind choosing Goa to launch the brand

(29:26): How do you distribute a liquor product?

(34:53): Expansion into other markets (Delhi / Haryana) + understanding the regulatory requirements of setting up a liquor brand

(39:08): How is the market shaping up for Limoncello in India?

(43:58): Talking about Pocket Dynamite + the importance of Limencello in Italy

(49:43): What is the meaning of Mikiamo?

(51:08): VISION FOR THE FUTURE

(54:11): RAPID FIRE Qs

In this episode, I invited Jigar Mehta - founder of Honey Twigs, a company that is reshaping how we think and consume honey.

Honey has a lot of nutrients. Rich in anti-oxidants. Better for blood sugar. Helps in healing.

Honey is a segment which has not been disrupted for a VERY long time. The first thought that I get when I think about honey, is that it is a medicine. We're not really motivated to consume it daily.

With Honey Twigs - Jigar is on a mission to change that perception. They make aesthetic looking 'twigs' which are mess free, naturally sourced and make consuming honey a lot of fun!

I had a lot of fun talking to Jigar on this episode, and it was like a crash course into the business of honey. We spoke about:

(01:58) How did Jigar get a taste of entrepreneurship & the idea to enter the world of honey?

(06:52) The 0 to 1 journey of HoneyTwigs — creating innovative honey variants 

(14:42) Strategy to create mass market flavors for consumers

(18:42) Disrupting the way people consumed honey

(27:00) THE SHARK TANK EFFECT

(32:22) Competition from new players?

(34:13) Crystallisation = Pure Honey

(39:12) Mythbusters on Honey

(46:38) Key takeaways running HT

(48:12) RAPID FIRE Qs

In this episode, I invited Krishi Fagwani — founder of Thrive, a company in the food aggregation space.

This space is dominated by Zomato + Swiggy, but suffers from a few issues like high restaurant commissions, low customer rewards etc.

Thrive wants to solve that. They are a restaurant first platform offering low commissions, rewarding customers for their activity with cashbacks & offering various loyalty programs.

It is a platform where restaurants & customers can thrive, together!

I had a lot of fun talking to Krishi, and it was like a crash course in the food biz. We spoke about a range of topics like:

(00:00): Introduction 

(01:42): What was it about the food industry that appealed to Krishi + how he got started 

(07:09): First time entrepreneurs + executing the business plan + navigating through various iterations 

(10:45): Competing w/ the BIG FISHES (Zomato & Swiggy) 

(18:34): Leveraging existing business partners during COVID for growth 

(20:32): Journey through the years + customer traction 

(28:47): Building the ultimate platform for foodies - digitalising the word of mouth 

(35:36): HYPOTHETICAL Q - would Krishi sell Thrive to Zomato? 

(41:46): BLOCKER FOR FUTURE GROWTH? 

(45:02): Why Krishi is not getting into QCom? 

(47:36): 10Y in the industry - learnings and key takeaways 

(51:56): RAPID FIRE Qs!

In this episode, I invited Garvita Mamodiya - founder of Teela, a company which is curating unique experiences with its [aesthetic looking] glamping resorts.

With the fast paced work culture that we're heading towards, people are not getting an opportunity to truly connect with nature. To fully detox. To engage in adventurous activities.

Enter Glamping. A phenomenon which is emerging in India which is a mixing luxurious accommodation with camping.

Teela is providing unique experiences for it's customers allowing them to truly connect with their surroundings offering activities include ATV riding, paintball, private dining, nature walk etc.

I had a blast talking to Garvita and learnt a LOT about glamping and the future of hospitality in this episode. We spoke about a range of topics like:

(00:00) – Introduction

(04:30) – When did Garvita first get a taste for entrepreneurship + talking about her inclination towards the hospitality industry.

(07:45) – Transitioning from building a normal resort to launching a Glamping Resort.

(09:57) – What is GLAMPING?

(14:56) – What are the various adventures you can indulge in @ Teela?

(16:29) – SECRETSAUCE: Constant iterations > Learning from customer feedback > curating new experiences

(20:18) – Talking about traction, marketing strategies, harnessing the power of Instagram and exploring new geographies.

(27:15) – Challenges & learnings from building a hospitality company.

(33:07) – Talking about the vibrant team @ Teela

(35:18) – What is Garvita building next? What is keeping her excited about the future?

(43:10) – RAPID FIRE Qs

Check out Teela's website here

In this episode, I invited Shubham Singh – founder of Craste, a company creating value added products like packing materials, panel boards and paper from agricultural residue with the vision to create wealth from waste.

India generates more than 500 MILLION tonnes of agricultural residue every year. We are all aware of the incredible amount of pollution caused by stubble burning

Shubham saw this problem as an opportunity. With an abundance of agricultural residue – you could build systems to derive value added products from them. After 5 years of intensive R&D and a lot of patents filed, Craste is absolutely crushing it in this sector.

Value added products from agricultural residue, at scale, across various rural areas in India – could transform the country. And we should do whatever we can to support them!

I learnt a lot from Shubham in this podcast and we spoke about a range of topics like:

(00:00): Introduction

(02:15): How did Shubham first get a taste of entrepreneurship + building Gramiksha

(06:40): Moving back to academics <> Imperial College of London – researching about carbon capture.

(10:48): Meeting the QUEEN OF ENGLAND.

(14:17): Getting into a entrepreneurship fellowship called ‘Waste to Value’.

(18:35): The problem of agricultural residue + creating products from this waste.

(23:00): THE JOURNEY FROM IDEA > R&D > EXECUTION.

(31:57): Making money from waste > entering the commercializing phase.

(34:25): THE PROCESS: converting agricultural residue into value added products.

(38:37): How is competition in this space? Can Craste compete with plastic packaging companies?

(43:00): How do you apply to Government fellowship programs?

(46:20): How does the future of Craste look like?

(49:00): RAPID FIRE QUESTIONS

You can reach out to Shubham at [email protected] to get your hands on the 100+ business ideas that he has!

You can learn about government fellowships at Venture Center's website here

You can learn about what Craste is building here

In this episode, I invited Bhuman Dani – founder of WickedGud, a company promoting guilt free eating with the mission of un-junking one kitchen at a time.

Did you know that the noodles you eat are already deep fried? The pasta that you eat has a lot of refined flour? If you’re consuming these packaged foods on a daily basis, it’s not healthy – especially if it is being consumed by kids.

How do you solve this problem? You eliminate the deep fry process. You eliminate the refined flour. At the same time, try to keep the taste and texture. That’s exactly what WickedGud is trying to build.

With health icons like Shilpa Shetty representing the brand and with grabbing eye balls on Shark Tank, WickedGud has positioned itself perfectly to conquer the future of food.

I had a blast talking to Bhuman and we spoke about a range of topics like:

(00:00): Introduction

(01:11): How did Bhuman start his entrepreneurial journey? Was it in his blood?

(04:48): Is there a secret to crack BCG interviews?

(05:55): What tilted Bhuman to exit his first venture and start another venture towards guilt free eating?

(12:28): ELEVATOR PITCH

(15:57): How were the early days of WickedGud? Why did Bhuman start with Pasta? What were the methodologies adopted to go from idea to launch?

(21:46): NEW PRODUCT LAUNCHES + using different technologies to drastically reduce saturated fats.

(33:08): Talking about traction, distribution strategies, geographies that are working for the brand and customer feedback.

(42:29): How was the experience of working with Shilpa Shetty to represent WickedGud?

(45:11): THE SHARK TANK EXPERIENCE

(49:17): What is the long term vision for WickedGud? Any new product launches in the pipeline?

(50:44): RAPID FIRE Qs

In this episode, I invited Bhagyashree Bhansali – founder of The Disposal Company, an organization that is helping brands to achieve plastic + carbon neutrality.

In this episode, I invited Preksha Chopra - founder of Welme, a health and wellness company which has created a period pain relief device.

Welme, uses TENS technology to reduce period pain in women. It's clinically tested. Has no side effects. It's portable. It's sleek. You can wear it even while you work. Or while you party. No anti-biotics required.

I learnt a TON in this episode about period pain and asked a LOT of questions (some stupid ones too :P) and Preksha was kind enough to answer all of them which such calmness. She knows her stuff! We covered a range of topics like:

(00:00): Introduction

(01:30): What is Preksha building with Welme and talking about the science behind the tech

(04:20): The foundational events that led to the IDEA for Welme

(10:51): How does the Product work?

(13:08): How challenging was it to convince people to use a tech instrument to treat period pain? How was the initial response to Welme?

(17:15): Business in the blood?

(18:38): Talking about the MOAT and how Welme can stay one step ahead of the competition

(19:50): Why is talking about Periods still considered a Taboo?

(22:18): HYPOTHETHICAL Q: What would Preksha do if a big shot Pharma company approached her to buy Welme?

(25:35): What are the new products in the pipeline?

(27:10): Key learnings while building a business in the wellness space in India

(31:38): Talking about manufacturing, customer traction, marketing, product design and

(40:52): THE FUTURE OF WELME

(42:44): Some FAQs around period pain

(50:35): What’s the story behind the Logo and the name?

(53:00): LUCK VS HARDWORK

If you go through severe period pain, why not try out Welme? You can check out their website for exciting new stuff in this space!