Mira Kulkarni: Pioneer of luxury ayurveda
Essentials is an example of how India can take its rich ancient heritage and give it a unique contemporary blend and experience. “India needs to cultivate more such brands—ro
In her mid-40s, Kulkarni started the business out of her home with an investment of ₹2 lakh and two employees, in 2000. “We made money and put it back in the business. This was a slower way of growth but there was no goal to get to and there was no need to get any funding,” she explains. “I had no business sense at all.”
What Kulkarni initially lacked in terms of financial acumen she made up with hard work, passion and an astute understanding of the needs of customers. She was quick to identify the gap in the market. “The ayurvedic products available in the market were largely substandard and mostly medicinal,” she recalls. “It was a revolutionary idea to have a luxury ayurvedic product.”