Capitalising on ayurvedic returns

Wellness industry is predicted to be the next big industry in the years to come. Cashing on this upcoming trend is tatha, an ayurvedic wellness products and services brand expanding via franchise route. In an interview Divita Kanoria, Founder, Vedic Collection Pvt. Ltd shares the success journey of the brand.

Neha Gohil (NG): Shed some light on your entrepreneurial journey. Tell us something about the inception of ‘tatha’?

Divita Kanoria(DK): tatha was founded in 2009 under the name of ‘tathaastu’. It was rebranded as ‘tatha’ in 2010. The brand was started as a hobby and passion but later transformed into a dream business for me in 2009. I had been blending small potion for friends, family and other references since 2005 and started getting good results with my blends. I was literally pushed into thinking of a larger picture by my husband. However, it has been a long and slow journey as these products needs exposure among people. Now as people have started understanding the philosophy behind ‘tatha’ and have tried our products we have a great client base. The brand initially started off with only products but in this short span we have developed various verticals like tatha vastram,tatha aahar, and of course our salon & spa services.

NG: What is the USP of ‘tatha’?

DK: ‘tatha’ is an Indian brand which is 100 per cent based on essential oils. These oils do not just include physiological properties but also psychological properties. We are true to our philosophy and use only glass bottles as essential oils survive best in these. We always create personalised blends according to our clients’ needs and preferences

NG: Why and when did you take up the franchise route for expansion?

DK: We took the franchise route by end of 2010. By that time we were ready to expand bullishly which was not feasible without adopting this route.

NG: How has franchising helped the brand so far in achieving its target?

DK: We are still very new in the franchise market and yet to gauge the response.

NG: How many franchisees do you presently have? What are your future expansion plans via franchising?

DK: Presently, we have two franchisees as it is just the beginning of the brand. We aim to have at least 20 franchisees by the end of this year.

NG: How much area and investment does a ‘tatha’ franchisee require?

DK: The area and investments depends if the franchisee would be interested only in tatha retail store or tatha store along with services. For a tatha store an area of 300 sq. ft would be good enough but for a service cum store a minimum area of 500 sq. ft would be required. The initial investment would be around Rs 10 lakh which would be inclusive of the franchise fee, interiors, products, training etc.

NG: What all services and products are included in your portfolio?

DK: The brand has a wide product range catering to skin, body and hair. We have tatha wellness where we have diffusers, incense sticks, essential oils, neem pencils etc. It also includes tatha vastram which is herb infused organic clothing which helps conditions like arthritis, immunity, hypertension etc, tatha aahar where we have things like arjun ki chaal, tatha swarmangal is our music cd, tatha privileged care which is our home spa on wheels, tatha xpression, our spas, tatha signature salon our salon and tatha ayurveda, our ayurvedic line.

NG: Owning a tatha franchise can be a lucrative business venture, what is your opinion?

DK: Wellness is the next billion dollar industry which has not been hit by recession. Therefore, definitely it is one of the most lucrative businesses.

NG: What according to you are the advantages of running a wellness franchise? Mention few challenges and how can they be overcome?

DK: Wellness is the next big industry. People in India are getting extremely aware of the benefits of natural products and are shifting their focus on the use of these products. However, the main challenge we face is educating our franchisees as it is extremely essential that they realise the importance and benefits of these products.