Rajinikanth’s Daughter Aishwaryaa Invests In Fitness Startup SARVA’s Diva Yoga

Increasing the glam equation in the ecosystem, Mumbai-based fitness startup SARVA has now raised funding from Rajinikanth’s daughter, Aishwaryaa R. Dhanush. The investment comes on the heels of recent investments in SARVA by celebrities such as Malaika Arora, Jennifer Lopez, Alex Rodriguez, Shahid Kapoor, and Mira Kapoor.

With this investment, Aishwaryaa joins hands with Malaika Arora to become a core part of the Diva Yoga team, leading its growth in the South. Diva Yoga is the yoga wellness arm of SARVA.

Founded in 2016 by Sarvesh Shashi, SARVA envisions to build a global community of physically, mentally and emotionally fit individuals, through yoga, mindfulness, movement and beyond. SARVA provide access to yoga, mindfulness and wellness to the world through two approaches – physical and digital.

Physical approach includes the company’s state-of-the-art brick and mortar studios and lifestyle products. The accessible and interactive digital platform constitutes the digital approach.

A UN Women’s Advocate for Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment in India, Aishwaryaa has always been a strong advocate of physical and mental wellness for women. Aishwaryaa and SARVA have signed their first Diva Yoga studio in Chennai which will launch in the next 75 days.

Aishwaryaa R. Dhanush said, “Our modern lifestyle is a cesspool of illnesses and today, stress, anxiety, depression, sleeplessness, and obesity are the real monsters we fight daily. I have been following Malaika and Sarvesh’s work on SARVA and Diva Yoga closely and it’s amazing how our thought processes align perfectly on all things related to holistic wellness.”

SARVA aspires to service over 100 Mn consumers in the next five years. The company is close to achieving 100 studios in the country by next month spread across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. SARVA currently operates over 3500 classes every week, having a capacity of over 18,000 members a day.

Its partnership with OYO Townhouses has taken off on a high note, ensuring the initial target of 500 studios in the top 15 Indian cities by 2022 is on track as well.

Sarvesh Shashi, CEO and Cofounder, SARVA, claims that the company has grown 12X in terms of revenue in the last three years. He also emphasised that there has been a steady increase in its store level EBIDTA margins and same-studio sales growth has gone up by 28%.

Further, SARVA’s digital offerings spanning the mindful music, guided meditation, and interactive fitness space, will be launched in the third quarter this year. The company then aims to have 500K users in the next six months for the service.

With the global wellness market pegged at $4.2 Tn, the fitness, mind, and body segment accounting for $595 Bn, and the global yoga market constituting $80 Bn. Encashing on the opportunities in the segment are venture capitalists, angel investors and now celebrity investors.

In June, Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar invested in Mumbai-based wearable tech startup, GOQii. Also, Hritik Roshan has backed fitness startup Cure.fit which last raised $120 Mn funding.

Deepika Padukone has also invested in an extension of the recently closed Series C round of funding in Epigamia led by Verlinvest, Danone Manifesto Ventures, and DSG Consumer Partners. Recently, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan along with her mother, Vrinda KR, has invested in Bengaluru-based environmental intelligence startup Ambee.