Bringing organic and natural beauty products and treatments from around the world to India

Pilgrim is a beauty brand that is built on the belief that modern Indians — particularly, Generation Z and millennials — want international beauty treatments, but without the baggage of toxins and chemicals.

Anurag Kedia launched Pilgrim after spending over two decades in the beauty and wellness industry. His friend and fellow IIT Bombay alumnus, Gagandeep Makker, joined up in this journey and brought his expertise in data analytics, market research and more. The idea was to bring vegan, cruelty-free and toxin-free products from around the world to the Indian shores, while keeping them affordable and accessible.

Pilgrim claims to have sold more than 1.1 Mn units since launch till January 2022 with over 1 Mn customers having bought its products. In FY2021, the company said its revenue had touched INR 4.4 Cr thanks to new R&D partnerships across the globe. In January 2022 alone, it said over 75K customers shopped for Pilgrim products, while the company also launched a new lineup — 24K gold range — in the past year.

The primary product distinction for Pilgrim are the ingredients it uses, ranging from volcanic lava ash from Jeju Islands in South Korea, to red vine from orchards in Bordeaux in France, witch hazel, Yugdugu (Korean nutmeg) and more. Besides, the startup claims that its products have been crafted without the so-called 20 toxic chemicals, which includes parabens, formaldehyde, talcum, triclosan, sulphates and mineral oils. These are typically found in mass-manufactured beauty products.

The startup first launched its products in May 2020 and its top-selling products include hair growth serums, night serums, day creams, night gel creme, 24K gold facial mask, skin clarifying serums and more. It offers over 48 SKUs across hair, face, bath and body needs priced between INR 300 and INR 800. The startup already uses recycled plastic for all its packaging, but is now working on reducing its plastic footprint in the near future in line with its pledge of toxin-free beauty.

Pilgrim plans to achieve an annualised run rate of INR 100 Cr by the end of 2022, and will scale to international markets on the back of its India growth. The brand has allso partnered with The Disposal Company, a plastic credit platform, to fulfil its goal of becoming a plastic positive enterprise.