This Startup Brings Forth A 200-Year-Old Ayurvedic Legacy To Meet Today’s Wellness Needs

Sadhev beauty products use organic ingredients sourced from the founder’s family farm

Lasakan’s ancestor, Cholayil Kunju Maami Vaidyar, was a physician from Kerala known for his contribution to the ancient science of ayurveda. His grandfather, the late Dr V.P. Sidhan, also launched the ayurvedic soap brand Medimix in 1969. Lasakan joined his family business in 2016, but he decided to dig deeper into his forefather’s 200-year-old legacy of ayurvedic knowledge. In 2019, he teamed up with his mother, Jaya Devi, to launch Sadhev, a PETA-certified luxury beauty brand built on ayurvedic principles.

The startup specialises in face, body and hair care products, including ayurvedic serums, aloe vera gels, oils, herbal shampoos, rose water and more. It has also sold more than 1.5 Lakh products and served 43K customers. Sadhev clocked INR 3.05 Cr in revenue in FY22 and opened its first offline store in Bengaluru in December 2022.

There is an impeccable quality guarantee as most of the natural ingredients used by the brand are sourced from the Cholayil family farm Sadhevana in Kerala. According to Lasakan, their farmers combine sustainable farming and green chemistry (green alternatives to chemical fertilisers and pesticides) to grow the plants used for production. “Our farming practices ensure that the products are paraben- and sulphate-free,” he said.

Sadhev expects a 2.5x jump in revenue in FY23 (INR 7.5 Cr from INR 3 Cr) and plans to double its online user base. It will open three more offline stores and add more shampoos, conditioners, shower gels and body washes to its product range. The D2C brand aims to set up as many as 50 offline stores by 2026 and expand into consumables and beauty therapies. It will also tap into global markets and focus on the US, the Middle East and Southeast Asia.