Neha Marda, who rose to fame from the popular TV serial Balika Vadhu, transitioned from acting to entrepreneurship and now runs a successful alum-based underarm roll-on brand. What makes her journey remarkable is that she started the business with alum worth just Rs 10 and now earns a monthly revenue of Rs 2 crore.
The actress recently pitched her startup on Shark Tank India, where she opened up about the personal experience that inspired the idea and also opened up about the emotional and personal reasons that inspired her to start the business.
Neha started the business along with her husband Rahul and her brother and the trio spent nearly three years researching and developing the product before launching it. They transformed ordinary alum commonly available in markets into a crystal-based roll-on designed not only to remove body odour but also to fight bacteria naturally.
To improve the product’s quality and formulation, the price of the roll-on eventually increased from Rs 99 to Rs 999. While the sharp price jump initially invited trolling online, Neha later explained the research, ingredients, and manufacturing process behind the product. Her story resonated with consumers, leading to strong demand and helping the business cross Rs 14 crore in revenue within just 10 months.
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A strange odour gave a business idea
During her pitch at The Shark Tank, Neha openly shares about her post-pregnancy period and reveals how a sudden change in body odour affected her confidence. She says, “Post my pregnancy, I started feeling a little discomfort with my body odor. Being an actor, my confidence was shaken that day. Nothing actually worked to solve it." She adds, “What began as a personal problem soon turned into a business idea."
Explaining the reason behind launching the brand, Neha said she struggled to find an effective organic solution in the market. "I searched for every organic product available, but couldn’t find one that worked. I had no option but to continue using deodorants. As an actor and public figure, it became very frustrating. It’s such a common issue, yet no one wants to talk about it,” she said.
A business of Rs 24 crore
Neha revealed that within just 10 months, her brand attracted over 2 lakh customers and reached a monthly revenue of Rs 2 crore. She also shared that the company’s Instagram page has generated nearly 24.5 million organic views, helping the brand grow rapidly online.
However, the journey did not appear to be easy for Neha Marda, as she faced several sharp and challenging questions from the sharks during her pitch on Shark Tank India.
Despite being a well-known face on Hindi television, the sharks openly questioned the brand’s early growth and market reach. They also discussed whether Neha’s popularity as a television actress played a significant role in boosting the brand’s visibility, marketing, and sales. Neha was seen answering tough questions from sharks Amit Jain, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, and Aman Gupta.
After listening to her pitch, the sharks closely examined the product and raised concerns about its pricing and claims. In the promo, Anupam Mittal questioned the roll-on’s fragrance promise, asking, “Yeh fragrance ka matlab kya hai? Is it just a gimmick?”
Namita Thapar also raised concerns over the product’s premium pricing and said, “Rs 200 mein deo milte hain, Rs 100 mein bhi milte hain, aur aapka Rs 999 ka hai. India relate kar paayegi?” Impressed by her pitch, sharks Aman Gupta and Anupam Mittal jointly offered her a deal of Rs 1.8 crore for 1% equity, which Neha accepted.
For the uninitiated, Neha Marda rose to fame after playing the role of Gehna in Balika Vadhu. The actress took a break from acting to embrace motherhood. She has also been a part of other shows like Doli Armaanon Ki, Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa to name a few.
