29-year-old Ridhima left her well-paying job at a telecom giant to return to Jammu for taking care of her ailing father and started Namhya Foods later
We’ve all heard the popular saying that ‘Tough times don’t last, but tough people do’. Such is the story of 29-year-old Ridhima Arora who left her well-paying job at a telecom giant to return to Jammu for taking care of her ailing father.
Ridhima’s father was diagnosed with liver cirrhosis when she stepped up to give him good diet. According to media reports, she changed his diet to herbal tea, ayurvedic concoctions and locally sourced food. While liver cirrhosis isn’t curable, she helped her father regain strength by removing all preservative items from his diet.
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The experience gained while nursing her ailing father prepared Ridhima to kick start her own Ayurvedic brand – Namhya Foods. As quoted by Mint, Namhya said, “The idea of starting a startup was always there but I was not convinced about taking a bigger risk. It was my father's illness that triggered me to start a preventive healthcare brand using my family's deep-rooted knowledge of Ayurvedic science”.
The young girl started her business with an initial investment of Rs 20 lakh. Her grandfather owned a store of Ayurvedic herbs in Jammu & Kashmir. He had started an ecosystem which included Hakeem, Vaids and doctors in 1937. The business was further expanded by her father. The family has been supplying ayurvedic herbs as a raw material to many doctors in North India.
How was Namhya Foods started?
In the initial stages of her entrepreneurial journey, the young woman sourced and compiled Ayurvedic recipes that have been passed down by generations in her family. Further, she completed a three-month ayurvedic certification course to improve her understanding around the field. She is also a certified nutritionist from ISSA and a certified yoga trainer from Yoga Alliance.
Her determination led Ridhima to visit the local farms to check that all herbs and plants were grown organically. Later, she set up a manufacturing unit to manufacture the final product at a family-owned space.
In January 2020, the ayurvedic brand launched three herbal teas, namely – Kashmiri kahwa, heart tea and periods care tea. Ridhima’s company is currently selling nearly 26 products, including liver care tea, thyroid care tea, sattu breakfast cereals and lots more.
Namhya Foods’ herbal tea for PCOS is one of the most loved products. With its organically made products, the company has made its way to the UAE, Australia, US and Canada.
The 29-year-old entrepreneur won funding of Rs 50 lakh for 10% equity and Rs 50 lakh debt in Shark Tank India. BoAt Lifestyle’s Aman Gupta has reportedly helped Ridhima’s firm to clock a turnover of Rs 1.25 crore in FY22.
The company is currently exploring possibilities of expansion into other parts of the world and is set to launch a new website to share the benefits of Ayurveda globally.
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 "Shark Tank India contestant made ayurvedic snacks for ailing father, now earns over Rs 1 crore")
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