Siddhant Agarwal
1. Avimee Herbal began with a personal crisis. How has that emotional beginning shaped how the company operates today?
It still shapes everything. When my mother lost her hair after COVID, it wasn't a vanity issue; it was personal. It affected how she felt, how she moved through the world. So, when my grandfather, Nanaji, created that first oil, our only goal was to help her feel like herself again.
That experience stays with us. Every product we create starts with the same question: will this truly help someone? It keeps us focused. We don't chase trends or create filler products. Whether it's a serum or a scalp tonic, we build it because there's a need, not because we're trying to stay busy.
2. Ayurvedic beauty is everywhere now. What makes Avimee Herbal different in a space that's gotten very crowded?
We don't sell lifestyle. We offer treatment. That's the key difference. Most Ayurvedic brands talk about glow, shine, and rituals. We're focused on biology. Why is someone losing hair? Is it stress, post-viral shedding, or hormonal shifts? Our team at Avimee Life Sciences goes deep into those questions. And because we make most of our herbal extracts in-house, we control their strength and purity from day one.
What also sets us apart is our results. Some of our hair regrowth formulations have outperformed global actives like Minoxidil in lab comparisons. That's not about marketing. That's research meeting tradition and doing better.
3. Your Shark Tank episode created massive visibility. Many brands lose momentum after that. How did you avoid that trap?
We didn't treat Shark Tank India as a finish line. We treated it like a checkpoint. By the time the episode aired, we had already built systems, be it supply chain, packaging, quality control, or fulfilment, that could absorb scale. We sold â¹15 crore worth of products in just over a month, and our defect rate was only 0.05%. That's not just growth. That's preparation. We also stayed rooted. The TV exposure didn't change our purpose. If anything, it reminded us to stay even more focused on the people we're trying to serve.
4. You use the phrase "honest care." What does that look like day-to-day?
It means telling people the truth, even when it's not exciting. We don't make overnight promises. Hair takes time. Healing takes time. But if someone uses our product consistently, they'll see real, lasting change. It also means transparency. Our labels list what's inside and why it's there. If we include Bhringraj or Redensyl, it's in a dose that works. No window dressing. No inflated claims. That honesty builds trust, and that trust is everything.
5. You've gone deep into in-house manufacturing and sustainability. Why take that harder route?
Primarily because outsourcing didn't meet our quality bar, when we started, we struggled to find suppliers who gave us the potency we needed. So, we built it ourselves.
Our green-certified personal care manufacturing facility in Surat recycles water, composts waste, and reuses packaging. Over 80% of our ingredients are made in-house. Even our almond oil is cold-pressed by us. That control gives us consistency, and that consistency gives customers results they can rely on.
And sustainability isn't just about the planet. It's about people. We've created stable jobs in Surat. Our factory is a place where people feel proud to work. That matters to us.
6. What's one misconception about natural or Ayurvedic products you wish more people questioned?
That ânatural' is soft or slow. It's not. With the right formulation and delivery, Ayurvedic actives can be incredibly effective. We've seen cases where our blends have outperformed synthetic treatments for hair regrowth and scalp health. The difference is that you get the result without the long list of side effects.
Another big myth is that herbal means it doesn't need testing. That's dangerous. Every batch of our products is tested for stability, irritation, and efficacy. Nature works best when you respect it, and that means doing the science.
7. Avimee has grown quickly, but deliberately. How do you decide what not to do?
We say no often. We say no to categories we're not ready for, to distributors who want margin over quality, to short-term ideas that could dilute the brand. We only launch when we're sure there's a real problem we can solve and that we can solve it better than what's already out there. We don't want to be everywhere. We want to be wherever we can genuinely help.
8. The brand still has a strong family ethos. How do you protect that culture while scaling nationally?
By keeping the heart in the room. My grandfather's principles still guide every formula. My mom still gives feedback on samples. My wife, who helped that first video go viral, is still part of every campaign.
At the same time, we've brought in professionals who are experts in operations, R&D, and logistics. The company has scaled, but our purpose hasn't diluted. Whether it's five people in a kitchen or fifty in a lab, the culture is built on care.
9. What's one thing about the beauty industry no one talks about enough?
Ingredient honesty. A lot of brands use trace amounts of buzzy ingredients just so they can put them on the label. It's misleading. Customers deserve better. We test other products in the market all the time, and what we find often surprises us. For us, if an ingredient is in the formula, it's there for a reason - and in a dosage that will make a difference. We'd rather say less and deliver more.
10. What's next for Avimee Herbal?
We're expanding carefully into more cities and retail points, but always with control. Right now, our products are available online and in select stores across Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. As we grow, we remain intentional, expanding our reach without compromising quality or service.
On the product side, we're paying close attention to what our customers are asking for. There's a growing demand around issues like postpartum hair fall, hormonal thinning, and hair recovery after illness or medical treatment. These are deeply personal problems, and we believe we can create thoughtful solutions that really work. We're not chasing scale. We're chasing relevance. We want to stay close to the customer and close to the problem. That's how we grow âwith intent'.
11. And for you, personally, what does success look like now?
It's the messages and responses we get from our consumers. The woman who says she is no longer scared to comb her hair. The man who says he stopped wearing a cap indoors. They feel confident and happy with their hair. That's what drives me. It's the human impact that is quiet, real, and lasting.
