The Wellness Crusader "We observed a highly unorganised sector riddled with counterfeit products, misleading label declarations, and a lack of proper quality control measures. As consumers, we struggled to find authentic, highquality products we could trust," said Shreyans Jain, founder & executive director, Nutrabay

"Sometimes if you want to see a change for the better, you have to take things into your own hands," once said Hollywood actor and film director Clint Eastwood. While we all might come across things that need change for the betterment of our lives, not many can rise to the occasion and take matters into their own hands. But brothers Divay Jain, Sharad Jain, and Shreyans Jain are built differently. The idea for their D2C sports nutrition and wellness brand Nutrabay came back in 2011-12 when the trio experienced firsthand the concerns and challenges in the sports nutrition ecosystem in India.

"We observed a highly unorganised sector riddled with counterfeit products, misleading label declarations, and a lack of proper quality control measures. As consumers, we struggled to find authentic, highquality products we could trust," said Shreyans Jain, founder & executive director, Nutrabay.

They naively tried solving the issue by becoming distributors and resellers for leading brands, but quickly realised this approach did not provide enough control over the supply chain to fully solve the identified problems. In 2016, their vision took the shape of Nutrabay, "Our initial vision was to create a platform that ensured endto- end control of brands and products offered to consumers, implementing strict quality control measures to guarantee authenticity and quality."

Their time as distributors and resellers helped them gain valuable industry experience and refine their understanding of the market's needs. Three years after launch, the founders took a leap of faith and introduced its private label, further expanding their offerings and addressing the need for affordable, high-quality sports nutrition products. Nutrabay boasts of over 4000 SKUs across multiple categories including Sports Nutrition, Vitamins, Minerals & Supplements (VMS), and Health Food & Beverages. "This move has allowed us to cater to value-conscious consumers without compromising on quality, a significant differentiator in the Indian market," said Shreyans. The startup is also focused on expanding into the Tier II and III markets.

Hosting its platform, Nutrabay is adding 15-20k new customers each month. "By selling directly to consumers through our website, we can track which products are most popular, analyse customer reviews and feedback, and monitor repeat purchase behaviour. This data is crucial in understanding our customers' needs and preferences," said Shreyans.

Recently, it launched its first Ayurvedic supplement- Shilajit- marking its foray into the Ayurvedic market, "This is part of our larger strategy to diversify our offerings and tap into the rising demand for natural and holistic wellness solutions." Shreyans shares that they aim to move beyond protein supplements to create a comprehensive range of fitness and wellness products. Nutrabay aims to launch over 50 new products in the next fiscal year and open over 100 exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) over the next five years.

Factsheet:

• Online platform resulting in maximum revenue: Nutrabay's website

• Split between offline and online sales: Online is still the majority revenue contributor

• Year of Inception: 2016

• Team size: 150 Employees