This Entrepreneur's Indigenous Idea Will Help Save Paper By Planting It Conscious about paper wastage, she came up with the idea of 'plantable paper'
By Sahiba Khan
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What would you do after writing on a sheet of paper? Keep it for sometime and maybe throw it away someday? What if we tell you to throw it in a pot only to see a plant grow out of it? Kritika Parwal, Founder of Tomato and Co., like everyone else was aware about paper wastage; only that she decided to do something about it. And Voila! A "plantable paper'.
Here's a timeline of how she did it!
2013
Parwal had gone to the Kellogg School of Management, Evanston, as an exchange student where she conceived the idea. Conscious about paper wastage, she came up with the idea of "plantable paper'. However, lack of funds couldn't make her pursue the idea.
2014
On a break, Parwal went off to Mumbai and as she termed it as serendipity, met the Brand Manager of Kissan at a party. While discussing one of the major Kissan campaigns and its loopholes, she suggested him to use seeds in a paper for more customer engagement. Rest is history: she landed a three lac pieces contract with Kissan that year.
How she did it?
To prevent the seeds to get destroyed, Parwal had to twist-and-turn some paper making processes and import organic enzymes. To ensure fast seed germination, catalysts were added too.
Post 2014
As they say, success follows succes, Parwal landed herself with the biggies such as Cipla, Jet Airways and many more.
But How To Plant The Paper, You Ask?
*Shred it, place it in soil, * water it for 15-days. And there goes your new veggie friend.
2015
She bagged contracts with Mother Dairy, Zomato, Pepsi and second contract with Unilever
2017
She's venturing into online retailing.
