Sustainable products should not be luxury, but rather a choice available to everyone: Kikgerm founder Divya Arora

“Clean-label products should not just be luxury items available only to a few, but rather a choice that should be available to everyone in this country,” Arora said in a conversation with Anjaly Raj at the D2C Insider Women Summit.

The inaugural D2C Insider Summit was held on August 19 at Pullman Aerocity, New Delhi, and saw the participation of over 350 women D2C founders from all over India.

Edited excerpts:

Q. Where did the idea of starting a sustainable laundry detergent brand come from?

Arora: Most Indians have a similar problem: We spend hours shopping, but when it comes to washing our clothes, we toss them to someone to wash them for us without a care in the world. More often than not, they come out looking dull, faded, and worn out.

The idea of starting a laundry detergent brand started from a personal need. I was used to doing my own laundry after studying away from home and noticing that the age-old detergents that had been coming into our homes were making my clothes lose their life quickly. For someone who loves their clothes dearly, this was not ok. So I went on to research the ingredients used in these products and found out that many chemicals considered unsafe globally were still being used in our daily items at home.

I did not want to be exposed to so many toxic chemicals, so I went out to find the perfect laundry detergent for myself. I found a few sustainable brands in the market but they were so expensive. I either had a Rs 200 option full of harmful chemicals, or a Rs 800 one; there was nothing in the middle.

I personally believe cost should not be a deterrent for people to make more conscious choices and to live a better life. Clean-label products should not just be luxury items available only to a few, but rather a choice that should be available to everyone in this country.

And so this hunt to find a clean, green, affordable detergent for my lovely clothes led me on a mission to create clean-formulation laundry care products accessible to everyone in this country.

Q. You studied innovation, worked in journalism for a while, joined your family business, and then started your own company. What’s the story there?

Arora: After completing my master’s in Innovation Management from Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, I returned to India. I started working with a fashion magazine, Grazia. I always had a penchant for fashion, and after studying at CSM and being exposed to the world of fashion, that dream was all the more prevalent. I worked with Grazia as a fashion stylist for over four years. I then decided to join my family business, which is a B2B business of fragrance & flavour manufacturing. This is where I brought my creative skill set, design thinking, trend analysis, marketing, and innovation expertise into play.

I always wanted to start my own brand for as long as I can remember, but that itch strengthened around 2019. I saw an opportunity around Covid to take the plunge, so I did.

Q. When did you start Kikgerm?

Arora: We started the brand in November 2020 and focused primarily on the retail market in the first two years. We went online in December 2022 and have an omnichannel presence. D2C through our own website, kikgerm.com, and on marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Jiomart, Bigbasket, etc.

Kikgerm founder Divya Arora with her products. (Image via arrangement)

Q. What kinds of products do you have right now?

Arora: We have all kinds of laundry detergents, fabric softening and nourishing products. Our liquid detergents are 94 per cent natural and plant-based, fabric conditioners are 94 per cent natural and plant-based too, powders are up to 85 per cent natural and plant-based, and baby detergent is 100 per cent natural and plant-based. We also have a very novel product known as the laundry sheet, which is 100 per cent biodegradable. It is basically a compressed detergent that looks, feels, and weighs as light as paper and the minute you pop it into the water, it dissolves into foam.

Q. Do you plan to expand to other sustainable product categories eventually?

Arora: India is already a Rs 520 billion fabric care market, and it is one of the fastest-growing fabric care markets globally, growing at a Compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5 per cent, faster than most other markets in the world. There’s so much to do right now within this. We are currently focused only on the fabric care segment and will see where things take us.