The byword for “luxury Ayurveda”, Forest Essentials stepped into Calcutta recently. Setting up shop at Forum mall on April 29, the executive director of the brand, Samrath Bedi, a quintessential NY banker in his previous avatar, took time out for a t2 chat.
What made Forest Essentials decide to come to Calcutta?
Our online sales studies over the last three years showed that Calcutta was our third largest market. The city had been on our mind, but we needed the right space and the right mall. When we finally got a location at Forum mall we were good to go.
What is the niche that Forest Essentials occupies?
Mira Kulkarni, the founder, wanted to understand why we don’t have a world-class product with the benefits of Ayurveda. When we started in 2001, we had set out with the idea of making a high-quality Indian product based on Ayurveda, with contemporary packaging and global appeal. The idea was to highlight the uniqueness of India, the kind of variety that we have, the benefits of Ayurveda and to put it together with a sensibility that would appeal to anybody from a mass level to a luxury level. Forest Essentials actually created the niche in the category that exists today.
You call yourself a luxurious Ayurveda brand...
The brand is a bridge to luxury. We don’t sit with a Chanel or a Dior but serve as a bridge that makes people aspire to move up and use those products. When we talk of luxurious Ayurveda, we talk of taking the benefits of it and using it in a modern way. Ayurvedic processes have been traditionally viewed as long and cumbersome, even though everyone knows it’s healthy and beneficial. We make it relevant in today’s world. We have lots of old recipes and formulations and use the herbs presented in a way as easy as a face wash, or a soap or a facial care product.
What sets Forest Essentials apart?
Our angle is making a preventive brand, instead of a curative brand. When you start using a good product early, you don’t need to run around for all the fix-its later on. There’s never a base age for when one can start using good quality products, whether it’s make-up or beauty.
When we started, we had a customer group upwards of 35 years, who knew what a natural did versus a cosmetic product. But today I find the demography has gone down to 18 years. When you look at our entire gamut of products, the range is from lip balms to anti-ageing creams. The young girl is starting to understand that using a high-quality product is beneficial so she is starting with a lip balm or soap, things that she can afford, is understanding the benefits and then becoming a loyal customer. Eventually, with beauty, money becomes secondary.
Will we see more stores in the city?
What we’ve realised is that in different states there are certain things the brand deals with in terms of culture of people and their understanding of the product. I’ve been very amazed with the response the store has got since it opened here. I still think there is room to grow. So if the right place comes up in the right mall or high street we’ll surely expand.
Present at the launch was Ipsita Chatterjee, an Ayurvedic doctor who is the senior manager in charge of training all the helpers at the store. After Ipsita took us through the top five products for the Calcutta girl, she demonstrated a skin-care routine with Forest Essentials products.
The afternoon was hosted by Malika Varma (left), seen here with Usha Uthup. “I love their products and I’m ecstatic the brand is finally here,” said Malika, before exclaiming how wonderful the rosewater mist felt long after a helper sprayed it on her face.
Riddhima Khanna
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
