Ahmedabad, May 2
Mauli Teli has people coming
up to her often and asking what 'halal' has to do with cosmetics. "Are
such cosmetics only for Muslims?" they sometimes enquire.
Teli is
not a Muslim, but the smart, suave, CEO of a company whose Iba product -
India's first halal-certified cosmetic brand - is more than ready with
her answers. Thanks to this, Iba's consumer base is growing steadily,
and not just among the Muslim community.
"Halal has a deep
meaning. It means it's pure, safe, and healthy. What it means in terms
of our cosmetics range is that our products are organic, free of animal
fat and animal-derived products like keratin, collagen and gelatine, and
alcohol free. They are free of any harsh chemicals and animal cruelty.
Therefore they are good for everyone," Mauli explained in an telephonic
interview with IANS.
In 2012 Mauli and her sister Grishma Teli
started their company, Ecotrail, which was a manufacturing unit and
research lab. In September 2014, after a thorough market research and
talks with consumers, salon owners and others, the duo launched Iba
Halal Care.
"I moved back to India in 2011 after studying and
working in the US for seven-and-a-half years. I have a technical
background and was into management consulting. My sister had studied
biotechnology in the UK. Both of us have always wanted to start
something on our own...that we come from a family of entrepreneurs
helped a lot," Mauli said.
Personal care products, she said, were
of interest to both the sisters. Their father is into equipment
manufacturing for the cosmetics industry.
"Since I had worked
with (market research agency) AC Nielson, I knew that the field of
personal care was very competitive and in order to succeed we had to
make a unique proposition. In the US, natural, ethical products are much
sought after and we found that halal cosmetics was a niche field that
could be explored," she said.
Considering that India has a large Muslim population, the sisters realised that there was a need for such products.
"Halal
certified products are popular in Southeast Asia like Malaysia. Britain
also has a few small brands. But, in the Indian context, we had to take
care that ours was not a high-end brand, but something that the market
could bear."
As they launched Iba with their first stand-alone store in Ahmedabad it triggered a lot of interest.
"People
were curious. They would come and ask me all kinds of questions.
Sometimes even Muslims did not understand what halal had to do with
cosmetics. Once we told them about the fat free lipsticks and alcohol
free perfumes, they understood," Mauli said.
The concept also
appealed to people from the Jain community and those who opt for a vegan
way of life. "Actually, 35 percent of our consumers are non-Muslims,
and the interest is increasing," Mauli said.
Her products -
priced between Rs.40 and Rs.250 - are no less effective on the skin or
hair, she says. They have the same look and feel like any other modern
cosmetic product with no side effects, she adds.
From lipsticks, face sprays and face creams to shampoos, conditioners and perfumes, it's a wide range.
With
two stand alone stores in Gujarat, they are now opening outlets in
Aurangabad in Maharashtra, before venturing into Mumbai, Bengaluru,
Hyderabad, Baroda and Surat. They are getting into the franchise model
as well as have their products available online, on shopping portals
like Amazon and Flipkart.
(Azera Rahman can be contated at [email protected])
