Our business runs on innovation and unique model of retail business Dr Puneet Gupta CEO Founder Clensta International – BW Disrupt
1. Brief us about your business model like how did the idea came to start and how does it work (step by step procedure)?
Dr Puneet Gupta After working closely with the defense personnel, I examined the hygienic situations that rendered their safety. The challenge of not bathing for days, faced during their duty with extreme conditions in places like Siachin, Kargil or Drass and witnessing their difficulty to maintain personal wellbeing derived me towards developing waterless technology products, leading to the establishment of Clensta.
I faced challenges and obstacle to retain the idea of start-up and finding the right investors for a powerful growth. The help towards the inception and establishment of the products was successfully provided by Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.
Subsequently, the formation of Clensta was a bigger step, I am glad to sustain a team and providing employment opportunity to the rightful talent around the world. The integrity of employees and feverous attitude inspires me with the active enthusiasm and passion
2. What are the unique key points of your company?
The unique key point of the company is to provide personal care hygiene solutions instantly at any time and everywhere without using a single drop of water. Our product is the perfect solution in extreme circumstances of soldier stations as it helps in maintaining personal hygiene. It requires minimum space, and water is not required for its usage. Soldiers can take a bath and shampoo in the bunkers thus protecting themselves from any illness. For people who are bed-ridden or ICU patients, mobility is a concern.
The technical effectiveness and disinfectant properties of these products have already been tested at the laboratory and industrial levels and selling these products through B2B and B2C markets. These products kill the majority of the germs in between 30sec-15sec and are uniquely prepared to provide comprehensive antiseptic body and head care absolutely without water. The uniqueness of these products is that 20-25 ml of waterless body bath and waterless shampoo applied and massaged on body and head for a few minutes and then wiped with a towel will provide refreshing bath and head wash in a few minutes more effectively as compared to the regular bath by its anti-microbial properties.
Health and hygiene issues became a big concern, because of COVID19 in providing necessary intensive nursing care, pre- and post-operative care to the patients, and to the people where water is unavailable or low, as WHO recommends cleaning the hand using soap and water after touching any surface. In that case, Waterless Bodybath and Shampoo would provide complete comprehensive hygiene without using any drop of water.
3. How are you different from the existing competitors?
Although we do not have any other Indian company working in the exact same market with the exact same product but since the product is a personal hygiene product at the end of the day. Any company dealing in Soaps, Body Wash, Sanitizers as well as shampoos or Dry shampoos can be considered as an indirect competitor. A very large segment of FMCG market leaders would eventually become competition given we are bringing in products or substitutes for all these products.
Our major users being in the field of defence and healthcare lay a higher responsibility of serving them with the quality and effectiveness of the product. Most importantly, the environmental contribution of the product serves as a responsibility than more money. To foster a culture that promotes ethical practices and encourages individual integrity is the prime focus being a leader.
4. What is the funding status and monetization model?
Our revenue model is driven by selling off these waterless products. We follow a B2B and B2B2C sales channel for sales wherein the product is sold via a distribution network. In terms of Distribution channel, we have a well-connected distribution network in place that works closely towards making our product available to various market segments and other market areas resolving issues related to maintaining hygiene. Further to reach customers, we are building the channels of online shopping through various e-commerce portals.
5. What challenges are you facing in running your business?
Every start-up comes across different challenges while making it sustainable especially when dealing in innovative product development. In the initial stage, the company faced a challenge of setting up the R&D unit. That is when we received the support from IIT Delhi. The program of FITT actively helped us in providing the infrastructure that was required to develop the products. While coming to academia-industry relation, IIT Delhi supports their start-ups with the best of facilities in every aspect like the scientific advisory, R&D facility, and networking platforms. The institute provides us access to faculty guidance for technical support. Clensta has received immense support from IIT Delhi, Dr Anurag Rathore as CTO and Dr V.M Chariar as CSR Director. Our partnership with IIT has helped us to resolve and develop more innovative products for the betterment of society.
After the company’s inception in 2016 and the products commercialization happening in 2018, the company has built a significant market to provide waterless technology products in the field of healthcare, defense, and travel segments and to places with dire water scarcity or water availability.
6. How has been the people`s response so far?
Given in the year, our product is widely accepted in Army, Navy, Private and government hospitals in India like –
7. What are the traction details (like users, app downloads & other achievements of the company)?
On the road to develop another innovative product, Clensta holds a varied range of Waterless products like waterless body bath and shampoo. To name the upcoming innovation of waterless technology, Clensta is working to bring waterless Toothpaste to the consumers.
8. How do you look at expansion?
The company is actively looking for a good collaboration in terms of raising the Series A investment. In terms of allocating the funds majorly heads in the Research and Development where we enhance the idea of providing the Waterless Technology to everyone at a cheaper price. The enhancement is hence delivered by a great team of experts and specialists who drive the company to the right direction.
9. What are your marketing plans?
Our marketing plans are run keeping in sync our sales model which runs in two sectors either B2B or B2C. And hence our marketing plans are integrated in two formats as follows:
B2C Marketing
Large scale market and bigger target audience
Niche markets and smaller target audience
Driving target audience by emotions
Making the most of rationally-driven target audience
Generally, the goal is to strengthen transactional relationships with the customers
Generally, the goal is to strengthen long-term business relationships
The goal is to reach the end-users
The goal is to convince all the decision-makers and dedicated business group
10. What has been the biggest learning’s so far?
The learning has been product and business oriented. My understanding goes with the integration in the role that technology goes hand in hand from products innovation to products manufacturing to products commercialization the technology plays a vital role.
The business has always existed since the early times of man. Even though it only began with the simplistic barter system, business would not be the same as it is today without the advancements in technology. All the major industries would fall into a catastrophic collapse if one were to take away technology from the business since the majority of business operations and transactions somehow involve the use of technology.
The role of technology in business caused tremendous growth in trade and commerce. Business concepts and models were revolutionized as a result of the introduction of technology. This is because technology gave a new and better approach on how to go about with business. It provided a faster and more efficient way of performing business transactions.
With the automated processes that technology can provide, productivity reaches a higher level. This is due to the minimal resources consumed in processing business activities, allowing room for better products produced and faster services delivered to more clients and customers.
Business involves communication, transportation, and more fields, making it a complex web of processes. The technologies pertaining to other fields only pushed business further.
11. What is the market size and opportunity?
As far as the Indian ecosystem is concerned; the target market is worth 11000 crores (In INR). Considering the importance of the product, the market would increase multiple folds across the globe. The market area is huge which includes defense, hospitals, adventure enthusiast & travelers, Space, OTC & Home Care available at domestic & international scale. Our business is scaled from the aspect of B2B as well as B2C.
Our products are made for all the age groups as we believe good health and affordable costing and planet saving is the need for the hour. Our business runs on innovation and unique model of retail business. We have worked towards creating 10k micro-entrepreneurs who will be able to make around $500 every month without any investment. We have invented a model in the world which has not been seen in the world.
We aim to maintain the waterless innovation for a better aspect of transforming awareness of good health, affordable cost, less plastic waste into concrete action towards sustainability. We bring a broad range of expertise to advance knowledge in and application of cost reduction on single-use plastic products and work with experts to apply it.
Our business runs on innovation and unique model of retail business. We have worked towards creating 10 k micro-entrepreneurs who will be able to make around $500 every month without any investment. We have invented a model in the world which has not been seen in the world.