We completely avoid the use of preservatives, additives, and refined sugar to make the final product as healthy as possible. Ultra-high heat treatment (UHT) technology is used to process the ingredients into high shelf-life products suitable for ambient distribution. The finished products then go through multiple stages of quality checks to adhere to international quality standards.
1. Tell us more about your product and your journey.
Our brand Only Earth is a plant-based milk option. We currently do oats and coconut milk and will be launching the almond variant in the market soon. Our product is a response to the growing demand for plant-based alternatives in the dairy and meat industry. The market for plant-based milk in India is estimated at $20.9 million in 2018 and is projected to grow at a CAGR of 20.7% to reach $63.9 million by 2024. In addition, I too shifted to veganism about 2 years back which further encouraged me to invest in this category.
2. How did you come up with this idea and go about executing it?
Shifting to a plant-based diet made a huge impact on me, both personally and professionally. My heart palpitation problem, which physicians told me I would have to live with, has literally disappeared. The frequency with which I use my inhaler to treat my asthma has decreased. I feel a lot lighter all day and don't have any bloating issues. My fitness is something I am very passionate about.
As a result, I competed in and completed 3 Ironman Triathlon races. Since switching to a plant-based diet, I have noticed a significant improvement in my fitness, which I believe is comparable to what I was at the top of my training. I've gotten faster, fitter, and leaner.
To top it off, I developed an interest in learning and gaining knowledge about our environment. It's only after a lot of research and speaking to environmentalists over the years, I realized that our food choices are responsible for the pain of billions of animals who are simply bred to be slaughtered.
The exploitation of our planet in the name of growth has always concerned me, and I've often wondered what kind of future we're leaving for the generations to come. We have drained massive amounts of natural resources, millions of species have gone extinct, and our atmosphere has become toxic with damaging greenhouse gases in the previous 50 years.
Concerns over Climate change and animal cruelty lead me to identify a business opportunity in the plant-based industry. We are launching a product basket of 11 SKU’s this year mostly consisting of Oat, Almond, and Coconut Milk. We would develop and launch a few more options so that we can offer our consumers the whole range of plant-based milk options for them to choose from.
3. What is your product's unique value proposition and what sets it apart from its competitors?
What sets us apart is that we source clean ingredients and process them in the BRC certified facilities which have hygiene levels of the highest order. Our Oats are organic and are sourced from Scandinavian countries; Almonds are from Europe, and Coconut from Thai fields.
We completely avoid the use of preservatives, additives, and refined sugar to make the final product as healthy as possible. Ultra-high heat treatment (UHT) technology is used to process the ingredients into high shelf-life products suitable for ambient distribution. The finished products then go through multiple stages of quality checks to adhere to international quality standards.
4. What are some of the challenges you’ve faced along the way, and how did you respond to them?
The challenges still remain. With Indian being a highly dairy-led market both from a lifestyle and religious perspective, it is always a challenge to talk about an alternative. Additionally, educating a consumer is another hurdle that we are crossing through placing our products in cafes, hosting pop-ups, etc.
Kunal Mutha, Founder, Only Earth
Interviewed By: Nishad Kinhikar
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