A fizzy drink that doesn’t load up on calories but delivers on taste? Unthinkable, right? However, Siddhesh Sharma, the President of Baidyanath Group didn’t think so. The Founder and CEO of Naturedge Beverages Pvt Ltd recently launched Shunya, the flagship brand of the company. The herb-infused beverage comes in two variants – Shunya Go and Shunya Fizz and brings the goodness of Ayurveda into everyday life. The brand recently brought on board Shraddha Kapoor as an investor partner. Siddhesh shares the journey of Shunya with TMM…
Can you tell us why and how you thought of bringing Shraddha on board as an investor-partner with Shunya?
At Shunya, we believe in everything that’s clean, pure, and a 100% feel-good. We are a conscious, playful, energetic brand and we couldn’t think of a better fit for us than Shraddha. She really gets us, and we get her too. Shraddha shares the same beliefs and ideologies as us, and her bubbly personality is infectious.
We wanted a partner who’s both fun-loving and health-conscious. Someone who’s always on the lookout for healthier, tastier options. And someone who’s looking to be fitter and live better. Shraddha checked all these boxes, and then some. We couldn’t be happier now that we have her on board.
As an investor partner, what is the kind of commitment you are looking forward to from her?
To be honest, it’s been a little over one month since we made the investment announcement, and Shraddha has already exceeded my expectations in terms of her commitment to the brands. She truly believes in our mission and is 100% committed to helping us revolutionize the ready-to-drink beverage market in India. And very soon, even abroad.
Tell us about Shunya and how it infuses the goodness of Ayurveda with modern living?
I am proud to say that Ayurveda today is globally accepted and people around the world are learning the amazing benefits of our Indian herbs. Even millennials are very keen to adopt Ayurveda in their lives but are looking for convenient and fun ways to consume it. Shunya makes this possible by offering flagship Ayurveda herbs like Ashwagandha, Brahmi, Khus, Kokum, and Green Tea infused in a contemporary drink that’s also incredibly tasty. Shunya is the perfect companion while you are on the go and fits seamlessly into the fast-paced lifestyle of the modern Indian citizen.
Can you tell us about the two variants – Shunya Go and Shunya Fizz? Why did you feel the need for a fizzy drink as well?
Shunya Go is your everyday go-to drink to replace sugary drinks and even fruit juices. Beware of the low sugar and low calorie claims you see in the market. If you read the label carefully, you will learn that ‘low sugar’ actually translates into more than 25-30 grams of sugar in a bottle. If you read a ‘zero sugar’ claim, it means that the drink is loaded with artificial/chemical sweeteners that are even worse than sugar itself. Shunya is the only drink in the Indian market that offers 0 calories, 0 sugar and 0 artificial sweeteners. It’s 100% naturally sweetened and gives you a natural burst of flavour that’s to die for.
The super-herbs, vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes in Shunya Go give you good, clean, and positive energy without making you feel heavy or bloated. It’s the ultimate active hydration drink you’ve been waiting for. Shunya Go is perfect for your morning runs, lunch breaks, 5 pm pick-me-ups in the office or even on-the-go while you’re travelling.
Shunya Fizz is what we call ‘the impossible in a can’. Everyone loves fizzy drinks, but most of us, including Shraddha, had to make the sacrifice of completely cutting them out of our diets. Shunya Fizz is a game-changing fizzy drink that’s not only guilt-free but also offers the goodness of Herbs, Vitamin C, and Anti-Oxidants.
Carbonated soft drinks have a market share of more than 25,000 crores in the Indian beverage market. So, we knew that we had to be a part of this ever-growing market.
What is going to be the marketing and expansion strategy with Shunya?
Once the lockdown started to ease in the last quarter of 2020, we started gradually rebuilding our distribution network. Today, Shunya is available in 15,000+ leading stores across 12 major cities in the country. We will be expanding into newer territories and crossing the 25,000-store mark in the near future. We are widely available online and our D2C business is growing rapidly as well.
With Shraddha on board, we have planned a 360-degree marketing campaign for the summer. We are really excited to roll it out and are confident to exponentially increase our customer base.
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