Sahil Mehta, Founder, Mom and World is a young homegrown visionary with a quest to unravel the best of product lines for the Indian market. He began his journey in the wellness industry and introduced the Indian market to a range of personal care brands including Mom and World which centres around providing Derma Certified, Vegan and PETA Certified products formulated by Expert R&D for mothers and their babies. He is also the Director of Emmbros Overseas Lifestyle Pvt Ltd. which is the parent company of Mom and World. Sahil is a BTech Engineer and has done MBA in International Marketing & Business from Sydney. Mr Mehta decided to formulate products that are not only organic and mom and baby-friendly but also be better in their formulations and be available at much lower prices.
The Indian market for baby care solutions is anticipated to increase by $26.35 billion between 2021 and 2025, expanding at a CAGR of more than 11% throughout the forecast period. The market is being pushed by a growth in the number of nuclear and single-parent households, online availability of infant care items, and internet penetration.
In recent times, there has been a boom in the baby care startups in the country owing to several factors that work in favor of their growth. One major factor is the change in lifestyle and behavioral patterns amongst Indian parents. For guidance on how to care for their infants Indian mothers have traditionally turned to their family, friends, and pediatricians. This is changing as more nuclear families are replacing joint families. According to census statistics, households with five or more people grew by 12% between 2001 and 2011, while homes with three to four people grew by 53%, showing a move toward smaller families. Additionally, according to research, up to three in four Indian mothers are completely responsible for raising their children. Indeed, parents are seeking methods to simplify their life as they juggle caring for their children, working, and doing domestic tasks.
Other factors such as rapid digitization and the rise in the e-commerce industry are factors that have additionally led to rapid growth in the baby care startup ecosystem. The startups in the baby care segment are revolutionizing the way baby care is being perceived today. Unlike earlier times today, baby care products have become an accessible commodity which can be procured with a single click on mobile phones.
How startups are transforming the baby care landscape in India
Industry experts and insiders claim that it is difficult to succeed in this sector. To begin with, around 90% of it is restricted to traditional offline baby goods businesses; one estimate places the number at 8,000 throughout the nation. Indians typically buy fewer baby items or substitute adult products because there are fewer options for them. Every aspect of newborn care, from warehousing to last-mile delivery, is a challenging job. But the startups today are expanding the baby care products line and making a more diverse product range available to the parents.
Another area of growth for startups is the baby sleep segment. Indian newborns sleep the least hours at night, at about nine hours, whereas babies from the United States and New Zealand sleep about 11 hours. Compared to newborns from New Zealand who have restful sleep and wake up only a few times, Indian babies wake up the most during sleep at 2.07 times. In the UK, this number stands at 1.06 times. Hence the baby care startups are offering products that help the baby sleep better. This product range includes steps to be followed by parents before putting the baby to sleep. They are to give the baby a warm bath, then massage the baby with Bedtime lotion, and finally spend some peaceful time with the baby or toddler are all part of the bedtime routine.
Food and nutrition are another baby care segment where startups are contributing immensely. Indian kids consume the same (or very similar) cuisine as their parents, unlike in the West. Then there are other problems like under and malnutrition – many children, regardless of socioeconomic status, consume an excessive amount of the incorrect kinds of food, and there is a chance to correct this. To keep a check on these, startups today are focusing on creating products that create awareness amongst parents and help the child receive the right kind of nutrition from an early age.
The baby care startups today are promoting lifestyle changes and products that prove extremely beneficial for the baby’s health in the long run.
Baby Care Startups Accelerating Sustainable Growth, Empowering Parents
Organic and eco-friendly items are becoming well-liked substitutes for conventional and mass-produced goods. The market for infant care goods in India, which has long been controlled by companies like Pampers and Johnson & Johnson, is seeing a broad shift. By choosing eco-friendly items in a variety of categories, including food, diapers, and bedding, among others, entrepreneurs in India are assisting moms in taking care of their infants while also taking care of the environment.
Eco-friendly and chemical-free baby care products like hybrid diaper covers, T-shirts, muslin cloth nappies, etc. have become easily accessible due to the initiatives taken by baby care startups in India. Cruelty-free baby care products are also gaining huge momentum and have become the first choice for several parents. These products do not just help the environment but also are extremely beneficial for the babies as they do not contain any form of harmful chemicals.
Such major transformations by the baby care startups have paved the way for a healthier and more responsible India.