Big things always have small beginnings.. Here’s the amazing story of two brothers who started a large hotel toiletries firm from a tiny room.
Many of the tiny soaps and shower gels you use when you stay at a major hotels are mostly made by an Indore-based startup, Kimirica Hunter. The company makes luxury hotel toiletries and has a vast range of hospitality clients across the world.
However, when Rajat Jain, 34, and his brother Mohit Jain, 31, founded the company in 2013, they did so in a small 100-square-foot room.
The two also had outstanding debts and were in serious financial trouble. They had no idea that Kimirica would go on to become India’s leading manufacturer of luxury hotel toiletries and guest room amenities despite these overwhelming difficulties.
Kimirica additionally struck a partnership deal with Hunter Amenities, a Canadian hospitality product maker in 2017, giving it the full name ‘Kimirica Hunter.’
Perhaps the inspiration they drew from their little family company of Ayurvedic remedies contributed to the brothers’ success. Or it could simply be a matter of tenacity and a firm belief that they can fill a void in the hotel toiletry sector. In truth, a number of things came together at the appropriate time to create a genuinely inspirational storey of hospitality entrepreneurship.
Mohit was writing his dissertation about starting a modern herbal skincare brand in India before becoming an entrepreneur.With Rajat’s pharmaceutical experience and the family’s Ayurvedic company, the brothers felt fairly confident in their ability to make herbal skincare items on their own.
Rajat Jain, Managing Director of Kimirica Hunter, explains, “At first, everything seemed simple. However, after ten months of thorough investigation, we realised that launching on retail platforms would necessitate items with varying formulas for certain skin and hair concerns. We also required a significant amount of time and money for marketing. Due to a shortage of funding, they were looking at a route where they could start with baby steps. We remembered staying in a motel while brainstorming. The little amenity bottles we had used stayed with us, and we were immediately inspired to play this game.”
The brothers began their market research and learned that more than 70% of hotel amenity products for global hotel brands were brought from foreign countries.
Furthermore, the brothers discovered that hotels and resorts were one-of-a-kind, with different themes and ambiances. They did notice, however, that all hotels had boring and traditional brand offerings. Hence, they thought about selling hotel amenity products to hotel chains after custom-making them locally.
The brothers initially determined the level of demand. They then produced shampoos, lotions, shower gels, conditioners, and other toiletri.
The brothers mortgaged their home and former workplace and began taking out bank loans. During its early phases, the company had only seven employees. Mohit was meeting clients in person for networking and marketing, while Rajat was researching, creating, and developing items.
After much perseverance on the part of the brothers, the Marriott Group in India ultimately granted them a break. Kimirica has been appointed as the multinational diversified hotel company’s supplier for toiletries and associated items in India. Kimirica has never looked back since. It grew to 400 workers working in a 70,000 sq ft area, which was a significant improvement over the prior location.
Kimirica has also signed a number of high-profile clients in the hospitality industry, for whom it presently provides services. The company has achieved several key milestones and implemented new operational strategies in just five years.
Kimirica Hunter is currently worth Rs 300 crore and generates roughly Rs 90 crore in revenue. It provides its hotel toiletries to many global chains, including Marriott, Starwood, Hilton, Jumeirah, Hyatt, Sofitel, Pullman, and a variety of independent luxury hotels.
