A Tamil Nadu woman built a startup to sell value-added moringa beauty products and edibles. Here’s the amazing story behind Deepika Ravi’s business, called The Good Leaf.
Deepika Ravi, who was born and raised in Karur, Tamil Nadu, has experienced the difficulties and tribulations of farmers in her community who did not have adequate markets to sell their goods.
Deepika says, “My father used to talk about taking an agricultural commodity and turning it into a value-added product.”
She wanted to establish a business after finishing her education based on her father’s notion of giving value to any agricultural product. Her enterprise, The Good Leaf, now makes crores of rupees while assisting hundreds of farmers.
The drumstick tree, also known as the Good Leaf Moringa, is said to be a nutritional storehouse. It is the most sought-after superfood in the world and an important element of Indian diets. They are high in nutrients like as iron, calcium, zinc, phosphorus, and others.
The Good Leaf, founded in 2018 with her father, Ravi Velusami, is an endeavor to offer the richness of Moringa through value-added products while also assisting struggling farmers.
Deepika says, “Currently, there are over 200 farmers that supply us with their produce.”
In contrast to market fluctuations, all of these farmers get paid a fair price for their goods. Market pricing might range from Rs 5 to Rs 100 per kilogram, but we supply them with a consistent price throughout the year that is determined by the kind that they plant.
She says, “We acquire organic Moringa from farmers not only in Karur, but also in Dindigul, Theni, Velur, and other regions.”
Deepika plants Moringa on a few acres of land owned by her family in Karur, in addition to sourcing from farmers.
Starting with two items — Moringa powder and Moringa pods powder — The Good Leaf today provides a diverse selection of goods ranging from Moringa capsules to Moringa face packs, with prices ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 490.
Deepika continues, “A year before we formally launched the company, we started it in 2017 with just two edible goods.
After much study and hard effort, we ultimately produced a few additional culinary goods such as Moringa rice mix, chutney powder, Moringa tea, Moringa capsules, and so on. We now have a revenue in crores.”
Aside from food goods, the company also sells haircare and skincare products infused with Moringa.
“We expanded our business into beauty care items in 2019.”
Moringa brightening serum, Moringa face pack, Moringa face scrub, and Moringa soap are now available as skincare items.
“There are also a few hair care products, such as Moringa hair oil and Moringa hair serum,” Deepika says.
When asked about the best-selling items, she responds, “The Moringa capsules, a daily supplement containing all the health of Moringa, and the Moringa herbal tea, a combination of tulsi, Moringa, and ginger, are the two most popular edible goods. Moringa face serum, Moringa hair serum, and Moringa oils are among the most popular beauty products.”
The Good Leaf has a modest production operation in Karur with about ten employees.
Deepika’s father, Ravi, who is also a co-founder of The Good Leaf, oversees manufacturing, while her mother oversees operations.
She says, “Our company is handled by devoted and passionate women. At The Good Leaf, I am in charge of sales, marketing, and product development. My father and mother are always there to encourage and assist me. This is a family business. We sell our items on our website and promote them on various social media channels. This year, we have a few additional items planned, such as Moringa face cream and Moringa face wash, and we hope that our brand will reach more people.”
