ABC Of Venturing Into Organic Industry

India’s progress in the organic sector has been remarkable in the last couple of years. With Indian organic industry anticipated to grow at a CAGR of over 25 per cent in the next three years, there is tremendous scope and opportunity to venture into this sector.

Among the segments under the personal care industry, natural personal care products held maximum share in the market. However, with increased health consciousness among the consumers, organic products are witnessing the fastest growth and are the reason behind the growth of the organic personal care industry in India. Further to this, increased awareness of the harmful effects of synthetic ingredients, chemicals like sulphates, parabens, fragrances, etc., has also been fueling the growth in the market. 

The younger generation is getting influenced by the global beauty trends which are moving towards organic and hence India has a lot of potential in growing in this segment.

Here are a few things for budding entrepreneurs to keep in mind while venturing into the organic industry.

• Always work with reputed vendors, for sourcing the ingredients

Ingredients that go into the making of products are of utmost importance. It is of paramount importance to scrutinize the quality standards of the vendor and ingredients. Always go to reputed vendors who have globally verified certification for the ingredients. A transparent and stringent communication channel has to be maintained between you and your vendor. Always do detailed market research on vendors and go for the best ones; do not compromise on the quality as ingredients form the base of your product.

• Organic Certification is a must

Whichever vertical of organic industry you are venturing into globally verified certification is mandatory to add credibility and authenticity to your brand. Certification for the ingredients, manufacturing process and final products are very important. They are the building blocks for your brand. A well-informed consumer checks for these details and give paramount importance to authenticity. This certification will help you build brand value amongst your target audience i.e. consumers, retailers & wholesalers, financial stakeholders and government. It will also help in giving factual support to your brand’s messaging.

• Don’t compromise on the quality of products

The quality of your product always wins the game regardless of the competition in the market. Product quality helps build trust and referral selling among your target audience. All the parameters of the product, quantity, effectiveness, fragrance, shelf-life etc. should be tested thoroughly before introducing them to the market. 

• Packaging speaks louder than words

People care about the aesthetics of the brand. Today the market is cluttered with national as well as international brands; hence it is important to make your brand speak the loudest. Invest in building a thoughtful and detailed visual description of your brand. Explore what best resonates with your business goal in all these visual aspects; all should speak one language- Vision of your brand. Attractive and convenient packaging is an opportunity to ‘awe’ your customers. 

• Majority of consumers can’t differentiate Organic vs. the rest of the green products, so the brand needs to do a lot of talking

There exists a major knowledge gap when it comes to the awareness about Organic products and other green products like herbal, natural and ayurvedic. Thus, it is required to create awareness while building a niche identity for your brand. The brand should not only focus on talking about the product but also talk consistently about the benefits of using organic products and how it’s different from the rest of the green products.