Tushar and Ravi Mundada, founders of Aquapeya, not too long ago revealed their distinctive technique of doing enterprise whereas pitching their enterprise thought on Shark Tank Season 4.
The duo, who entered the FMCG sector since 2007, constructed their technique round an uncommon however simple philosophy: “The buyer just isn’t the king. The channel associate is the king.”
The 2 doubled down on their relationships with sellers and retailers as a substitute of client preferences making certain that the individuals who moved their product had been motivated, engaged and worthwhile.
“Shark Tank India wasn’t simply in regards to the funding. It was an entrepreneurial schooling that supplied insights that went past the monetary assist,” Tushar stated whereas talking about visibility of the model on nationwide tv.
With the backing from the platform, Aquapeya is now poised to develop its manufacturing capability by 50% at its current facility by 2025. The purpose is to scale up operations and attain a income goal of Rs 20 crore.
“We’re cracking the market on traits,” he declared, defending his technique amid investor debates. With merchandise spanning 75% water, 13% jeera soda, 7% mango juice, and simply 2% carbonated drinks, Tushar’s clear concentrate on client preferences has fuelled profitability from day one. The corporate closed FY2024 closed at Rs 9 crore, and with an EBITDA of 16%, the model is concentrating on Rs 12 crores for FY 2025.
The founders informed the judges that the bottles are bought at Rs 20 and a supplier value is at Rs 6.5, leaving a 20% margin and Rs 1.25 working revenue per unit. Nevertheless, the model’s method sparked intense discussions.
Piyush critiqued the pitchers saying “You’re a copy model,” arguing the enterprise couldn’t scale profitably.
“The corporate’s experience in distribution must be copied and pasted pan-India,” Namita Thapar argued, emphasising the energy of Aquapeya’s mannequin. Thapar additionally highlighted that the packaging of their merchandise is similar to pre-existing merchandise within the markets. “Aapka toh pura ka pura copy kiya hai, itna kyu copy kiya?”
One the founders defined that they don’t see themselves as such. “We observe buyer traits,” he stated, elaborating on the colour-coding methods.
The corporate began with a modest Rs 30 lakh in month-to-month income and a community of 25 sellers. In the present day, it generates Rs 1 crore in month-to-month income, supported by 90 sellers and roughly 10,000 retailers. Regardless of setbacks such because the COVID-19 pandemic, which value the corporate important gross sales throughout the summer time seasons, Aquapeya has reportedly maintained an annual development price of 20-25% by way of quantity.
Tushar credit their success to their concentrate on constructing long-term relationships with channel companions. “Our development is a direct results of the belief we’ve constructed with our companions. In robust occasions, they’ve stood by us, and we’ve targeted on ensuring that our development is sustainable,” he stated.
