A life close to Nature

Preethi Sukumaran and Srinivas Krishnaswamy of Krya speak to SUBHA J RAO about how technology can be tradition’s best friend

A little scrap of plastic packaging has been worrying Preethi Sukumaran and Srinivas Krishnaswamy for some time now. The couple, which runs Krya, an environmentally sustainable cosmetics and detergent brand, lives a near zero-waste life at home and in the factory inside the Biotech Park, Siruseri, 30-odd km from the city. But, the biscuit wrappers refuse to be recycled.

That might be a minuscule issue to many of us, but for Preethi and Srinivas, who made a conscious decision to live differently, the tiny wrapper poses a giant problem, one they are trying hard to surmount, and a possibility.

They began Krya, which means mindful action, in 2010, but the seeds were sown more than a decade earlier, when the two were marketing executives in FMCG companies. “At one stage, we felt that our personal goals and ethos and professional life were at odds. We decided to step back and live the life we wanted to,” says Preethi, sitting in a sparse office room piled high with books on skin care and translation of Ayurvedic treatises. Select herbs are being ground fresh, and their aroma scents the air, heavy with a bouquet of smells.

Ponnanganni, vasambu, adhimadhuram… small jars sealed with corks hold the wealth of native ingredients that go into every product they produce. “Our goal has been to stick to the basics and source ingredients from places where they are purest and true to their intended purpose,” says Srinivas, explaining why rosemary comes from the Himalayas or shikakai from Chhattisgarh. Preethi chips in “The forests in Bastar are still pristine. The tribals grow shikakai as a live fence around their properties; it has thorns and keeps wild boars at bay.”

The couple took time to put in place a supply chain system, “because many had stopped collecting these precious resources, because there was no demand”, says Preethi. Figuring out storage techniques also took time. Since all the ingredients are natural, they are prone to spoilage.

To prevent that, soapnut and other ‘detergent’ fruits, traditionally used by communities across the country, are spread out under a solar dryer.

The hut-like structure utilises the rays of the sun to gently dry the berries until they are moistureless.

The company employs about 15 women, all drawn from nearby areas. They sort and clean the leaves and pods used in the preparations. “They weed out yellowing leaves, twigs and everything else that must not be part of the formulation. We have to be very careful, because in Ayurveda, the potency of the ingredient is vital; leaves, for instance, must retain their chlorophyll and nutritive content.”

Preethi and Srinivas say that even in 2011, when the detergent powder was launched (the manufacturing was outsourced), they knew they would have to set up a factory of their own if the product range expanded. In the meanwhile, they kept working on creating new products. The second product, a dishwash powder, was launched in 2013. In 2014, a beta version of the skin and hair care range was sent out to its pan-India consumer panel. Finally, in 2016, the product range stands at close to 60. “It took us a good five years to come up with certain products. We read extensively, went through various sources. Ayurvedic texts specify fruits, herbs and leaves shaped in a particular manner and found in a specific terrain. We had to identify them,” says Preethi.

It’s been a huge learning curve for the couple that once sold products that celebrated chemicals. The two of them began small, by making changes in their lifestyle. “We lived in Bombay then and started by buying organic produce. We’d travel a long way to shop from Kavita Mukhi’s Conscious Food. Not many knew what organic meant then. Our families knew we were ‘different’ and accepted our choices. Later, I started making detergent and floor cleaners at home. By trial and error, we arrived at a workable model,” says Preethi.

In 2015, the couple invested close to Rs. 81 lakh in the Siruseri factory. The business model is based on the principle that the bulk of a product’s price must go towards ingredients. “That’s basic logic. And, it’s worked well for us,” says Srinivas. From about 1,300 packs sold in the first year, the company hopes to ship out 75,000 this financial year. Krya has about 5,500 customers across the country, and there are many more abroad, who indirectly source the products. “Every month, the products are tested in a lab to check for contamination, if any,” says Preethi.

The couple also decided to draw in the workers into the company’s philosophy, by ensuring the products were accessible to them. “We have generous staff discounts, and they are our first customers, ready with feedback,” says Srinivas.

Preethi and Srinivas faced criticism about their packaging — dull brown, with no colour — but they stuck to it for a long time, simply because it allowed for easy recycling. Now, since the range has expanded, patches of colour are used to differentiate products. “Because, when you’re grinding together fruits and leaves and bark, the colour palette is not vivid. Everything nearly looks the same,” says Preethi.

Pricing was an issue too. Some felt it was expensive. “But, the ingredients cost that kind of money,” says Srinivas.

“But, to our credit, our detergent has been priced the same, since it was introduced years ago. Also, you need to use a lesser quantity than usual.”

Some needed convincing to move to a more natural way of living. They wondered if the soapnut would stain clothes, if the powder would remove grime... These were issues the couple took time to sort out. “We live in a world where convenience has overtaken utility. You buy something because it comes free, or because you can pump out liquid from it. We’ve given up on our traditional powder-based systems that were all-natural,” he says.

Ironically, for a company that banks on tradition, Krya has gathered an enviable fan base, primarily through its online presence. “True,” laughs Preethi, “But, the Internet is a boon for people such as us. It offers us space to explain our ethos and is democratic.”

What they wish for is a future where people know what they’re putting into their mouths and on their bodies. Where they recognise the power of natural products, and learn to read the list of ingredients.