Q There have been many off-the-shelf, mass produced women hygiene products, as well as those that are organic and eco-friendly. What did you see missing in the market that led to you creating TWC
I had left my role as the COO for the Fortis La Femme hospitals due to personal issues, and shortly after my mother passed away, which meant I moved into a natural sabbatical. I had a full late with two young kids and a brother who had his own struggles, as well as having to wind up my parents' matters. As time went on in this past year, it became clear that what I wanted to do was continue my trajectory of two decades in women&rsquos healthcare and wellness. I had ample experience in understanding the need gaps and challenges that existed for women. Through RiverRock Ventures, I started looking at young businesses in the women&rsquos health space that I might invest time and money in, and slowly some areas narrowed down. Things didn&rsquot work out with those alliances for whatever reasons and, very organically, a bunch of investors suggested we should look at creating solutions in this space ourselves rather than through other entrepreneurial ventures.
My daughter was hitting puberty and the &lsquoproblem&rsquo started with her. What products were good enough for her What products would be certifiably biodegradable, organic, soft, rash-free and enable her to continue her level of normal activity even while she was menstruating That how TWC was born &ndash in trying to find solutions for the lakhs of women who felt their needs were not catered to and for those who wanted their daughters and their granddaughters to have long-term, viable solutions.
We also had concerns about the planet we were leaving behind for our children, and their children. We wanted to create a brand that was curated for women&rsquos needs and was responsible enough to leave behind a legacy for the generations that follow. The Woman&rsquos Company (TWC) is a brand built by women who have decades of healthcare and retail experience. We are different because of that, because our products are made in India and because we are completely biodegradable.
Q What were the challenges during the initial phase of launching the company, and how have the challenges changed over time Essentially, what obstacles did the company face back when it started, and how different are the issues now
We launched on the March 8, 2020, a few days weeks before lockdown. While this was a setback, we have stood our ground with our commitment to our customers and continued to deliver these absolutely essential products. Being a primarily D2C brand, we found customers repeating their purchases and believing more in the brand with their loyalty. Today the areas we are focusing on are R&D for our new product lines, working on newer geographies and engaging in more meaningful ways with our customers.
Post COVID, we will open up to a completely different world &ndash a world where consumer spending will be far more cautious in terms of casual purchases, and also with making more educated and well thought-out choices. We feel more and more confident that TWC products are seen as valuable choices to make.
Q What's been the brand journey of TWC and how is it poised to grow in the next decade
TWC entered the women&rsquos intimate and hygiene space on International Women&rsquos Day (March 8, 2020) with six products &ndash Sanitary Pads, Panty Liners, Tampons, Menstrual Cup, Bamboo Razor and Pee Stick &ndash with a vision to disrupt the traditional hygiene and intimate products being used by women. TWC has been created to educate women about their choices and provide them solutions for their wellness and hygiene needs. In the first year since inception, we&rsquove had incredible growth across online and offline platforms and most importantly, in engaging with our customers.
We see The Woman&rsquos Company being a part of every woman&rsquos shelf, bag or bedside table from a global perspective. Women&rsquos health is our passion and our forte and we understand how to provide women with solutions that work for them and this is what we aim to deliver. Beyond that, we cannot share more at the moment except to say &ndash please wait and watch to see how the next few months roll out
Q The brand talks about different needs in a woman's life-cycle. Does this mean that TWC is different to other mainstream and niche brands in offering a product catalogue that caters to a great spectrum &ndash teenagers to middle-aged women &ndash differently
Different women of different ages need different products and services. Our focus is on providing solutions in women&rsquos health for those need gap areas in each life stage in a sensitive and customised manner. We have consciously built our products with industry differentiators in order to offer the best to the users and fill up the existing gaps. All our products are safe for the environment, biodegradable and most comfortable. Our sanitary napkins and panty liners are ergonomically designed to fit the Asian-sized body type and comfortably sit under the body curves we as Indians flaunt. The pads are free from the very harmful dioxins which are mostly found in all available products of personal hygiene. Our "Made In India" stand and pee sticks are all plastic-free, foldable and easy to carry. Our tampons are made of 100% organic cotton and have cardboard applicators while our menstrual cups are made up of medical grade silicon.
We have a specially designed softest Teenage Pad for the young girl who has just started her periods and wants to feel free and confident during the 5 days of her menstrual cycle. This should be a gift from every mom to her daughter, her first pad.
We have our manufacturing units in India and abroad while our packaging is all done in the country so that we are able to ensure the right quality to our users. Our pricing is very competitive and offers value to the product. We have ensured affordable pricing for users to experience the goodness of our offering. All our products are certified and pass through multiple quality checks before reaching the hands of women. All our packaging is made of recyclable paper. We have invested as long as nine months to completely identify the ingredients that get into our products to touch the most sensitive and intimate parts of a woman's body.
This is an advertorial in collaboration with TWC.