How an IIM-Lucknow Alum & Mother of Two Built Indimums, the World’s First Reetha-Based Baby Care Brand Rooted in Indian Wisdom and Science

India’s baby care market is growing fast as parents seek safer, natural, and science-backed alternatives. Indimums, a modern D2C baby care brand, is pioneering this shift with the world’s first Reetha-based baby care range, combining traditional Indian ingredients with modern scientific validation.

Founded by Saumya Nair Rajesh, an IIM Lucknow alumnus and former Xiaomi India business lead, Indimums is incubated at NSRCEL – IIM Bangalore and AIC – NMIMS. The brand’s mission is simple — to make chemical-free, sustainable, and rooted-in-India baby care accessible to all parents.

In this article, explore more about Indimums, its founder, business model, challenges, growth, and future plans.

Indimums - About

Indimums is a modern, emerging D2C baby care brand. Its philosophy is simple: to relook at age-old ingredients through the lens of scientific validation, combining their “time-tested” benefits with “lab-tested” safety to create products that are effective, gentle, and sustainable.

The brand launched India’s and the world’s first Reetha-based baby care range, featuring cleansers for both babies and baby-safe homes. By using natural saponins from Reetha (Soapnut), Indimums has replaced commonly used chemical surfactants such as SLS and CAPB, making its products safer for delicate skin and for the planet.

Indimums began its journey with a pilot in late 2022 and fully launched in January 2023. It remains a bootstrapped startup with products available on leading platforms, including Amazon (Launchpad),  FirstCry, Flipkart, Jiomart, Blinkit, Momstore, and Meesho, with plans underway to expand its presence beyond India. 

Indimums - Industry

The global baby products industry is projected to reach $130 billion by 2030, reflecting steady growth driven by rising awareness around baby safety and natural formulations. Within this, organic and natural baby care is the fastest-growing subsegment, expanding at a 13-15% CAGR, fuelled by increasing urban disposable incomes and a growing parental preference for “clean label” and toxin-free products.

In India, the baby care market is valued at approximately $15 billion, growing at 10-12% annually. While it remains highly unorganised, the branded segment (currently about 15% of the market) is expanding much faster at a 22% CAGR, signalling a clear shift towards trusted, quality brands. The online baby care market is growing even faster at over 30% CAGR, according to research by Redseer, Mordor Intelligence, TechSci Research, Statista, and Grand View Research.

Indimums sees this as a strong tailwind for innovation-led and transparent Indian brands. In the short term (within five years), the company aims to build an INR 100 crore brand by leveraging the Indian market as a base for development, launch, and scale before expanding into international markets with a globally relevant, proudly Indian baby care brand. Over the next decade, Indimums aims to become a trusted leader in baby care from India, recognised globally for products and solutions that prioritise safety and well-being.

Indimums - Founder and Team

Saumya Nair Rajesh is the founder of Indimums.

Saumya is an MBA from IIM Lucknow (2012) and a B.E. from NIT Karnataka (2006), with over 15 years of experience across the Retail, FMCG, Consumer Goods, and Automotive sectors. Before founding Indimums, Saumya served as Business Lead for Ecosystem Products at Xiaomi India, where she built the team, launched more than ten new product categories, and helped the brand become a market leader in those categories. Earlier, as part of the Tata Administrative Services (TAS), she worked on strategy and execution across Tata Motors, Titan, Tata Sampann, and Voltas, driving initiatives in product and market expansion. She began her career at L&T, focusing on portfolio planning, new product development, and intellectual property.

A mother of two with a strong background in business strategy, product development, team building, and go-to-market execution, Saumya combines professional expertise with personal insight to build Indimums.

Indimums has a small but sharp team of six, working completely remotely across India. Its mix of full-time members, freelancers, and part-time specialists provides the flexibility to move quickly while remaining grounded in strong brand, product, and marketing fundamentals. Indimums also invests in automating its order processing and fulfilment systems to enhance customer experience, optimise team efficiency, and stay true to our philosophy of maintaining a lean backend.

Indimums - Vision and Mission

Modern parents face a clear paradox: overwhelming choice, diminishing trust. Court cases, misleading claims, and research amplified by social media have exposed how many mainstream baby-care brands still rely on ingredients that can harm a baby’s sensitive skin and long-term health.

Even the most conscious parents struggle to find products that are truly natural, effective, and transparent. With every brand calling itself “gentle,” “organic,” or “clean,” it’s harder than ever to separate real safety from smart marketing.

At the same time, many genuinely clean or natural options come at steep premiums, putting them out of reach for a large share of Indian families. The result is a growing gap in the market — a gap of trust, transparency, and accessibility — right where parents need certainty the most.

Indimums was founded to bridge this very gap by creating authentically natural, science-backed baby care products made with familiar Indian ingredients that remain affordable. The brand’s mission is simple yet powerful: to ensure that parents never have to choose between safety and accessibility.

Indimums - Startup Story

 Saumya’s first pregnancy was a difficult journey — one that opened her eyes to how easily routine medications and everyday chemicals can influence fetal health. She realised how quickly chemical exposure enters a baby’s world: through skincare, bath products, laundry detergents, and even household essentials. 

The real turning point came after her second delivery — a moment of exhaustion paired with innocent encouragement from her five-year-old, which pushed Saumya from research into action.

During her product exploration, she discovered that almost every “natural” or “baby-safe” product still depended on factory-made chemical bases like SLS, CAPB, or their variants. Determined to find a genuine alternative, she turned toward ingredients that existed before chemical cleansers — and this is where she recognised a powerful Indian advantage:

• India’s traditional sciences have long identified herbs for specific properties like cleansing, soothing, protective etc.
• Generational acceptance and lived experience give these herbs a depth of validation modern chemical formulations struggle to match.
• Supported by India’s rich biodiversity, these ingredients are also scalable and accessible, offering a practical pathway to natural baby care that few countries can rival.

Guided by this belief, Saumya began researching potential ingredients — and that’s when she came across Reetha (Soapnut). Its natural properties, through various research papers, stood out: pH-balanced, hypoallergenic, and naturally antimicrobial — everything a baby’s skin requires.

With her L&T background in manufacturing and quality processes, she partnered to develop early formulations, created three prototypes, registered as an MSME, and launched a pilot on Amazon to validate real consumer response.

Saumya personally engaged with early customers, parents, and influencers, gathering insights that helped refine both the formulations and the brand’s messaging. This feedback confirmed what she had sensed from the beginning: parents were actively seeking safer, cleaner, more transparent baby-care options. That early validation, combined with purpose and persistence, became the foundation on which she built Indi Mums.

Indimums - Name, Tagline, and Logo

From the beginning, Indimums was conceived as a shift in how mainstream baby products should be made. Starting with cleaner formulations, honest ingredients, and values that go beyond marketing claims.

The brand’s name symbolises both its roots and its inspiration. For Indimums, “Indi” represents more than tradition; it stands for respecting science, honouring experience, and valuing time-tested wisdom. It is about recognising what works, understanding the science behind it, and conducting business in a way that is sustainable and mutually beneficial. “Mums”, on the other hand, captures the heart of the brand, the care, intent, and perspective of a parent who simply wants the best for their child.

As the brand evolved and its vision expanded globally, the identity was refined and simplified for broader relevance while preserving its essence. The tagline, “Better beginnings, naturally!”, embodies this evolution perfectly. They reflect Indimums’ core belief and driving purpose: to make every product better for babies, better for parents, and better for the planet, all through the power of nature strengthened by science.

Indimums - Products/Services

Indimums offers a range of baby haircare, bath, and skincare products crafted from Indian herbs such as Reetha (Soapnut), Shikakai, and Neem, all clinically validated and dermatologically tested.

The brand is the world’s first Reetha-based baby care range, utilising the natural cleansing properties of Reetha as a substitute for synthetic surfactants like SLS and SLES. Each product is formulated to be biodegradable, pH-balanced, and exceptionally gentle, protecting both a baby’s delicate skin and the environment. With the help of their product partner, ingredients are sourced directly from tribal farmers in North Karnataka, ensuring complete traceability while creating a positive social impact and supporting rural livelihoods. They are also working on other formulations in oils and creams.

Indimums - Business and Revenue Model

Indimums operates on a Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) model, combining sales through its own website with leading online marketplaces.

Sales Channels:

• D2C: theindimums.com
• Marketplaces: Amazon (Launchpad), FirstCry, Flipkart, Jiomart, Blinkit, Momstore, and Meesho

The company collaborates closely with third-party product development and manufacturing partners, as well as third-party warehouse partners, to ensure consistent quality control and cost efficiency.

Individual SKUs are priced between INR 249 and INR 599, with combo packs and refill formats designed to deliver better value and encourage repeat purchases.

Indimums maintains an average gross margin of 75-80% across categories, with EBITDA improving from –25% in FY23 to –3% in FY24. This progress has been driven by scale, operational efficiencies, improved customer management, and stronger digital marketing efforts.

On online marketplaces, the brand typically operates under a 35%-45% commission structure, depending on the platform. The business model is designed for sustainable scalability, focusing on increasing repeat purchases (currently around 30%), expanding value-driven formats, and entering global markets beginning with the UAE and Southeast Asia in 2026.

Indimums - Launching Company Strategies

To start lean, Saumya established a sole proprietorship, registered it as an MSME, obtained GST registration, and launched the first batch of products on Amazon. With zero marketing budget, she relied entirely on organic social media outreach to connect with parents and build early awareness.

The first customers came through Amazon and social media. Saumya personally interacted with every early buyer, gathering detailed feedback to refine the formulations. Several iterations and reworks were required before achieving consistency. The initial phase was completely self-managed, from working out of her bedroom to labelling and packing orders in her Mumbai apartment.

From the very beginning, the focus remained clear: run lean, stay close to customers, and build sustainably.

As positive feedback poured in, the brand refined its identity, expanded to additional e-commerce platforms, and moved to a third-party automated warehouse for faster and smoother order fulfilment. This was a deliberate part of Indimums’ approach — keeping operations and product lines lean while prioritising the skills that truly matter within the company.

The brand started by managing its own digital campaigns to better understand customer behaviour before scaling marketing spends. Being a D2C brand, much of Indimums’ early growth came from organic social media, founder-led storytelling, and influencer collaborations. These creators acted as both reach partners and content producers, enabling efficient growth without heavy ad spending.

The SKU mix was designed for repeatability, encouraging higher customer lifetime value through refills, bundles, and subscription-friendly formats. This strategy helped the brand achieve a repeat purchase rate of around 30% and strong word-of-mouth growth.

By keeping marketing spends tight and efficient, and focusing primarily on content, community, and customer retention instead of large-scale paid ads, Indimums has continued to grow steadily and sustainably.

Indimums - Challenges Faced

The biggest challenge in building Indimums was creating a natural product that performs as effectively as chemical-based alternatives. Parents seek safety, but they also expect visible results, and achieving both requires time, rigorous testing, and persistence.

In the early stages, Indimums’ Reetha-based formulations went through multiple iterations to perfect the foam, fragrance, and shelf stability without introducing any synthetic ingredients. Each batch was meticulously tested, refined, and revalidated based on real customer feedback until the products consistently met the brand’s high performance standards. Though the process was lengthy, it was essential for establishing trust and credibility.

Today, the key challenge lies in scaling awareness while maintaining efficiency, growing visibility without relying on heavy marketing spends. Indimums has now entered a new phase of growth, following a brand realignment that supports its expansion into non-Reetha product lines and entry into global markets.

To prepare for this next chapter, the company has transitioned from a sole proprietorship to a private limited structure, laying the foundation for its first investment round and setting the stage for long-term, sustainable growth.

Indimums - Advisors and Mentors 

Indimums is currently being mentored and guided by NSRCEL – IIM Bangalore, where the company was first selected for the pre-incubation program and has now progressed to the full incubation stage. 

The startup is also incubated at AIC–NMIMS, which provides additional mentoring, business guidance, and ecosystem support to help scale operations and prepare for funding. 

Indimums - Awards and Recognitions

Indimums has been recognised for its innovation and purpose-driven approach to baby care.

• Ideator of the Year 2023: Awarded for innovation and social impact in sustainable baby care. 
• Most Influential Kids Brand 2024: Recognised for building a credible, science-backed brand rooted in Indian wisdom. 
• Selected and incubated at NSRCEL – IIM Bangalore and AIC – NMIMS, two of India’s leading startup ecosystems for early-stage ventures. 

Indimums - Competitors 

Indimums operates in the natural and toxin-free baby care segment, where competition includes both Indian and global brands. 

Some of the key competitors include: 

• Mamaearth
• Mother Sparsh
• The Moms Co. 
• Sebamed Baby

While these brands cater to similar audiences, Indimums differentiates itself through its Reetha-based formulations, science-backed ingredient transparency, and a focus on sustainable, Indian origin innovation. 

Indimums - Future Plans 

Over the next two years, Indimums aims to expand its product portfolio, strengthen its market presence in India, and prepare for international entry. 

• Product Expansion: Introduce a non-Reetha range to address wider baby care and home care needs while maintaining our clean, natural, and science-led positioning. 
• Geographic Expansion: Launch internationally, starting with the UAE market, and gradually enter other GCC and Southeast Asian regions. 
• Brand Building: Continue brand realignment and communication refresh to establish  Indimums as a modern Indian global brand. 
• Technology & Operations: Strengthen digital D2C infrastructure, optimise repeat buying through subscription models and loyalty programs, and maintain lean, automated backend operations. 
• Funding & Growth: Raise our first investment round to support marketing, hiring, and product development, enabling sustainable 3-5× growth.

FAQs

Who is the founder of Indimums?

Indimums was founded by Saumya Nair Rajesh, an IIM Lucknow alum and former Xiaomi India business lead, who combines her corporate experience and motherhood insights to create safer, science-backed baby care products.

What makes Indimums unique in the baby care market?

Indimums is the world’s first Reetha-based baby care brand, blending traditional Indian herbs with modern scientific validation to create chemical-free, sustainable, and affordable products.

Where can Indimums products be purchased?

Indimums' products are available on Amazon (Launchpad), FirstCry, Flipkart, Jiomart, Blinkit, Momstore, Meesho, and the brand’s official website: theindimums.com.