From natural kajal to desi cow milk ghee, this startup by a Bengaluru-based couple offers products made using natural ingredients in an effort to promote sustainable living and empower rural communities.
Dr. Revathy L has a favourite joke that is widely shared among young graduates of Ayurvedic medicine in her native state of Kerala. If one marries an engineer working in Bengaluru, the nation’s bustling tech capital, it marks the end of an Ayurveda career.
With a hearty laugh, she revealed that, in her case, the opposite occurred. She and husband Ajeesh Puthoor, a postgraduate in business management with a background in automobile engineering, have embraced Ayurveda to embark on an entrepreneurial odyssey centred on sustainable living and empowering rural communities.
This Bengaluru-based young couple diverges from the conventional path of secure employment. Ajeesh had a decade-long corporate career in India and Europe before he left his lucrative job in 2020 to give wings to Tatsat Ayurveda, their brand. Their journey commenced modestly in 2018 when Revathy concocted a special Ayurvedic formula for kajal (kohl) for their daughter. She distributed samples to friends and family, and soon the product gained popularity.
It was at this juncture that the couple contemplated marketing it. Initially relying on platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, they eventually began selling their products on Amazon in 2019, and there was no turning back.
Their product range now encompasses baby care, skincare and eye care products crafted using Ayurvedic formulations. They also market two varieties of ghee, sourced from cattle farmers exclusively rearing indigenous cow breeds in Chikkamagaluru district of Karnataka’s Malnad region, known for its sylvan surroundings.
Together, Revathy and Ajeesh have pioneered an enterprise deeply rooted in the villages. While the raw materials are sourced from Chikkamagaluru, the final products are prepared near his ancestral village in Kerala’s Thrissur district.
While Revathy delves into researching, formulating and refining cosmetic products, Ajeesh handles production, marketing, sales and the dealings with cattle farmers for butter production. To ensure product quality, they consult a panel of Ayurveda doctors.
Simultaneously, Ajeesh has taken up the exercise of mastering ghee production in accordance with Ayurvedic formulations. He attests that this process is demanding — a single error can render an entire batch unusable. They source dairy from cattle farmers in Chikkamagaluru, which is renowned for two indigenous cow breeds – Amrit Mahal and Malnad Gidda.
Ajeesh liaises with families solely engaged in raising these breeds, ensuring no mixture of dairy products from hybrid cows.
Blessed with abundant rainfall for nearly half the year, Chikkamagaluru has lush greenery that fosters farming and cattle rearing. Farmers Anandan and his elder brother, Kitta, own 30 Malnad Gidda cows. Every day, one of them takes the cows to nearby hills where grass abounds. These cows exclusively graze on natural vegetation, requiring no processed cattle feed.
To sustain their families, the siblings also labour in the local coffee plantations. Initially, they sold thick, high-quality A2 protein-rich milk locally. However, upon Ajeesh’s intervention, they transitioned to producing butter. The butter is then transported to Bengaluru, where Ajeesh turns it into ghee.
This arrangement proves mutually beneficial. Farmers like Anandan secure better prices for their labour compared to selling milk, while Ajeesh obtains an unadulterated product. Moreover, farmers can sell the buttermilk procured after butter is extracted.
According to Anandan, most cattle farmers in the region are opting for hybrid cows as they yield more milk. However, he and his brother are committed to raising only Malnad Gidda cows, assured by the improved income from their labour.
Ajeesh collects butter from seven villages. This butter translates to approximately 40 kg of ghee a month. The butter-making process is time-consuming due to the colder climate. It takes three days for the milk to curdle, followed by a specific method of churning to extract butter. Women in the family are responsible for butter production.
Both Ajeesh and Revathy acknowledge that their journey has been far from easy. Sreenath Somanathan, a consultant and Ajeesh’s friend, believes that the enterprise has potential to create “Ayurvedic villages”, generating employment opportunities and promoting healthy living.
Currently, 25 people are directly involved in the production, marketing and sales of Tatsat Ayurveda products. While the natural kajal remains their best-selling product, new offerings are constantly added to the list. Their latest addition is an Ayurvedic first-aid kit, which will be out in the market soon.
The lead image at the top shows the range of beauty products offered by Tatsat Ayurveda (Photo by Joyel K. Pious)
Joyel K. Pious is a Kerala-based photographer, writer and editor.
