How is D2C Brand Auric Disrupting Healthy Ayurvedic Drinks Space

A backbone fracture in the university introduced Deepak Agarwal, the Founder of Auric, to Yoga after Physiotherapy did not work for him. Yoga made him a strong advocate of ancient wisdom which led him on the path to learn and experiment with Ayurveda. While convincing friends and family to adopt Ayurveda, he observed why millennials were refraining from Ayurveda. Those reasons were either poor sensorial or little trust or absence of aspiration. 

He thought that millennials are going to carry the flag of Ayurveda in the future, therefore he decided to build Auric – an Ayurveda-based brand for millennials. Wellness, natural living, and going back to roots are some of the strong drivers for Ayurveda, and Auric was built at the helm of the same.

Auric operates in the mass-premium segment at the crossroads of consumer goods and supplements. It has a unique range of Ayurveda-inspired, coconut-water-based drinks for beauty and wellness, healthy skin, a balanced weight, and stronger hair. 

“Millennials today discover new brands online and hence, Auric is a 100 percent online brand available PAN India. It is essentially a novel and aspirational Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brand creating innovative and convenient lifestyle products by blending Ayurveda with the benefits of modern sciences. The brand aims to build a name for itself in the lucrative $5 billion worth of Ayurveda and supplements industry by championing a scintillating array of world-class consumer products,” asserts Deepak Agarwal, Founder, and CEO, Auric.

The brand opted for the D2C model to enable a better experience and to maintain a close relationship with the end-users.

Disrupting Ayurvedic Space with Healthy Drinks

There are broadly three themes where Auric is trying to build its own presence:-
- Premiumisation: Aspirational shift from Haldi doodh to turmeric latte
- Convenience: From ready-to-make to ready-to-drink (Aloe Amla Juice vs Aloe Amla Drink)
- Newness: Same benefits but different formats (Glowing Skin Drink and Glowing Skin Tablet)

“The beverages are made keeping in mind the traditional formulations from Charaka Samhita as well as recommended daily intake as prescribed by Ayurveda Pharmacopeia of India. Each bottle of Auric contains 25 percent of recommended daily intake of essential herbs for wellness and beauty. The best part is that we do not add any preservatives or chemicals. Auric drinks are 100 percent natural, made with premium herbs, tender coconut water, and refreshing fruit juice - to deliver the benefits of Ayurveda in a beverage. We have distilled the goodness of 5 Ayurvedic herbs in each bottle of Auric and mixed it with coconut water,” he explains.

Future Plans

Auric has been growing 300 percent year on year. The brand has been introducing new products and investing in marketing strategies to scale up business and market share. 

The company has recently received a pre-series A funding round of US$ 2 million led by Cactus Venture Partners and Venture Catalysts. The funding round also witnessed participation from other eminent investors such as 9Unicorns, KarthikBhat via AngelList, and Capital-A (Manjushree Ventures). 

“Overall, Auric has been well-funded in last few years with over $3m and plans to use the funds to grow Ayurveda through product and market-led innovations,” he concludes.