This Brand Provides Healthy Plant-based Nutrition OZiva is challenging the status quo with simple, transparent products and services, and redefining the way we think about health and wellness in the process

There is a popular proverb: "Health is Wealth'. People are now becoming increasingly conscious about being in good shape and health. And we know that the food that we intake is an extremely important part of keeping us healthy. Fitness freaks are becoming more vigilant about their diet than ever, maybe this is the reason the healthy food and health food supplement market is growing at a very fast pace. OZiva is one such startup co-founded Aarti Gill which takes care of requirements of a healthy diet of fitness conscious people.

OZiva co-founder and chief executive officer Gill in interaction with Entrepreneur India shared, "While growing up, I saw a lot of problems faced by people could have been easily avoided, only if they just had a better lifestyle. This was the seed thought behind starting OZiva, "making living healthy simple.' We started with the goal of enabling 100 million-plus people to a better and healthier life. OZiva is simply a means to do that by touching one aspect of their health. I believe we have just started out and still have a long way to go."

In almost every industry, the nimble nature of startups challenges traditional companies by having an easier time catering to the wants and needs of modern customers. The health and wellness industry is particularly ripe for change, with consumers always looking for the next diet trend, healthy eating craze, or lifestyle product to turn to. OZiva is challenging the status quo with simple, transparent products and services, and redefining the way we think about health and wellness in the process.

In a time when the ongoing pandemic continues to test people's resilience and brings mental health to the forefront, generational change-makers, Gill has built the brand in response to the challenges that surround us.

She believes, "It is extremely important to carve out the brand vision and ensure that all business objectives and activities eventually lead us closer to this vision. Our investment in content and community is driven because of our vision to empower millions of individuals to live healthier and better life. It is a slow process but an extremely important one that every brand should invest time and energy on."

Health and wellness trends come and go. One month we are drinking celery juice and the next it's activated charcoal water. Even something as heavily critiqued as the low-carb Atkins diet is making a pseudo comeback under the guise of a new name, the Keto diet. If anything, our willingness to try new foods, diets, and herbal remedies in the name of improving our health signals a desire for change.

But what exactly is that change we are looking for?

It's a question the health and wellness startups constantly ask as they think about how to solve common problems, ease frustrations or make improvements to the status quo. And with consumers eager for change, the industry has plenty of room for improvement.

Launched in 2016 and almost bootstrapped till 2020, the company raised $5 million in Series A equity round from Matrix Partners and $12 million in Series B from Eight Road Ventures in March 2021.

Being a 100 per cent certified clean and plant-based nutrition brand, our ingredients are derived from plant-based sources. Our products undergo rigorous testing at each level: right from sourcing to manufacturing to production to dispatch. The ingredients are first sent to NABL-accredited labs for rigorous quality checks which include nutrient profiling, any filler ingredients, heavy metals and toxicity check, potential allergens. Only after all the quality parameters are met, the ingredient is finalized. We manufacture GMP-certified and USFDA-registered units. The final products are again tested for quality and only after the quality assurance team approves the batch; it is shipped to our customers, the establishment co-founder claims.

The pandemic has led to an increase in the adoption of a healthier lifestyle. Consumers are getting smarter and more informed; they have started realizing what to buy and what not to buy especially when it comes to Nutrition. Eating clean and nutritious foods is one of the major pillars of preventive healthcare which undeniably helps in being healthier and better. The conversations around nutrition have been constantly evolving, be it in India or globally. Hence people are becoming more conscious as they are considering their daily lifestyle and taking a more holistic approach to fitness and overall health.

She remarked, "We want to cater to well-informed consumers by giving them a range of healthy clean food that consists of botanical extracts, plant and whole food-based nutrition. It is something that can be consumed for a long time without having to worry about any side effects. We have an in-house research and development team that works on formulating potential products wherever the need is found. Being a clean label brand, sourcing the right ingredients is very important to us."

"We are looking to grow fourfold in the next 12 months. In the coming year, we aim to continue to invest in people, products, technology, and as far as OZiva brand is considered it will continue to grow," Gill further shared.