Smriti Mandhana dons investor’s hat with Ayurvedic brand Neem Ayu

Indian cricketer Smriti Mandhana has been announced as an investor in Gurgaon-based Ayurvedic brand, Neem Ayu. The Indian national women’s team’s vice-captain will also be a brand ambassador for Neem Ayu.

This will be the first instance for any Indian women cricketer to invest in a business, something that is commonplace for their male counterparts. The 25-year-old will look to help establish Neem Ayu across customers with a digital-first strategy. 

Speaking on the association with Neem Ayu, Mandhana said: 

“I travel and compete around the world amidst gruelling weather conditions in different time zones, hence when it comes to taking care of my hair, I often find a lack of credible solutions.

“What made me immediately trust in Neem Ayu’s brand proposition was that its foundation lies in the time-tested efficacy of Indian Ayurveda backed by intensive research. These products promise to show results effectively.” 

The brand, by bringing Smriti Mandhana on board as an investor and brand ambassador, plans to grow its presence across India and also develop new product lines across hair and skin care, which are solution-driven and backed by the power of ayurvedic science. 

Aditi Hingu, founder, Neem Ayu, said: 

“Smriti is an inspiration for all of us with her stellar career as a successful international cricketer.“

She further added, “With Neem Ayu, she also begins another chapter by turning an investor. Having her belief in our brand and products will take us further in our mission to offer clinically tested and effective solutions to real issues like hairfall and dandruff, which impact a majority of our population today.“

A direct-to-customer brand with fast-acting and clinically-tested ayurvedic solutions, Neema Ayu was founded by Aditi Hingu, a marketing executive with over 23 years of experience across FMGG companies like Hindustan Unilever, Kellogg’s and Cadbury, along with Dr Neena Sharma, MD in Ayurveda with over 30 years of experience, and Vipul Gupta, who comes in with over 17 years of experience in ecommerce and sales across Emami, YeBhi.com, Colgate Palmolive and others. 

Dr Neena Sharma is the head of the research and development division of the company, and all the formulations are developed by Neem Ayu in-house, clinically proven, and proprietary. 

At present, products are available on the company’s website and on Amazon, Flipkart and online beauty store Purplle, though Vipul Gupta has said that they will soon be available across most of the digital marketplaces within 45 days. 

“We will soon start making the products available in the international markets too,” he further said. 

For now, the company is focusing on hairfall and dandruff products, for which the market is already over US$1.5 billion annually and growing at 22%. 

“We will launch skincare products next, in 3-4 months,” Aditi Hingu added.