Interview of Ms. Nikita Naterwalla, Founder- Caim by arelang

Ms. Nikita Naterwalla
Ms. Nikita Naterwalla

Ms. Nikita Naterwalla, Founder- Caim by årelang™, gains vast experience in the wellness sector and is focused on revolutionizing the supplementation market by offering the company’s customers innovative and nutrition-rich plant-based forms of delicious confectionery. Let us know more about her vision and thoughts.

How has your journey been so far?

Having worked in the wellness space for over 20 years with a leading MNC, my interest in supplementations and their benefits has been honed and fuelled by curiosity, research and plenty of reading. Whether it has been on how the body works, to what the body needs and being able to debunk several health and diet theories that have been floating around the wellness space. A personal health challenge gave rise to the need for seeking alternative health remedies and when they say that necessity is the mother of invention, in my case, it could not have been further from the truth. So, my passion project started with all terrible tasting home-based concoctions and this search for a perfect phytoestrogen formulation got me working closely with the phytochemistry department of the ICT which specialized in the research on plant-based nutrients and extracts. Our first formulation was what we now call the Rekindle for Women. I had it for well over a year as a powdered packed in a tea potli. Bitter as it was, the effects on me were so phenomenal that I had to share it with the world. Now to find the perfect way to deliver the goodness of these powerful yet extremely bitter ingredients was the beginning of the first struggle. How do we take these ingredients and add them to something that we love to eat? This was where the concept of årelang Naturals was conceived. Providing micronutrients and superfoods in the form of delicious confectionery! We had our first 2 products ready for launch within 8 months of the pandemic. All in all, the journey so far, has been extremely exciting and spiced with a whole lot of new learnings that I’m so grateful for.

What are the opportunities anticipated in the health and wellness industry? How do you see the Candyceuticals market growing and expanding over the period?

According to a very recent FSSAI publication, the Indian Nutraceutical Market is slated to be valued at $18B from the current market size of $4B at an expected CAGR of 35%. The Candyceutical market will most certainly impact greatly on this growth. Candyceuticals will be the way ahead for the nutraceutical market. They are delicious, this delivery method promises increased bioavailability of nutrients, they are fun to eat and finally, Candyceuticals will always be something that each of us as individuals look forward to consuming, rather than going through the unpleasantness of swallowing pills and large tablets.

In India, the Candyceuticals market is on the rise and it is opening up new opportunities for formulators who are willing to experiment both in terms of the latest applications and delivery formats. Reports suggest that the Candyceutical market will grow by a six per cent CAGR through the end of this decade, reaching a market size of $5.8 billion worldwide in 2029. The Candyceutical market will become an integral part of the growing Nutraceutical market which was valued in 2015 at $ 184B and was pegged to grow to $ 302B in 2022 at a compounding growth rate of 8.3%. However, by 2020 this market was already valued at $412.7B and grew at an exponential CAGR of 17.5%. If we take this growth trend into account, by 2027 the global nutraceutical market will be at $1,276B with India slated to be one of the biggest contributors to the increasing market size.

Where do you see Arelang Naturals in a few years? Kindly throw light on the vision of the brand? What are the forthcoming initiatives in the long run?

Our vision is to revolutionize supplementation. We have in the pipeline over 20 formulations that we promise to bring to our consumers in innovative forms of confectionery within the next 2 years or so. As we expand, we will be introducing multiple flavour variants of our formulations and possibly more as we see the need.

Caim by årelang™ is the first brand launched by årelang Naturals® and offers potent plant-based supplementation through confectionery. If things go as planned, you will be seeing several new innovative initiatives from us in the field of wellness in the coming years.

What are your Company’s goals? How do you build a successful customer base? 

Our immediate goal of course is to be able to reach our audiences, educate them on the goodness of the products, provide information to them on how their body works and clear up their myths on nutrition. We are hoping to be able to generate a loyal customer base that loves the product we have created for their bodies and make them a part of their daily routine.

Life Mantra for aspiring women entrepreneurs

Be true to your venture and stay focused on your goals. Starting a company is hard, growing a new company is harder and running it is the hardest, but don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do it. Keep your team small and initially until the sales and the money start to come in, keep the motivation levels high within your team. Expect days where you feel like you are not getting anywhere but don’t lose hope – keep reminding yourself on why you started and keep working toward your goal. Always celebrate the small wins – be it your first customer or when your first shipment of ingredients comes into your warehouse, because recognizing the small victories of your business will boost your morale as well as your teams, and will give you a new surge of energy that you and your team will need to get to your next small victory. Follow your dreams and never give up.