Organic farm-to-fork D2C food brand Earthy Tales has been registering high double-digit growth, with first-time customers accounting for a significant expansion in sales.
Co-founded by ex-GE finance professional Deepak Sabharwal and former TFCI Investment professional Narinder Sondhi in 2015, Earthy Tales is focussed on building India’s most trusted and go-to portal for curated, wellness health products. It is also one of the chosen few agri startups under the Ministry of Agriculture’s RKVY RAFTAAR (2021 batch) scheme for startups working on innovation in the farming sector.
An award-winning, community-based startup working towards linking the health-conscious and socially responsible urban communities with organic farmers of the country, with operations currently in Delhi-NCR, it delivers 300-plus chemical-free food products across 15-plus food categories to around 3000 families across the region.
The business model features a lean supply chain with the brand’s in-house logistics infrastructure ensuring produce reaches customers directly from farmers, post quality checks and appropriate packaging. Procured directly from farmers, products reach Earthy Tales’ warehousing unit in Delhi, to be sorted, checked and packaged for the final orders logged on the brand’s website. The brand’s portfolio includes organic fruits, vegetables, pulses, ghee, cereals and spices.
“Our model is a no-frills ‘Farmers First’ D2C format; connecting organic farm communities with urban consumers through relevant market linkages. We are certain that the only way to bring a chemical-free food revolution in India is to have an all-inclusive, farm-to-fork model,” says co-founder and CEO Deepak Sabharwal.
“Our goal through the brand is two-fold: to provide access to fresh, chemical-free organic food to consumers, and, to ensure a reliable, transparent revenue channel for farming communities,” Sabharwal states.
Earthy Tales has been registering high double-digit revenue growth quarter-on-quarter, Sabharwal informs, with 50% of sales over the past few months accounted for by first-time customers — reflecting a significant expansion of its market reach.
Humanitarian extension
Along with NGO Prabhaav Foundation, Earthy Tales began food distribution to Covid-19-impacted families in NCR in early May this year, when the second wave was at its peak.
“We were deeply moved by the suffering caused by the devastating second surge of Covid-19 across Delhi-NCR. Driven by food security and relief as our primary goals, along with our customer community and friends, we raised funds and supported Prabhaav Foundation — a New Delhi-based NGO with a strong record in relief work — to support the marginalised sections of society with hygienic, healthy meals,” says Sabharwal.
Also, recognizing the importance of supporting frontline workers, the company partnered with local administration and police and supported personnel with sanitization kits, which included essentials such as PPEs, masks, sanitizers and gloves.
Through those efforts, the team was been able to provide over 7000-plus cooked meals in various slums across Delhi. The meals were prepared at a cloud kitchen in Gurgaon in the most hygienic conditions with complete safety protocols in place. “And they are not just meals, they are healthy meals,” Sabharwal points out.
“Throughout both pandemic lockdowns — 2020 and 2021 — the sourcing and delivery mechanisms for Earthy Tales were active. But, in May, we also wanted to find a way to address the immediate humanitarian crises unfolding across the NCR. And we’re proud to have done our bit in these times to support low-income families, frontline workers, law enforcement personnel ride out some severe challenges,” Sabharwal says.
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