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Basan Patil: Nurturing a Sustainable Future with Alt Co’s Oat Milk

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In the fast-evolving world of plant-based alternatives, Basan Patil, a 28-year-old entrepreneur and co-founder of Alt Co, discovered a valuable lesson that entrepreneurs can learn from plants—patience. Patil’s journey with Alt Co, a bootstrapped venture based in Bengaluru, began last year when he co-founded the oat milk brand. His vision was to offer guilt-free and healthy options for substituting dairy products, embracing the trifecta of taste, health, and sustainability.

Oat milk, an unconventional yet rapidly growing segment in the alternative milk industry, was Patil’s choice to make a mark in the Indian market. Patil acknowledges that the Indian market is still at a nascent stage when it comes to plant-based milk, and he emphasizes that Alt Co is looking ahead five to ten years to weave its success story. Despite the initial hurdles and skepticism, Patil is convinced that patience is the key to achieving the desired scale and recognition. The soft launch of Alt Co’s oat milk last year introduced Patil to questions he had expected—questions like, “Aren’t oats a breakfast cereal? How can you get milk out of oats?” To overcome these misconceptions, Patil dedicated hours to educating potential users in modern trade outlets in Bengaluru. Oat milk, he explains, is created by soaking oats in water, grinding them into a flour-like consistency, and straining the mixture. The result is a creamy, nutty-tasting beverage that is an ideal choice for individuals with dairy or soy allergies.

Basan Patil’s journey towards Alt Co was shaped by his educational background and global exposure. With a graduation from Pennsylvania State University in the US and a diploma in international relations from Geneva, Patil, a third-generation entrepreneur from a family of educationists, developed a strong inclination to focus on a business that could positively impact the planet. In the US, plant-based milk holds approximately 14 percent of the milk consumption market. To achieve a similar scale in India, a product must offer both nutritional and environmental benefits. Oat milk, according to Patil, checks all the boxes—it is cholesterol-free, lactose-free, low in saturated fat, and environmentally sustainable.

Despite the positive attributes of oat milk, awareness about plant-based milk in India remains low. Patil observes that it is primarily those who have traveled abroad who are familiar with such products. Nevertheless, the general awareness about oats as a healthy breakfast cereal helped pave the way for Alt Co’s expansion. Starting in Bengaluru, the company has expanded its footprint to Mumbai, Pune, Surat, Hyderabad, Mysore, Kolkata, Noida, Manipal, and Nashik, with a presence in modern trade and cafes. Alt Co’s products are also available on various e-commerce platforms.

Food and beverage experts foresee a gradual shift towards plant-based alternatives in the post-Covid world. A confluence of factors, such as growing concern for the environment, the conscious consumption of healthier foods, and the awareness of the need for health supplements, is driving the trend of plant-based products replacing animal-origin ones worldwide. In India, the transition away from milk and dairy products, known for their high levels of saturated fatty acids, toward plant-based beverages, is expected to gain momentum. The growth pattern in the US market serves as a promising sign for Indian players. In 2019, retail sales of oat milk in the US stood at $29 million, a figure that skyrocketed to $213 million in 2020.

Notably, the success of Swedish giant Oatly, the world’s largest oat milk company, serves as an inspiring example. Oatly’s revenue climbed from $118 million in 2018 to $421 million in 2020. In the third quarter of 2021, the company’s last twelve months (LTM) revenue reached $584 million.

However, the growth trajectory in India may not mirror the global pattern. KS Narayanan, a food and beverage expert, highlights the bottlenecks hindering mass adoption. The Indian market has a strong preference for fresh milk with minimal processing, particularly for hot beverages. Tetra-pack milk products have been available in India for over two decades, yet they remain niche categories, often sold at a significant premium. Narayanan explains that India is a value-conscious market, and the median price of oat-based beverages, at around Rs 250 per liter, significantly exceeds that of dairy milk, which is approximately Rs 60 per liter. As a result, plant-based milk may remain a niche product for vegans, with mass adoption potentially elusive.

Patil is well aware of the challenges and the patience required for a significant shift in consumer behavior. Starting early offers the advantage of being well-positioned to harness any upcoming market inflection points. Patil firmly believes that plant-based milk is not a passing trend; it’s here to stay. His journey with Alt Co embodies the patience, resilience, and optimism that any entrepreneur can learn from, in a world where sustainable and innovative solutions hold the key to the future.

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The Power Couple of Instagram: Sara’s Journey to 5.5M Followers

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Sara’s growing online fame is marked by her creativity, reliability, and deep engagement with her audience. From comedic sketches featuring her husband Ghaith to aspirational lifestyle imagery, Sara has effectively demonstrated her capability as an artist in keeping her followers interested in her content. With adept use of humour, honesty, and aesthetic sensibility, Sara stands out as one of the dearest influencers in the UAE.

Versatility is one characteristic that best describes Sara. She posts more on Beauty and Cosmetics, Apparel, and Accessories, but often crosses over into areas like Fitness, Healthcare, and Healthy Living. She offers a great deal of value to her audience through beautifying tips, exercises, and product recommendations among other content forms. This variety keeps audiences interested and puts her in the lead position as a go-to partner for brands who wish to create a more memorable impression.

Characterized as luxurious and a dynamic way of life, no destination aligns more with Sara’s fulfilment than Dubai. Through the travels she takes through the Maldives, Seychelles, and Turkey, Sara embodies luxury exploration spirits that epitomize Dubai as the ultimate and highly sought-after destination around the world for glamorous and adventurous characters. The tales are not just inspiring ones for her listeners but also speak to the part Dubai played in unlocking access to the extraordinary destinations around the world.

Collaborations underpin all of Sara’s accomplishments. For example, in a recently collaborated project with Garnier, one of her social media reels had nearly 4 million views with 130,000 interactions. Similarly, in another collaboration with Temu, such an engagement was conducted in an informative and entertaining manner, thus it gained an impressive 7.7 million views and about 500,000 engagements. These above collaborations represented the potential of marrying creativity with brand messages and finally producing something authentic and relatable. The synergy of relating to her husband, Ghaith, has that effect for Sara. A build-up in her persona comes about through the collaboration bestowed upon her with some quality that makes not only aesthetically pleasing but also emotionally meaningful. While comedy up to poignant moments, the dynamic between Sara and her husband, Ghaith, is something that essentially encompasses Sara’s brand. Their connection to her talents allows her to build a followership that enjoys an impressive 80% credibility score—a notable achievement, undoubtedly, within the realms of influencers.

Amazingly, the engagement metrics attached to Sara’s account average 9.6 million views and 1.1 million engagements per post. For a long time, such performance left in its wake most of her colleagues from the blogging community. Furthermore, she has averaged engagement rates between 4 and 5 percent, which is all proof that she indeed is extremely trusted and interesting for her audience.

Effects of Sara touch the lives of individuals. Her GRWM videos are revealing and inspiring, along with beauty tips and Q&A sessions that make them feel valued and included. This is genuine, and she welcomes each other with her excitement about cementing herself as one of the authentic social media icons in the UAE.

Sara represents a vibrant and dynamic culture about Dubai, full of energy, diversity, and aspirations, but she also keeps her feet on the ground, inspiring her followers through this story to pursue their passions and be true to themselves, but concurrently enjoy all of life’s pleasures.

When the digital world may dismiss trends, Sara’s story continues—logical, funny, hopeful, and full of energy. She has been an inspiration among young aspiring influencers, and a very revered personality among her subscribers, thanks to her capacity to capitalize on entertainment that also harbours heavy content. Through her consistent creation of content that deeply connects with her audience, Sara represents how true enthusiasm and authenticity contribute to a long-term record of success in an area that, from day to day, seems to be constantly changing with each shift in social media trends.

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How Varsity Tutors Connects the World through Personalized Learning

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Varsity Tutors seems to be one trendsetter in the world of education, doing an edge in leveraging the technological front towards tailoring and making learning accessible. Conceptualized on the idea that every child is as special as his needs, Varsity Tutors connects learners of all age groups with experts in multiple subjects for fulfilling academic tutoring needs, professional skills training, and much more towards assuring that every individual’s unique educational needs are met.

What makes Varsity Tutors distinct is its dual platform approach. While for them, a learner has the option between in-person sessions or online and mobile platforms-most of which take place remotely-award-winning digital tools allow learners to get high-quality instructions from anywhere in the world. Where the finishing school kind of excellence in education is one aspect of the culture of Dubai, the parents and the students here have come to trust Varsity Tutors. Its flexibility coupled with highly advanced methods would dovetail easily into the forward-thinking approach towards education in Dubai.

The academic tutoring isn’t where it ends. Varsity Tutors also deals with professionals who want to up skill or achieve certifications for boosting their careers. Live, interactive learning makes some rather complicated subjects quite digestible, thus making this an engaging and very immersive experience. Online learning is ultimately isolating because with Varsity Tutors, one gets human contact and real-time feedback so that learning is effective but also fun.

Varsity Tutors boasts an impressive record: three million hours of live instruction delivered to date. Its strong showing does, in fact reflect the capacity to be flexible and grow within a highly dynamic educational landscape. The platform offers many different subjects through its extensive network of experts, giving any learner the chance to find an appropriate match for their goals. The reach of the program worldwide resonates with diverse communities everywhere-from students and professionals in multicultural Dubai, all of whom are seeking top-notch learning solutions to thrive in a competitive environment.

Innovation is one of the leading factors for Varsity Tutors’ success. For instance, learning in its mobile app is at the fingertips of the user: a user can schedule sessions, view resources, and interact with his instructor quite easily. This convenience has been a game-changer for many busy professionals and tight-scheduled students. Dubai’s bustling educational and professional scene has found synergy with Varsity Tutors’ vision. The platform aligns with the city’s goal of fostering a knowledge-based economy, equipping its residents with the tools needed to succeed in a globalized world. With its emphasis on personalized learning, Varsity Tutors supports Dubai’s mission to nurture talent and encourage lifelong learning.

The impact of Varsity Tutors goes beyond individual learners. Students will be empowered to reach great academic and professional heights, contributing to the building of a brighter future in communities around the globe. Quality, accessibility, and innovation ensure the firm does not only serve but lead an evolving education sector globally.

Varsity Tutors is a legacy of transformation and change in the face of education through technology potential. The platform combined personalized instruction with avant-garde digital tools that changed the face of learning. From young students to professionals undergoing training, there have been many from New York to Dubai and everywhere in between who have found a haven in Varsity Tutors.

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Nomadic Capital’s Visionary Founder: Ziad Ghosn’s Journey of Success

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Ziad Ghosn, however, goes beyond being an entrepreneur; instead, he is a visionary who moulds industries in the GCC. Having been around over 15 years and immersed in the intricacies of the UAE market, Ghosn has converted Nomadic Capital into a thriving hub of innovation, incubating game-changing ventures in fields such as technology, food and beverage, and healthcare. Ghosn, along with his co-founder wife, Stephanie Khouri, is on the forefront of debunking traditional business models to herald smarter and more efficient solutions. He is the epitome of innovation and resilience.

Education and corporate experiences formed the base for Ziad Ghosn’s entry into the entrepreneurial world. He graduated with honours from the American University of Dubai, and a Master’s Degree in International Business from London, further helping him polish his skills in the bigger organizations of Wunderman, Y&R, Emirates Lebanon Bank, and Pragma Group. This experience gave him the much-needed knowledge and market insights to create his own ventures.

Ghosn, alongside his wife Stephanie Khouri, has partnered with Nomadic Capital Limited since 2017. Founded on a vision to introduce innovation in the GCC region, this start-up aims to tap into untapped markets by offering services either incu-bating potential ideas or undertaking their own ground-breaking initiatives. Collaboration is what made Nomadic Capital a leader in fostering innovation and tackling modern business challenges. Pushdot was the mobile application which Nomadic Capital produced and which earned the company a place among the top 50 start-ups to watch in the UAE. The app has been acclaimed within the region and has further received international accolades such as the Appy Awards in New York. This recognition has, therefore, underlined the app’s capability to update business needs through innovative digital tools.

Ghosn’s initiatives cover much more than mobile technology. Operating Nomadic Capital, he has done much to create opportunities in the food and drink sector, as, with his team, he was granted the International Business Excellence Award for Innovation in F&B. Among the concepts of the firm, of great significance is the Automat, a fast-food restaurant model whereby hot meals and beverages are dispensed via vending machines. Such a concept not only offers convenience but also addresses efficiency and operational issues in the industry.

Recognizing the potential of technological integration with healthcare, Ghosn has turned his attention to this booming industry recently. The focus of his last efforts has been on providing better patient care and streamlining business operations through advanced digital features. Through these gaps in traditional models for healthcare, Ghosn manages to deliver smarter solutions that are more accessible and promise to redefine the industry in the GCC and beyond.

The entrepreneurial pursuits of Ziad Ghosn reflect the kind of relentless drive for innovation and adaptation to modern business needs. His ability to turn from retail automation towards health care reveals the visionary of an entrepreneur who stands out in today’s competitive landscape. Through leveraging cutting-edge technology and deep market insights, Ghosn continues making opportunities that challenge conventional norms and redefine possibilities.

Through his firm Nomadic Capital, Ghosn gives more than just ideas to life; he creates a culture of innovation that resonates across industries. His entrepreneurial success is a blueprint for would-be business leaders, outlining how strategic vision and adaptability lead to transformative outcomes.

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