Swagatika Das Championing Boldness and Disruption in Beauty and Wellness

In the journey of life, messages often become the guiding stars that shape one’s path. Swagatika Das, an alumna of IIT-Kharagpur, vividly remembers the powerful messages imparted to her by her school teachers: “You are equal. You must speak your mind. You can do anything.” These seeds of empowerment sown in her mind three decades ago have now blossomed into a remarkable story of boldness, innovation, and transformation. Das, a trailblazer in her own right, embarked on her professional journey in June 2006 by joining Schlumberger, the world’s largest offshore drilling company, as a lead engineer in Mumbai. In a sector long dominated by men, she defied conventions. Her actions mirrored the teachings of her teachers: “You can do anything.” For six years, she dedicated herself to her role, overseeing drilling operations with unwavering determination.

However, the desire for change led Das to pivot her career. After completing her MBA at Insead, she made a surprising transition, leaving behind the world of oil and gas to join Apple in 2013. This shift was driven by her fascination with FMCG brands and a yearning for a new challenge. At Apple, she focused on building sales strategy across online and reseller channels in Singapore, along with establishing distribution strategies across Asia-Pacific countries. Her journey through diverse industries continued when, after two years, Das returned to India and co-founded Stichio in January 2016. Stichio was a social network dedicated to “dares” or challenges, spanning from the outrageous to the humorous. The platform quickly gained popularity among the youth and was even selected for Facebook’s FBStart program. Although Stichio amassed over a lakh users, Das believed that the startup needed a different direction, one beyond merely creating another content platform.

In March 2019, Das embarked on a new entrepreneurial endeavor by co-founding Nat Habit, a direct-to-consumer personal care brand. Nat Habit distinguishes itself by offering fresh, 100 percent natural beauty and wellness products. These ayurvedic formulations are crafted from whole grains, grams, milk, yogurt, fruits, and flowers, containing zero chemicals and preservatives. Nat Habit has made significant strides in the personal care industry, serving nearly 10 lakh customers, shipping 10,000 units per day, and offering an impressive range of 35 product lines. What sets Nat Habit apart is its appeal to a diverse customer base, with over 40 percent of users coming from tier 3 and beyond, another 40 percent from tier 1, and the remaining from tier 2 cities.

Last April, Nat Habit secured $4 million in series A funding led by Fireside Venture, with participation from Sequoia and Whiteboard Capital. Dipanjan Basu, partner at Fireside Ventures, highlighted Das’s unique blend of product innovation, deep formulation understanding, and brand-building passion. He underscored Nat Habit’s disruptive presence in the beauty and personal care space, attributed to its in-house scalable manufacturing, robust supply chain, and strong unit economics. However, the brand does face several challenges. The primary ones include scaling the brand’s story of “freshness” effectively, expanding manufacturing capabilities across India, and establishing a presence across various channels. In a crowded market, upstarts like Nat Habit must invest significantly in marketing and advertising to stand out. Brand awareness remains a formidable task.

Das believes that Nat Habit’s distinctiveness lies in its mission to help users adopt natural and healthy habits. She emphasizes the transformative power of habits, drawing inspiration from legendary swimmer Michael Phelps and the impact of habits in corporate success stories. Nat Habit aims to guide users toward forming habits that promote well-being and natural beauty. When asked about the one habit she wishes young girls to embrace, Das emphasizes self-belief. “Believe in yourself. You are as good as anybody in the game. Just be bold and confident.”

In the remarkable journey of Swagatika Das, the messages instilled by her teachers serve as a constant reminder of the power of boldness, self-belief, and the capacity to defy norms. Her trailblazing career path, from the world of drilling to consumer brands and entrepreneurship, continues to inspire and empower others to break barriers and embrace change with unwavering confidence.