The brand aims to cross the Rs 50 crore mark in the next 18 months, and initially targets markets like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa
As India’s premium and functional hydration market is undergoing rapid transformation, Actor Bhumi Pednekar, alongside her sister, Samiksha Pednekar, has introduced Backbay, a new entrant in India’s fast-growing clean beverage sector. Through this, they want to create a brand that consumers completely trust, Bhumi Pednekar told BW Retail World.
In an exclusive conversation, the Pednekar sisters noted that they are eyeing to hit the Rs 50 crore mark in the next 18 months and are initially targeting the Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa markets. The brand aims offer naturally alkaline mineral water from the Himalayas, bottled at source in Himachal Pradesh at a women-led facility.
Backbay Aqua will enter the market at the end of August, across select cities through a mix of high-impact retail and quick-commerce channels. The brand’s omnichannel rollout includes leading platforms such as Swiggy Instamart and Zepto, supported by its own direct-to-consumer (D2C) website and Amazon to ensure accessibility. Edited Excerpts:
With players like Himalayan already dominating the segment, what exactly is the differentiation factor when it comes to Backbay?
Bhumi: I think to begin with, it is the packaging and the water that we give. Our packaging, all the other variants in the market right now, are either in plastic or in glass. There is nobody doing paper packaging. Also, one thing that is a bit of a differentiator is that we have a bio cap. Our cap is made of sugarcane resin. It is completely recyclable. So is our box. That is definitely one of the differentiators where the water category and what we are trying to do are concerned.
But also, I would say a differentiator is what we are trying to do with Backbay in general. Even with all our future lines that are in research and development (R&D) as we speak, we want to create a brand that the consumer completely trusts. All our products are going to be free of toxic chemicals. Whenever there is something from Backbay, it is going to be clean. Our aim is to reach everyone’s house.
What was the basic notion behind the name Backbay?
Samiksha: I would say it is an ode to the spirit of Bombay. The story behind it is that we were just browsing through a book, and we came across the name Backbay. We realised that it sticks to the brand. It is exactly what we want. It is something that is going to have something for everyone. We see Backbay being in everyone’s hands, in everyone’s homes.
I feel that that is what Bombay gives to everyone. I mean, everyone who comes to Bombay has something or someone or has created a life here. And that is where we thought that Backbay is a great name for our brand since Bombay is our home too.
There is an effort on the packaging aspect of Backbay, keeping sustainability in mind. How difficult is it to grow on a large scale in this variety and segment that you will operate?
Samiksha: We have tried to be so sustainable and especially on the index, it is a premium product. And when it comes to scalability, we see the market increase day by day. The market currently stands at 3 billion. It’s supposed to reach 9 billion by 2030. That is a very good sign for us to understand what the consumer wants.
As the consumer is getting more aware and more conscious, we feel that the product will automatically have acceptance in more and more people’s lives and homes. And we are currently targeting Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa as our first few cities. Eventually, we do see this stepping into tier two, tier three cities as well at some point.
What kind of partnerships or retail strategy are you looking at to reach every corner of India in future?
Samiksha: On the retail front, I would say we are at any category A or premium grocer, such as Nature’s Basket, Food Stories. That’s on the retail side of things. On quick commerce, we are also available on Zepto and Instamart. We are also available through our own website and on Amazon. We try to be as available as we can, even though our first few cities for physical presence are Bombay, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Goa. We will be available across India through our online channels.
Talking about the concept of conscious consumerism, sustainability, do you think it is still an urban-centric concept, or has it reached the non-metros?
Bhumi: It is an urban-centric concept because it is the urban population that is also the abusers the most. It is us, where the urban folklore, where our consumption habits are unmatched. That is what sustainability is about. It is not about something that intimidates you or something that you cannot adapt to. It is just about having smarter choices that are good for your health and good for the planet.
That is the exact ethos of what Backbay is. We want to create a line of products or beverages, especially in a category that is so, so abused. We want to create a brand that has complete trust, and we just do not want to make claims. Even with this product, we have been two years in the making, and now we are finally launching. We worked hard on the design, on making sure how we make it as sustainable as possible.
Usually, when celebrities invest in a business, they operate from a third-person perspective. When it comes to Backbay, what exactly is the role of you and Samiksha?
Bhumi: We are involved in the everyday of Backbay. It is something that she and I have opened together. We have funded it. She runs the operation. Samiksha runs the everyday, day-to-day operations for it. I look at the larger brand strategy for the brand. We have a great team that we work with.
Since Samiksha runs the operation, where do you see Backbay in the next two or three years when it comes to financial as well as the operational metrics?
Samiksha: In the next 18 months, we definitely want to hit the Rs 50 crore mark. Now that comes with a lot of work that we will be putting in. We understand that the water market has for a very long time been of a certain way and it is usually way slower than other markets, but we do see a change come about and we are ready to capture as much as we can.
You have invested in other ventures as well, and we have seen Bollywood celebrities investing in brands, startups. What is driving this trend?
Bhumi: I do not think it is a trend. I feel like this is something that is not going to go, you know, because as actors, we have access to information. We have people who reach out to us. If we are able to aid the journey of any startup, any founder because of our presence or because of our value system or what we believe in, why not? So all the companies that I have also invested in, the businesses that I have partnered with are green businesses because they had the intent and they had the technology or the idea to bring to work in the space of sustainability, especially with consumer goods.
I feel like actors, we in our own way, are small little entrepreneurs of our lives. It is very, very exciting, especially to me. I can only speak for myself, but I get to work with founders because the energy, the passion, the idea that they come up with is so infectious. I really hope that people have the same experience when they work with us, because it has been a new experience for me to be on this side of the table, when I am giving the pitch and it genuinely is one of the most beautiful learning experiences that we have gone through together.
Once the product goes live, there will be demand. How exactly are you building the supply chain so that you match the demand and supply?
Samiksha : We have our own plant, so when it comes to production, we do not have any limitation as such. We are not operating at 100 per cent right now but should the demand increase, we do have the capacity to meet it.
Over time, in the next few months, we see ourselves present in more cities. These are just our launch cities.We will go to Chennai, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, and Ahmedabad. These are the next cities we are targeting. And yes, I hope the demand keeps increasing because we have the supply for it.
