Adrish – India’s Successful Enterprise From Zero Waste Lifestyle Startup

‘I’m aware of what some of my friends think of me – Yeh puraane zamaney wala hai — and they’re correct. Akshay Agarwal says, “I live in the past.” “What would you wear?” his family wonders when the Pune-based entrepreneur visits to chilly regions like Europe. Agarwal’s closet is empty save for a few shirts and pants stacked on a shelf. His only woolly is a blazer hung from a bar. Unlike his millennial classmates, Agarwal adheres to his great-grandparents’ way of life.

However, since Covid began, Agarwal has begun to see that there may be more individuals like him on the way. Why else would the Adrish, or “Lord of the Mountains,” business he and Gajendra Choudhary launched in Pune in 2008 have a monthly rise in client acquisition of 18-20% since March 2020? Adrish’s purpose is to promote a waste-free lifestyle and to serve nature at the consumer level. Adrish sells food and groceries, as well as home decor, cleaning supplies, cosmetics, and toys similar to those used by past generations.

There is no plastic on the premises, and all items are preserved using traditional methods, from grains to oils. Customers are required to participate in the environmental movement. They have the option of bringing their own canvas bags and glass jars or borrowing them. “Once a shipment is delivered to a client, we encourage them to reuse, compost, or recycle all packing materials,” says the company. “When we ship, we attach a message on recycled paper to this effect,” states a website remark.