DentoShine, a startup making brushing fun for children
Navdeep Mehta, founder of DentoShine, thought about going beyond modern trades and approached Indigo Airlines to convince them to sell his product in-flight. Contacting the relevant person was by no means easy. But Navdeep is quick to point out that a little bit of effort, if invested correctly, can definitely lead you to the right place and the right person.
DentoShine offers a complete range of oral care products for kids not only to protect their teeth but also to encourage them to brush twice a day with exciting products.
Navdeep says, "Brand placement in modern trade is bit of a challenge as every modern trade is looking for reputed brand names only. They have all the excuses in the world to avoid your product's entry. That led us to think creatively, and we placed our product in the sky and started selling inflight in Indigo Airlines. We have also approached Jet Airways and Air India to place our product in their catalog. In addition to airlines, we have approached the Indian Railways as well as military and police canteen stores for placement as well."
The company was founded in October 2013.
The co-founders and the skills they bring to the team
Navdeep completed his MS in Chemical Engineering. He has eight years of experience in R&D and has met with success in the launch of cosmetic and pharmaceutical products in the US. He also excels in sales and marketing.
His co-founder, Pankil Patel, did his MS in IT and Pharmacy. He has total of eight years of experience as a pharmacist in the US, and provides the design and creative expertise in the team.
Their current team includes two directors, seven office staff, and 45 marketing members.
What is the USP of the product?
On this, Navdeep explains, "Having their favourite cartoon character on oral care products encourages children to brush their teeth. Chhota Bheem is one of the most famous cartoon characters in Indian history, with a hardcore fan following of more than four crore kids. We thought of leveraging this and coming up with something unique in flavour, looks, packaging, content, and overall appeal. We just want to make brushing fun for kids. We want to encourage them to brush twice a day to maintain their healthy smile lifelong."
They are also working on launching some innovative products for whitening teeth for adults. It will include teeth-whitening strips, gel, toothpaste and toothbrush.
Market size
Their target market is more than Rs 500 crore in size, and is growing at the rate of 20 percent year-on-year.
According to Pankil, "We are growing at a rate of 40 percent YoY. We are hoping to reach more than Rs 10 crore in revenue in our fifth year. We already crossed the Rs 3 crore revenue mark in our third year."
Their business model focuses on launching more innovative products at very competitive prices.
As of now, their business model has been validated, and they are looking for funding to expand their reach from 14 states to the entire country.
