Rapid fire with Anurag Kedia, Co-founder, Pilgrim

For Anurag Kedia, it was common to hear his mother and sister discuss skincare and hair care related issues. To help alleviate some of these concerns he picked up ayurvedic remedies

After a couple of stints following his education at IIT Bombay and IIM Ahmedabad, Kedia entered the health and beauty segment. He has been a member of the founding team at Four Fountains De-Stress Spa group, and Ayurvedic treatment chain NuAyurveda Clinics. He was also the Director at Richfeel Health and Beauty Pvt Ltd., before eventually starting Pilgrim.  

In 2019, along with Gagandeep Makker, Kedia founded the beauty and personal care brand. With more than 90 products, the direct-to-consumer brand is backed by the likes of Fireside Ventures, Rukam Capital, and a ground of angel investors including the founding teams of boAt, NoBroker, and Bewakoof. 

Recently, during a conversation for Rapid Fire with YS Life, we posed some fun and quirky questions to Kedia to get an insight into the entrepreneur’s life beyond business. 

YS Life [YSL]: What are the three words that best describe you?

Anurag Kedia [AK]: Passionate, impatient, and transparent.

YSL: What is the last application that you have downloaded? 

AK: Park+.

YSL: The last book/movie that made you cry? 

AK: The Checklist Manifesto by Dr. Atul Gawande. The book covers many topics beyond the importance of checklists, strongly recommending it!

YSL: What is your guilty pleasure?

AK: Waffle with chocolate sauce!

YSL: What is your skincare regime?

AK: My morning routine includes a face wash, serum, moisturiser, sunscreen, and lip serum. For my hair, I use a shampoo with a scalp scrub or hair mask, occasionally.

My night routine usually consists of face wash, night cream, or sleeping mask, along with a lip sleeping mask. 

YSL: Skincare products or products that you always carry during your travels? 

AK: Facewash, sunscreen, shampoo and lip serum.

YSL: Two startup founders that you don’t mind getting stuck on an isolated island with? 

AK: Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk.

YSL: First thing that you do in the morning? 

AK: Make my bed and comb my hair!

YSL: The last thing that you do before hitting the bed? 

AK: Chant mantras and do some prayers.

YSL: Consistency or quality?  

AK: Consistency of quality.

YSL: What’s your most prized possession? 

AK: Mobile! Unfortunately, for an addict - the model doesn't matter much.

YSL: If not an entrepreneur, then what? 

AK: Theatre professional.

YSL: If you could change one thing in your journey, what would it be? 

AK: Absolutely nothing.

YSL: Your go-to person in life?  

AK: My wife. Geetanjali has been my biggest pillar of support.

YSL: The mantra that you live by?

AK: If you believe you can, you can.

(Disclaimer: Story and feature image has been updated to fix typos and correct factual errors.)