Good For Babies, Great For Earth
Pallavi Utagi faced a unique problem some years ago. Her son, born in 2013, frequently developed rashes from the use of disposable diapers. She had heard of the traditional langot (a triangular piece of cloth) being used as a nappy for babies but that was not a viable option for her. She began to look for a suitable alternative to disposable diapers.
The search for an efficient alternative in the form of a high-performance, reusable, cloth diaper gave birth to SuperBottoms. “The goal is about creating a movement, fostering a society that cherishes the well-being of both its children and the planet,” says Utagi, Founder and CEO.
Entrepreneurial Journey
With motherhood, Utagi witnessed a huge gap in the Indian baby care market, especially diapers. “A quick math gave me nightmares about the environmental hazard I was contributing to. This drove me to start working on SuperBottoms as a passion project,” she says.
Utagi started her career as a software engineer with Infosys in 2005 and went on to join the marketing division of Strides Acrolab in 2009.
In 2011, she joined Piramal Healthcare and handled the women's product category. After this stint, she joined Sanofi and handled the feminine hygiene brand Lactacyd in 2015.
As a mother, she is a strong advocate of sustainable living and conscious parenting and has ensured that these values are at the heart of the company.
Growth in Figures
Founded in 2016, Mumbai-based SuperBottoms is an online-first brand with annual revenues of Rs 75-80 crore. Its website drives 50 per cent of sales with a 42 per cent customer repeat rate. It also has a strong presence on leading ecommerce portals, including Amazon and Flipkart.
SuperBottoms is growing at a CAGR of 70 per cent over the past five years. “We are targeting to clock Rs 100 crore in FY24,” says Utagi.
The company has raised Rs 69 crore in funding so far, with Rs 60 crore coming in FY23 alone.
Goals and Plans
“My mission is to make cloth diapers mainstream, revolutionising the way we care for our babies and the environment,” says Utagi.
Her immediate goal is to strengthen the company’s retail presence. SuperBottoms is currently present in about 70-80 baby trade stores and also has a kiosk store in Rcity mall in Mumbai. “We plan to expand our retail network to 200 stores by FY24 and open our kiosk stores in the top five cities,” she says.
Additionally, the brand strives to empower skilled mothers who often take maternity breaks and face career challenges. “Our platform provides opportunities for these talented women to join our workforce,” Utagi shares.
