Manetain is India’s leading brand in curly hair care and accessories. It received ₹75L, as investment, for a 10 per cent equity, from Aman Gupta, the founder of Boat, in the second season of Shark Tank India.
Manetain was launched by Yuba and Hinshara in 2018.
The duo met in a ‘Curly Hair’ WhatsApp Group.
Manetain initially launched a range of hair accessories to establishing a name in the curly hair community.
Yuba and Hinshara, who were soon buoyed by their resonating success, expanded their offerings to include a hair care range, viz., two shampoos, a multi-purpose conditioner and India’s first co-wash. The brand now offers over 1,500 SKUs, and has plans to expanding further with its impressive range of products.
YUBA and HINSARA, Co-Founders, Manetain, unwrap their exciting journey, from the ground up, their strategy and future outlook, among other things — in this freewheeling e-conversation.
TW360: Where did you get the primal idea for Manetain?
Y&H: Well, the two of us grew up, as is common to most women, with the struggles and perrals of curly hair. There was no information, or product, that could help us manage our curls — so, we rostered to smoothing. Following years of research, we found our trailblazing moment — the Curly Girl Method, with which we understood our hair better. That we met in a community of other curly haired women bid fair for us to formulate a clean product based on the novel method.
TW360: Do you think Manetain was your eureka moment? And, why?
Y&H: Yes, in more ways than one — albeit the brand emerged from our own struggles with curly hair. Yet, the fact is, we cater to all hair types. Our motto is to get more and more people to accepting themselves for who they are and celebrating their individualist, or unique identity, which is, doubtless, as distinctive as their fingerprint, or signature.
TW360: Yours is a unique product. Do you think this is the way to go, and reach the next level, based on the valuable experience you’ve had, aside from a large number of customers’ positive feedback, or expand on your unique product list?
Y&H: There is a great deal of awareness today about personal care, skin types, hair types etc. This prompted and propelled us to offer a category of products that specifically works on textured hair, as also on other hair types. We’ve now geared up to extending our range by introducing and adding products that would complete their full range, or regime and, in the process, add variants as we go along within this space.
TW360: What’s your background?
Y: I am a dentist [BDS] by profession. I also have a certification in curly hair styling.
H: I am a BCom [Honours] with a major in finance.
TW360: What hair problems are you trying to help your clients with?
Y&H: Whether it’s dry hair, or scalp, our products work for everyone — men, women and children, having any hair style. Would you know that 60 per cent of us, in India, have wavy hair anyway — well, you get the point. Our products make any type of hair more manageable, also alluring.
TW360: How are you different from the competition?
Y&H: Our ingredients are ethically sourced; they are the cleanest you can find too. We spent a great deal of time on our formulation and can, therefore, ensure that we offer the best quality product.
TW360: What are the most special, or unique, services you offer?
Y&H: We are a one-stop shop for everything related to curly hair. From accessories to hair care, we have everything you need to protect and manage your mane. We also work with a host of salons to ensure that every curly hair consumer is serviced with the right product.
TW360: Going forward, what other products, or services, do you have in mind, or planned?
Y&H: Going forward, we will be looking at hair styling products that would help complete the entire range, or regimen.
TW360: What exactly is your forte?
Y&H: We are endeavouring to capture the textured hair market and help people embrace their hair the way it ought to be, and feel comfortable, as also happy, about it.
TW360: Who are your main competitors?
Y&H: In hair accessories, it is Hair Love India; in hair products, it is Ashba Botanics, Fix My Curls, Let Curl Up.
TW360: How fast are you growing?
Y&H: We recorded excellent growth for the first two years, where revenue zoomed from ₹17L to to ₹1Cr, following which we have been consistent at ₹1Cr, primarily due to lack of funds. The fact now is — Manetain is all set to rapidly change and also expand.
