Kirti Yadav an entrepreneur has earned Rs.14 lakh from her new marketplace for plant-based snacks. KuKClean, the company, was launched just earlier this year.

Kirti Yadav struggled with health concerns following the premature delivery of her baby. The 38-year-old had gained weight, her cholesterol and blood pressure were consistently high, and her medicine was causing a slew of side effects.

Tired with going to many doctors and trying various medications in the hopes of regaining her health, Kirti took matters into her own hands and began studying natural ways to manage her health issues.

Kirti Yadav says, she was like other people who understand the value of good food, but don’t care about eating a proper healthy balanced diet daily.

She says, “However, as I began my investigation on this and spoke with various people, everyone told me to “alter your lifestyle. That’s when I decided that since I’d done everything else, I’d give this a chance as well.”

Kirti is now a certified nutritionist and the founder of Bengaluru-based KuK Clean, a marketplace for plant-based vegan snacks, foods, and necessities.

Despite being bootstrapped, Kirti claims to have made Rs 14 lakh in revenue in seven months after the company’s inception in January 2021. She also launched her line with six ready-to-eat products: classic dry fruits granola, premium nuts & seeds trail mix, organic ragi laddu, dry fruit laddoo, baked wheat crackers/mathri, and organic peanut butter.

In July of this year, Kirti registered the company as KuKClean Foods and Consulting Pvt Ltd.

When asked how she got here, Kirti is honest enough to state that she realised through her personal experience that every dish on our plate matters.

Kirti’s hunt for nutritious cuisine began when she chose to adopt a clean eating regimen. She attempted to locate alternatives that were free of preservatives and emulsifiers.

According to Kirti, “there is a general lack of understanding about how to use vegan products that we buy at the market. So, even if purchasers spend a lot of money, they are eventually disappointed.”

Kirti Yadav then started making healthy, and tasty food for herself and her family by experimenting with recipes. Kirti’s cholesterol soon dropped to normal level, and she also saw her weight reducing.

Kirti says, “Luckily, I was going back to being normal. However, I also understood that the real struggle today is the absence of a healthy diet, which is the root cause of all the health problems.”

To burst this myth, she created a Facebook group where she shared her healthy eating tips and recipes. Soon, she started getting offers from small entrepreneurs to launch their vegan brands on her group, which always emphasised plant-based food.

When the Covid-19 pandemic reached India last year, Kirti was on the verge of a commercial opportunity.

Kirti recalls that all corporate wellness programmes came to a halt, and no companies offered cooperation. I considered delivering personal nutritional classes, but I wasn’t a registered nutritionist, which was a barrier.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, Kirti took a nutritionist course and began creating healthy snacks at home. She soon got orders from all across Bengaluru through word-of-mouth.

While Kirti was busy preparing for orders and delivery across Bengaluru, she felt it would be a good idea to get together with other homemakers who were involved in similar businesses. She then onboarded local merchants, expanding the online store with products such as sugar free jam, ragi bread, pomegranate chocolates, vegan butter, and more. Under her company, Kirti who became an entrepreneur accidentally also offers tailored lifestyle and nutrition counselling to people, corporations, schools, and colleges.

Kirti Yadav’s husband, Akar Misra, also joined the business after quittting his job. The couple now sells KuKClean items outside of Bengaluru, with demand coming from Delhi, Pune, and other cities.