In Conversation with Anurag Kedia, Co-founder, NuAyurveda Clinic
The long-lost, ancient techniques of natural healing like Ayurveda, Acupuncture, and Reiki are gaining popularity with people in today’s times of stress and excessive medication. You may think that in a place like India, it would be easy to walk into an Ayurveda clinic and get a quality consultation. But it’s not so, as the science of Ayurveda requires doctors or therapists who have been well-trained in their subject.
Anurag Kedia and his business partners Sunil Rao and Saurabh Garg realized that the Indian market was ripe for a high-quality clinic which could offer Ayurvedic treatments and medications. They were already in the business of de-stressing people through their other venture, Four Fountains De-stress Spas. They set up NuAyuveda in October 2014 and since then, they have set up 12 clinics across India with investor funding from Fulcrum Ventures. [1]
Anurag Kedia, co-founder of an Ayurveda clinic called NuAyuveda. Photo Credit: Anurag Kedia
We caught up with Anurag Kedia, a changemaker in the world of Ayurveda and wellness.
OF: What gave birth to the idea of having an Ayurveda Clinic?
AK: We had been operating Four Fountains Spa for close to 7 years. We were offering our clients two popular Ayurveda massage treatments. One of them was Abhayangam in which the whole body is therapeutically massaged with medicated herbal oils, which helps make the skin youthful and supple. The other was Shirodhara which involves pouring warm herbal oil gently over the forehead. This really helps relax the body and mind. [2]
But then, we start getting a demand for a complete range of Ayurveda treatments such as Panchakarma which was not on our menu.
The Panchakarma treatment in Ayurveda is an ancient detoxification technique which removes deep-rooted toxins and helps rejuvenate our entire system. That’s when we started exploring the idea of launching a full-fledged Ayurveda clinic. And that’s how NuAyurveda was born.
OF: So you finally decided to take up the challenge of setting up a full-fledged Ayurveda clinic…
AK: We were already in the business of wellness, but only on the preventive side. We realized that with NuAyurveda, we will be able to offer curative solutions as well.
OF: There are several Ayurveda clinics in India. How is NuAyurveda different?
AK: Firstly, there are very few Ayurveda clinics which have a pan-India presence.
At NuAyurveda, we have standardized treatment protocols across our clinics. All our therapists are trained at our training academy in Pune to ensure high quality of services. We also maintain a high standard of hygiene & cleanliness. And lastly, all our medicines & oils are procured from Kerala only from trusted brand partners.
Woman getting a massage indoors. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
OF: Did you face challenges while you set up the NuAyurveda clinics?
AK: Our biggest challenge has been attracting, training and retaining the best quality doctors and therapists. We have our in-house training academy in Pune that has helped us train our staff and standardize treatment practices.
OF: What markets are you targeting and why?
AK: We are currently present in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Gurgaon, and Bangalore with 12 clinics. We chose to begin in these markets because we understand them well. We will soon be expanding to other metros and semi-metros.
OF: Can you share any interesting ways you did market research?
AK: Before we started NuAyurveda, we spoke to close to 50 potential consumers about Ayurveda to understand their perceptions, attitudes, and thoughts about the science. We also conducted online surveys to understand the market. Since Ayurveda is a vast and an ancient science, we spoke to several Ayurveda doctors and experts, and read books and articles on the subject.
For us, market research and understanding the consumers is an ongoing process.
Even now, we continue to speak to all our team members who engage with our consumers on a regular basis to collect their feedback. We also speak to consumers on an ongoing basis for this at the clinics and outside the clinics.
OF: And lastly, what makes you a changemaker in the Ayurveda world?
AK: NuAyurveda is an integrated Ayurveda clinic.
Ayurveda delivers the best results for people when the Ayurvedic medicines, the Panchkarma treatment, and counseling – all of these three are combined and followed. Many Ayurvedic clinics do not offer the Panchkarma treatment of extensive detoxification. Some of them offer it but treat it like a spa treatment. They do not offer high-quality medical consultation.
A back massage is effective for releasing stress and tension in the muscles. Photo Credit: Shutterstock
Then, there are clinics which offer all three but do not maintain hygiene. For instance, Ayurvedic herbal oils can have a strong smell which can get absorbed in the entire premise of the clinic if attention is not paid to it.
We have ensured that NuAyurveda clinics stand out in the Ayurveda space by making sure that we have well-trained therapists and highly qualified doctors. Our medicines are sourced only from the best brands. We want to offer a beautiful customer experience which is why we have kept accessible locations for our clinics and we offer great prices.
