Iba Halal Care is Ahmedabad (Gujarat) based company which is entitled to be India’s first Halal Certified beauty products in Indian market tapping the untapped market of Halal Conscious Customers. Saif Alam Siddiqui of Maeeshat interviewed company CEO Mauli Teli. Here is the excerpt.

Maeeshat: First of all I would like your introduction and struggle to be India’s pioneer in Halal cosmetics.

Mauli:  In 2012 my sister (Grishma Teli) and I (Mauli Teli) started our company ecotrail personal care. being entrepreneurs we were keen to launch our own brand of products. It was important for us to launch products that were different, effective and met unfulfilled needs. Personal care and cosmetic products are now part of daily grooming and desired equally by women and men. We studied habits and usage of personal care and cosmetic products across the country. We observed that personal care and beauty needs of Muslim women and men were compromised due to the non-availability of pure, certified Halal cosmetics. eg lipsticks contain and other make up products are known to contain pig fat and animal derived ingredients. Perfumes and deodorants containing alcohol are not permitted when offering Namaz hence not preferred. The launch of iba halal care aims to offer 100 percent Halal certified personal care and cosmetics products which are permitted for use by all without compromise or guilt. infact iba products are also vegan and animal cruelty free . The entire range of iba products are certified by Halal India Authority. We have also got the Halal certification for the iba manufacturing facility. Halal India Authority is a government registered body which works with companies and brands to review, inspect and monitor every aspect of the product. From ingredients used to the manufacturing process and plant hygiene eg.all ingredients are pure, free of pig fat, alcohol, animal derivatives etc. Halal India Authority inspects regularly and we renew the certification every year to ensure products certified by them meet global Halal standards.

Maeeshat:  “Iba Halal Care” how this perception comes to your mind?

Mauli:  Halal cosmetics are ethical beauty products rooted in the science of “Halal”. They are free of alcohol and impurities such as pig fat, gelatin, keratin, other animal derived ingredients, sulfates, parabens and harsh chemicals. Most popular cosmetic brands contain these non-Halal ingredients. In fact ,Halal cosmetics are not only natural but vegan and animal cruelty free. They are pure and hygienically manufactured. Such products are good for us as well as for our environment. Iba is India’s first halal certified brand having a wide range of products in skin care, hair care, color cosmetics and fragrances.

Maeeshat:  What is the future of Halal cosmetics care products in India?

Mauli:  India has world’s second largest Muslim population. However there is no cosmetics brand that caters to the unmet need of offering pure, Halal certified products to this consumer segment. At the same time, many consumers, especially women, don’t know that cosmetics products generally available in the market contain non-halal ingredients such as pig fat, alcohol and harsh chemicals. So we believe that the market for Halal cosmetics is sizeable in India but at the same time awareness also has to be generated on how Halal cosmetics are different than other products.

Maeeshat:  How Iba Halal Care stand out of the crowed in spite of throat cutting competition of multinational brands?

Mauli:  Iba Halal Care is India’s first and only halal certified brand. We have more than 80+ products such as creams, lotions, lipsticks, kajal, foundations, hair colors, fragrances, deodorants, shampoos, hair oils, soaps, talc, etc. that are 100% free of pig fat and other animal derived ingredients, alcohol and harsh chemicals like sulfates and parabens. Along with being Halal certified, all our products are also vegan and cruelty-free. No other brand in India currently offers these same benefits. Also, our products are reasonably priced in the range of Rs. 40 – 350. This gives a lot of value to consumers as Iba products are safe, pure and effective at the same time, they are reasonably priced and hence can be used daily.

Maeeshat:  How Iba Halal is different from other herbal product range?

Mauli:  Ayurvedic or herbal products are not Halal. Many products claiming ayurvedic and herbal formulations could contain alcohol, animal derived ingredients, parabens, sulfates etc.  Iba is free from these non-Halal ingredients; iba is also vegan and animal cruelty free. Iba products contain ingredients such as shea butter, olive oil, aloe vera, vitamins and plant extracts, mineral based colours, exotic fragrances which make them effective and deliver a good user experience.

Maeeshat:  Is really Halal term associated with targeting only Muslim market segment?

Mauli:  We are glad to share that the response from both Muslim as well as non-Muslim customers has been really good till-date which is of course very satisfying to us. They really appreciate the fact that Iba products are pure, Halal certified, vegan, vegetarian and at the same time of high quality and affordable. They demand more new products from Iba such as eyeliners, mascara, compact powders, etc. which we hope to launch soon.

Maeeshat:  What is the future of halal marketing USP (unique selling proposition) in India?

Mauli:  Halal as a USP is very strong selling proposition and as more and more consumers are becoming aware of the true meaning and benefits of Halal products, we are seeing the emergence of ‘Halal’ option in various segments such as food, cosmetics, travel as well as finance. While adequate awareness still needs to be generated, it has a wide and growing prospect in India across various segments.

Maeeshat:  How you compare the response from Middle East and India?

Mauli:  Iba halal care products are only available in India currently. However, there are significant inquiries and interest from the Middle East, Africa, and other Asian countries and we are gearing up to cater to exports market in the coming year. We are launching Iba halal care in South Africa soon as well as UK.

Maeeshat:  What is the association between Ecotrail personal care and Iba Halal Care.

Mauli:  Ecotrail Personal Care is the name of our company and Iba Halal Care is the brand which is owned and operated by Ecotrail Personal Care.

Maeeshat:  What is your expansion plan in India.

Mauli:  Iba Halal Care products are currently available through our 6 exclusive stores located in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Surat, Vadodara and Bengaluru. Iba products are also available through 100+ shop-in-shop counters across Gujarat and through all major online portals such as Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal, PayTM, Nykaa and Purplle. We are soon opening franchisee outlets across Kerala, Hyderabad and in Maharashtra. Our target is to have 100+  franchisee stores across India in the next 2 years.