What does it take to build a ₹3000Cr skincare brand in the middle of a global pandemic — without celebrity endorsements, influencer hype, or big-budget marketing?

In this episode of S4 of the Blume Podcast, Karthik sits down with Mohit Yadav, Co-founder of Minimalist, to unpack the years of quiet compounding behind the brand’s breakout — from two brothers experimenting across multiple businesses, to launching a science-first skincare brand during COVID.

This is not a story of overnight virality or growth hacks. It’s a story of:

• Winning trust through ingredient transparency and product clarity
• Why India has wealth disparity, but skincare “knowledge parity” is rising fast
• What Minimalist got right (and what actually differentiated them)
• Why they chose to grow without influencers — and the flywheels that worked instead
• The underrated advantage of building from Jaipur
• The prior years of work that made their rapid growth possible

In a category built on hype and advertising, Minimalist won by respecting the consumer’s intelligence — and letting the product do the talking.

Chapters:

00:00:00 – Why Minimalist thought it could stand out (problem-first, “knowledge parity”)

00:04:21 – Jaipur roots, humble background, and why the two brothers chose “dhandha”

00:11:04 – First business: Scopial (design community) and how it started

00:13:31 – Snapdeal’s Kunal invests → pivot to Mango Street kidswear → acquisition exit

00:17:04 – CarDekho years: scaling up + Indonesia chapter + deciding to start again

00:25:07 – Freewill (personalised haircare) → regulatory roadblock → COVID → Minimalist is born

00:32:40 – Minimalist’s brand DNA: clinical proof, radical transparency, black-and-white design language

00:50:53 – Going global (GCC/SEA/US), Target rollout, building from Jaipur, Unilever deal + rapid-fire + advice (till end)

This season is brought to you in partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank and Ultrahuman.