The BarberShop with Shantanu 72% Repeat Rate but Only ₹23Cr Revenue: What’s Stopping Little Rituals From ₹100Cr?
Mar 26, 2026
Arjun Purkayastha, a senior consumer executive with scaling and distribution expertise, and Gaurang Marvania, founder of Little Rituals and trained cosmetic formulator, discuss premium baby-care growth. They talk about product safety and formulation choices. They cover channel strategy, founder-led content, sampling and reinvestment. They debate SKU focus, quick-commerce and when to raise funding.
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From Home Lab To First ₹7 Crore Run Rate
- Gaurang started Little Rituals from a home lab in Switzerland after making a body-lotion recipe while parenting a two-year-old.
- He invested ₹50 lakh, launched three massage oils, then added three products with another ₹50 lakh to reach ~₹7 Cr ARR.
Current Channel Mix And Priority
- Little Rituals' current revenue split is roughly 50% D2C, ~25% Amazon, and ~20% FirstCry with emerging quick commerce tests.
- D2C remains central while marketplaces and quick commerce are secondary expansion channels.
Safety First Formulation Drives Higher COGS
- Little Rituals prioritises ingredient safety and avoids 'gray zone' ingredients, choosing photostable filters like Tinosorb S and zinc oxide for sunscreen.
- This makes formulation costs high (c. ₹400 COGS for the sunscreen) but yields a verifiable safety claim.