The face behind HaldyPlus Nutrition Pte. Ltd. – Push Sharma!
What’s your story?
Hi ! I’m Push Sharma and I am the founder & CEO of Haldy. I am a graduate from Columbia University, USA and have lived and worked across 5 countries besides India – where I am originally from. Turmeric is a superfood well known for its host of health benefits, so I wanted to find a way to include Turmeric in my daily routine. But the challenge is that to eat Turmeric in a pill, powder or even a drink form is neither tasty nor convenient. To be honest, it can feel medicinal and it’s hard to build a routine around. So, my goal was to take something that we all routinely eat (i.e Breath Mints) and make a “Better For You” version of the same by adding Turmeric to it, but without any aftertaste of Turmeric. From that vision, the concept of HALDY was born. Haldy Sugarfree Turmeric Mints are a Tasty, Refreshing and Convenient way to Add the Golden Goodness of Turmeric and Boost Your Daily Routine. They come in a premium, beautifully designed, recyclable ‘Patented’ packaging that is sleek and chic. It is smaller than a credit card, which makes it compact, but still fits ~40mints per pack. This happens to be the WORLD’S FIRST of its kind of breath-mints formulation infused with curcumin extract, that is manufactured in a F.D.A. and B.R.C.G.S. certified facility. The ‘X-Factor’ in Haldy is the Curcumin extract. (i.e principal Bioactive substance in Turmeric) – which makes it a ‘Better For You’ choice versus other commercial mints that are available in the market. To be clear though, while the Therapeutic benefits of Turmeric are well documented, with Haldy, we have steered clear of making Therapeutic claims. Our primary purpose is to provide Freshness of breath, in a Convenient way. Our consumers can enjoy Haldy the same way they would their regular mints, knowing that the curcumin extract makes Haldy a ‘Better’ choice. Details of our nutritional information and Ingredients are mentioned on our recyclable PET packaging label. Haldy is a proudly home-grown Singaporean brand. The unique multi-cultural landscape of Singapore offers rich inspiration for innovation. We are very proud to have worked with local talent for the strategy, design and art direction to bring Haldy to life. I welcome you all to Discover Haldy Living ! and to Boost your Daily Routine.
How & Why did you start your company/passion work?
I started HaldyPlus Nutrition Pte Ltd. in June 2021 in Singapore, in the middle of Covid-19 and I launched ‘Haldy’, on 1st February 2023. It took me 18 months of multiple rounds of consumer trails, product formulation, testing etc. before I could launch the brand. In addition to that, with all the travel restrictions that came due to Covid-19, made it extremely difficult to launch. The consumer insights reaffirmed my belief; ie. to include Turmeric as a part of my daily routine, in a tasty, refreshing and convenient way. I wanted to connect with the consumer by means of story telling. Hence the blend of ancient Ayurveda in a modern format was appealing. I also didn’t want to introduce yet another mint brand but something that offers consumers a lot more. Consumers have been consuming Turmeric in various forms which have been difficult to build a routine around. Turmeric (Cookies, Power, Pill, Capsule, Latte, Gummies) etc. are not only expensive, but are not easy to build a routine, due to the bulky packaging and thus not convenient to carry. Also, the taste of Turmeric can be polarising, thus I had to find a way to make it appealing to the mass market consumers. Given Singapore does not allow consumption of chewing gums, to launch a breath-mint was a perfect fit. The brand name Haldy is a mix of the word Haldi (aka Turmeric in Hindi language) and the word Healthy. Our logo h was inspired by the Turmeric leaf, our mnemonic device (Haldy Lady) was inspired by Indian Mural Art from Kerala with an Indo-Western influence, which gives the brand a modern yet earthy, organic look and feel. Thus with trendy eco-friendly packaging and delicious taste of the product it has been a win for all.
How do you bring BALANCE to your roles as MOTHER: FOUNDER: SELF?
I am a trailing spouse. My wife works in the corporate world as a Managing Director & VP APAC of a large listed American MNC. We have lived and worked in several countries such as Singapore, India, US, Mainland China including Hong Kong (SAR China). I started my first entrepreneurial venture in 2012, after i quit the corporate world to follow my dream. In the last 11 years, we have lived in 3 countries where we moved due to my wife’s job. It was tough, but I continued to find ways to learn and build my venture. Haldy is my third venture, the last two ventures allowed me to balance work and family while we moved around. I guess I also found balance by doing meditation, yoga and taking small but measured steps towards my overall health and wellness. I’m happy to say that to launch Haldy has been an amazing journey. In your entrepreneurial journey, family always comes first !
Any recent accomplishment you would like to share with us? (personal/professional)
On the professional front: It has been a dream run, since I launched Haldy on 1st February 2023. In April, we won the coveted SME500 Singapore award for 2023. In April 2023 was also invited to exhibit Haldy at ISM Cologne (Germany), which is the World’s Largest Trade Fair for Sweets and Snacks. In June 2023 we got nominated for the Startup of the Year 2023 by FIT Summit, Singapore as the youngest entrant in the category. Straits Times Singapore featured us twice, first in April then in May 2023. In August 2023 we were featured on the cover of one of the oldest manufacturing innovation magazine based in the US. I’m happy to announce that we have just won (September 2023) the prestigious MUSE Design Award 2023 USA, for our innovative packaging, which is a huge recognition for us internationally. Lastly, we have been shortlisted as a finalist for the coveted Gama Global Innovation Award 2023, UK. As you can see, exciting times for us as a young Singapore startup. On the personal front: My 12 year old (author) daughter has qualified for the World Scholars Cup 2023 at Yale University, USA where she will be representing her school and Singapore in November 2023. My wife just won the AmCham Equality Award for 2023, which was awarded to her by the Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore Mr. Lawrence Wong on 1st September at MBS and her book that she co-authored is an Amazon Best Seller.
What would you like to say to fellow mothers or women thinking of starting a business?
My advise for women/founders, would be : The sooner you start the better it is. Fail fast, but fall forward. Don’t overthink it and keep it simple at the same time. You will never get it right the first time so start small, be flexible, so you can pivot if required. Seek for advice and make sure you speak to as many people/advisors as you can to gain insights/feedback.
What are three words you would use to describe your experience of being a Mother/Founder ?
Hardworking. Positive. Solution Minded.
Find & Know More about Push sharma and his brand!
Connect with him.
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Website: https://haldyplus.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HaldyPlus/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haldyplus
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pnsharma/
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