Indian television actor Neha Marda recently stepped into entrepreneurship with her personal care brand, Phitku. In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestyle, she opened up about her journey of turning an ordinary alum into a modern, pharma-grade personal care product, the process behind Phitku, the importance of purity, and the criticism that comes with building a new category.
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How did Neha Marda come up with the idea for Phitku?
Pregnancy can bring several changes to a woman’s body, and Neha Marda was no exception. Post-pregnancy, Neha experienced a change in her body odour, which made her more conscious of what she was using on her skin and how she approached something as basic as underarm care.
“I started looking for ingredients and solutions that have been around us for generations. Alum is one of the most familiar household ingredients for us as Indians, so I started thinking about how I could reimagine it in a different way,” Neha said.
“The idea behind Phitku was never to make alum a fancy product. It was about making something familiar, more contemporary, convenient and desirable, and creating a product that could genuinely fit into a modern personal care routine,” Neha added.
What sets Phitku apart from other underarm care products?
Amid the growing variety of underarm care products available in the market, creating a category that genuinely stands out and offers a meaningful alternative can be challenging. Neha also emphasised that there is a larger shift happening in the market, with consumers becoming more intentional about what they put on their bodies. “People are looking for products that are simple, purposeful, thoughtful and well-designed for their body care. That’s really the space that we wanted to be in with Phitku,” she said.
According to Neha, Phitku does not directly compete with conventional deodorants because she considers it an entirely new category. “We are a new category altogether. We are not somebody who is providing you fragrance. Rather, we actually say that we are going to take away your bad smell. We are not an industrial alum. We take industrial raw alum and purify it to cosmetic-grade, IP-standard purity, with a pharma benchmark level. That is not something that any other brands would be doing, and that is how I think we make ourselves different. Altogether, we believe this is a new category that we have set,” Neha said.
Difference between Phitku and ordinary alum
Since the launch of Phitku, there has been constant comparison between the product and ordinary alum available in the market. According to Neha, the key difference lies in the grade and purification of the alum used. She explained that commonly available alum is usually industrial grade and may contain impurities, while Phitku uses refined alum purified to cosmetic-grade, IP-standard purity.
“The biggest cost component in Phitku is not the promotions but the purification process. Taking raw alum to cosmetic-grade, IP-standard purity through our proprietary purification technology, until it meets the required standards, is where the money and effort goes,” Neha emphasised.
Why Neha Marda refuses to make Phitku cheaper?
When asked how she would respond to consumers who find Phitku expensive, Neha said the focus should be on helping customers understand what goes into the product rather than simply promoting it through advertising.
“We don’t need to shout on ads. An educated customer who understands the tap water versus mineral water concept is the real person who would do a promotion for us,” said Neha. “I won’t make a cheaper Phitku by cutting purity. There is no affordable version of safety,” she added.
Neha Marda responds to criticism of her brand Phitku
Neha’s response to criticism has sometimes been perceived as personal or aggressive. However, she has a different perspective on the matter. “I think it feels personal because Phitku is deeply personal to me. This brand came out of my own experience and my own struggles, and I know firsthand how frustrating it can be to deal with something like body odour and not find a solution that works for you. So when someone has a concern about the product, I naturally care about it deeply,” she said.
“That said, I genuinely value customer criticism and feedback. It helps us understand where we can do better, and as a young brand, that is incredibly important to us. Every piece of feedback is an opportunity to improve the product and the experience we are creating,” Neha added.
“So if I respond, it isn’t because I don’t want to hear criticism. It is quite the opposite. I care enough to engage with it. I want our consumers to know that there is a real person behind the brand who is listening, learning, and trying to make Phitku better every day,” she clarified.
