Balika Vadhu actress Neha Marda started with Rs 10 and now earns crores monthly through her growing business venture

Neha Marda, who became a household name after playing Gehna in the iconic TV show Balika Vadhu, recently began her entrepreneurial journey with an alum-based underarm roll-on business. What started with alum worth just Rs 10 has now reportedly grown into a company that earns nearly Rs 2 crore every month. According to Neha Marda, the company earned over Rs 14 crore within just 10 months of its launch. She also shared that the business grew quickly because of strong online reach and increasing interest from customers.

Neha appeared on Shark Tank India season 5 earlier this year where she spoke about the personal experience that led to the idea. She also opened up about how her post pregnancy body odour shattered all her confidence.

Speaking about her experience on the show, she shared, "Post my pregnancy, I started feeling a little discomfort with my body odor. Being an actor, my confidence was shaken that day. Nothing actually worked to solve it."

She added, “What began as a personal problem soon turned into a business idea."

Neha further stated that she looked for many natural and organic products to solve the problem but could not find anything truly effective in the market.

She said, “I searched for every organic product available, but couldn’t find one that worked. I had no option but to continue using deodorants. As an actor and public figure, it became very frustrating. It’s such a common issue, yet no one wants to talk about it.”

Neha Marda started the brand with her brother. The two reportedly spent almost three years researching and creating the product before launching it in the market.

As per reports, the product was initially sold for Rs 99. But as the formula, ingredients, and production process improved over time, the price later went up to Rs 999. This major price increase led to criticism and trolling online. Many people questioning whether customers would spend so much on the product.

Later, Neha Marda explained that the higher price was due to years of research and several improvements made to enhance the product’s quality and results.

Even after facing criticism, the product seems to have built a strong customer base. During her pitch on Shark Tank India 5, Neha revealed that the brand earned over Rs 14 crore within just 10 months of launch.

Neha shared during her pitch that the brand now has over 2 lakh customers and reportedly makes nearly Rs 2 crore per month. She also revealed that their social media pages has an important role in their brand's fast growth. According to Neha Marda, the brand’s Instagram page received nearly 24.5 million organic views, which helped more people learn about the product.

During her appearance on Shark Tank India she spoke about the struggles she faced in proving herself as a business founder and not just a television actress.

Things were not very simple for Neha on the shwow as she faced some sharp questions from the Sharks. Despite Neha being a well-known face on Hindi TV, the Sharks openly questioned the brand’s early reach and growth. The Sharks even discussed Neha’s celebrity status. They question whether her popularity as a TV actress helped boost the brand’s marketing and sales.

Neha Marda faced some tough questions from Sharks Amit Jain, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal and Aman Gupta about the product’s branding, future growth possibilities, and pricing.

Neha shot to popularity with Balika Vadhu. The actress took a break from acting to embrace motherhood. She has also been a part of other shows like Doli Armaanon Ki, Kyun Rishton Mein Katti Batti, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa to name a few.