Eco-friendly Clean Sweep

Simran Khara, Founder and CEO of Koparo, a D2C brand in home and hygiene says that Koparo Clean was a lockdown baby during the Covid 19. During that time, her husband and our 4-year-old daughter were all involved in cleaning their home. I noticed that ingredients in home cleaning had chemicals, be it dishwasher or floor cleaner. “Products I assumed to be safe had toxins, known carcinogens, allergens, and more. This shocking finding encouraged me to take measures to address the substantial need for home sanitation and personal hygiene,” says Simran who is based in Delhi.

Organic Compounds (VOCs), bleach, ammonia, phosphates, and artificial colours pose significant risks to our health and the environment. Research reveals that toxic chemicals in conventional household cleaners can cause skin or respiratory issues, chemical burns, or watery eyes to chronic hazards such as cancer, fertility issues, and more.

All this led her to research and launch a plant-based home and hygiene brand Koparo Clean. “With the lack of options for safer alternatives, I decided to take the initiative with my start-up to fill this gap in the market. Koparo takes vision from the word ‘Kopra,’ which means coconut. Koparo products are made from naturally derived ingredients, including coconut-based cleaning agents,” states Simran. She searched and found the most powerful plant-based ingredients that took the fight to dirt, grime, and germs and packed them in the cleaners. She avoids using non-biodegradable ingredients that are potentially harmful to humans and harmful to the planet. The cleaners are between 95 to 99% biodegradable.

The products are certified vegan and cruelty-free, making them safe for homes with pets and kids. Koparo’s products combine surfactants with organic bio-enzymes and essential oils. Most ingredients are obtained from plants or natural sources and are completely free of certain potentially toxic chemicals.

The products are clear liquids as they don’t use synthetic dyes or any artificial colour. The efficacy of the products has undergone rigorous testing in the lab, leading to the launch of four products in 2021, and then gradually she added more range. The products are made in factories in Gujarat and Maharashtra and sold in recyclable bottles.

After 17 years of diverse corporate experiences, Simran turned into an Eco entrepreneur. She has been CEO of Juggernaut Books and has worked with McKinsey and Company, Hotstar, and Star TV. An MBA in Marketing and Finance from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, she is also an alumnus of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi; University London School of Economics (UK).

Her advice is to be an informed and aware consumer. “Read the labels of the products be it a handwashing or dishwashing liquid carefully so you know the ingredients, what you are using, and what you’re letting your children use. Opt for safer chemical-free products. Be alert for the wellbeing of your family.”

Trending at Rs 3 crore monthly revenues the brand counts prominent consumer investors Saama Capital, DSG Consumer, and 4P Capital as its major investors. Her focus is on expanding distribution both online and offline and besides online it is available in 35 stores in Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

“The biggest inspiration is the happy consumer who says that their hands are soft and there is no skin irritation after using the dish cleaner, they feel safe with using laundry detergent for kids’ clothes or their pets don’t itch after using the floor cleaner. I always look at half glass full rather than half glass empty,” she says.