“Remember that you are your greatest asset. So focus on your personal growth as much as you focus on your professional growth. Because in the long run, your personal growth will define your success in all the other areas of your life!”
One of the trending faces on social media right now is Raj Shamani, an entrepreneur, YouTuber, and podcaster. Founder of Shamani Industries, he is currently driving a ₹200 crore business that specialises in dishwashing liquids, soaps, detergents, and household cleaners.
Till today, Raj has delivered over 200 keynotes across 26 countries, making him one of the youngest Indians to speak at the United Nations Assembly in Vienna.
With an MBA degree from SP Jain Institue of Management & Research, he is recognised among India’s top five young influencers, he has addressed audiences at prominent platforms, including TEDx, Jaguar Land Rover, TCS, Reliance, Forbes, and Babson College.
Raj’s Background
Growing up in a family that started with little, he is now one of the most known podcasters in India.
It was in the 1980s that his grandfather and father moved to Indore from Rajasthan along with his uncle. In the initial days, they had to sell coconuts in the streets for their daily bread and butter. Eventually, his father was able to find work in a soap factory and learned the ropes in the industry. In 1990 he was finally able to set up his own dishwasher brand Jadugar.
The recession in 2008 and a diabetic attack in 2013 caused a major setback in the family, and Raj was pushed to provide for the family at just the age of 16. Struggling with academics and public speaking, entrepreneurship seemed to be the only way out for Raj,
Starting Early
At the age of 16, Raj believed he could continue the family’s legacy, and carry on the business his father set up. Even though he did not have formal training, he taught himself the nitty gritty with the help of his father and YouTube.
By borrowing 10,000 from his father, and employing the skills he drew from his background, he ventured into entrepreneurship with the aim of closing the market gap. As he shares, when he started his journey, there were not many competitors that dominated the market with dishwashing liquid that was both affordable and on par with the products from Vim and Pril.
With a direct sales approach, he personally demonstrated his product to families and local grocery owners. When it came to his strategy, he emphasised more on relationship-building over profit. As a result, he always priced his product in such a way that it stood out in the market.
Raj did things differently. While other brands in the market were giving away free sachets, he needed to do something ‘hatke’ to make the customers remember the products. To achieve this, he initially gave away full 500-ml bottles along with huge discounts on bulk purchases.
Brands and organisations that give back to society, always find a way to stand the test of time against all odds. Another strategy of Raj’s that proved to be a success in the long run, is giving housewives and women an opportunity to make money off commission on sales. Women who wanted to be financially independent, partnered with the brand and earned a 25% commission on each sale.
By 2014, Jadugar Drop was well-established in housing societies, and the business became profitable within a year.
Raj’s efforts gained recognition, leading him to represent India in a United Nations youth program in 2015. By 2016, he began speaking at global organisations, including Jaguar Land Rover, TCS, and Reliance. He merged his soap business with his father’s chemical trading company to form Shamani Industries, which now offers a range of household products and has a solid regional presence in Indore.
Other Ventures
One of the other ventures he is a part of is House of X, which was launched in September 2022. It is a platform that offers end-to-end tools to help creators build direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. The aim of the platform is to democratise brand creators for creators and to make them more accessible.
House of X debuted with Blanko in April 2023, a brand launched in collaboration with singer Arpan Kumar Chandel, popularly known as King, who rose to fame through MTV Hustle. Blanko’s launch was a success, achieving ₹20 lakhs in sales on its first day and a monthly revenue run rate of ₹1 crore, according to Forbes India.
Raj Shamani is also a part of other ventures like Figuring Out Academy, which is an edtech platform form that guides users in building and scaling up businesses from the ground up.
As an angel investor, he has invested in multiple startups, including Classplus, Growth School, Zionverse, Wint Wealth, Deciml, Mainstreet, and Avalon Scenes. Originally published in November 2022, he is also the author of the book Build, Don’t Talk: Things You Wish You Were Taught in School, available on Amazon and Flipkart.
