The story of Umesh Soni is a typical example of success despite a series of disappointments. From a shattered dream of becoming a medical doctor, to being rejected for a hospital job, Umesh didn’t lose heart but forged on to become one of the leading manufacturers of cosmetics from a purely organic source—cow dung.
The Mumbai based entrepreneur is the Founder and CEO of Cowpathy, one of the first companies in the country to manufacture soaps and other cosmetics from cow dung.
From selling the first batch of soaps at ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) outlets to later diversifying into cow dung based shaving cream, dish washing soap, and toothpaste, Umesh is now exporting to 13 countries, including the US and his company’s annual turnover has touched Rs 2 crore.
“Today we sell over 45,000 units of soap every month across India through our distributors in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Assam, Punjab and Haryana,” shares Umesh.
Hailing from Palanpur, Gujarat, Umesh did his schooling from M.M. Mehta English Medium School in Palanpur after which he shifted to Mumbai to study at Wilson College for Science. Since he could not pursue his dream of studying medicine in Mumbai on domicile grounds, he had opted for microbiology.
Determined to work in the health sector, he applied for a researcher’s post at Harkishandas Hospital in Mumbai, but he was not selected for the job.
In 2004, he did a six-month post graduate diploma in Foreign Trade from the World Trade Institute, Mumbai. Later, between 2006 and 2008 he worked as an export executive at two export companies dealing with toiletries and cosmetics. The experience he gained in those two years laid the foundation for his career.
Client from the Caribbean contacted him after seeing his profile online and placed an order for ten shipping containers of washing powder. That business gave his company a fresh lease of life. Around this time his friend left the partnership and Umesh gained full control of RaVino Industries.
People were apprehensive about the odour too. Umesh says the smell and texture of the raw products is treated at their factories in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. Perfumes and other acceptable aromas are added to the product during the treatment.
Source and Credit : http://www.theweekendleader.com/Success/2728/milking-the-cow.html.
