For Richa Jaggi, the idea behind Awshad began with a deeply personal loss. After losing her pet, Champ, to cancer, she began looking more closely at health, wellness and the options available to people caring for someone unwell. That experience also led her to explore the potential of cannabis-derived products in a medical context. Alongside this personal motivation, she saw a wider gap in India: medical cannabis was still misunderstood, often discussed through stigma rather than clear information.
That gap became the starting point for Awshad. The brand was built around the need to make the category more accessible through education, responsible communication and a focus on quality. Since then, the company has grown 20x, served more than 10,000 customers and achieved profitability in FY25. In this conversation with Indian Startup Times, Richa Jaggi discusses the personal story behind the venture, the realities of marketing a sensitive category, the importance of consumer trust and her plans for Awshad’s next phase.
1. A Personal Experience That Shaped the Founding Story
Awshad’s story is deeply personal to me. I lost my pet, Champ, to cancer, and that experience changed the way I looked at health, wellness and the choices available when someone we love is unwell. It made me more curious about alternative approaches to wellness and the potential role of cannabis-derived products in a medical context.
At the same time, I began noticing a gap in India’s understanding of medical cannabis. The category had long been surrounded by stigma and misconceptions, leaving many people unaware of its potential medical applications. I saw an opportunity to build a brand that could bring greater awareness, accessibility and credibility to this space through education, responsible communication and quality. Awshad was born from that intention, and Champ will always remain an important part of its story.
2. Turning the Idea into a Business
Building Awshad meant taking on two challenges at once: creating a business and helping consumers understand a category that was unfamiliar to many. We had to think carefully about our products, quality standards and customer experience, while also finding the right way to communicate with people who had genuine concerns or limited prior knowledge of medical cannabis.
One of our biggest early learnings was that we could not approach this like a conventional consumer brand. We needed patience, a clear understanding of our customers and the discipline to build for the long term instead of chasing quick wins. Turning the initial vision into a functioning business required us to keep learning, adapt to the market and make decisions that balanced growth with responsibility.
3. Making Consumer Education a Priority
Consumer education has always been central to our approach at Awshad. There is still considerable confusion around medical cannabis, CBD and the distinction between medical applications and recreational use. People have questions about safety, legality, ingredients and appropriate use. Those questions deserve clear, responsible answers rather than aggressive sales pitches.
I believe trust begins with honesty and with making complex information easier to understand. We focus on helping consumers understand what they are considering, without making exaggerated promises or presenting any product as a miracle solution. For me, successful marketing in this category is not simply about converting a customer. It is also about helping people make informed decisions and giving them a reason to trust the brand.
4. Awshad’s Business Model and Customer Approach
Awshad offers a range of products, including CBD oils, capsules, gummies, topical formulations and pet wellness products. The aim is to cater to different preferences and needs within the category while ensuring that each product has a clear purpose and meets our quality and compliance requirements. Our business brings together product development, consumer education and a strong focus on the overall customer experience.
Reaching customers is only one part of the equation. We also focus on giving them the information and support they need to make informed choices and feel confident about their purchases. Repeat customers and word of mouth are particularly valuable in a category where trust takes time to build. Ultimately, we want to create lasting customer relationships rather than depend entirely on acquiring new customers.
5. Building a Distinct and Trustworthy Brand
I believe Awshad’s differentiation lies in how we approach the category as a whole, not just in the products we sell. Quality, responsible communication, accessible information and customer experience all matter. Consumers need to understand what they are buying and feel confident that the brand takes their concerns seriously.
As a marketer, I want Awshad to be approachable without trivialising the category, and credible without becoming overly technical. That balance is important when speaking to people who may be discovering medical cannabis for the first time. We want to build a brand that earns trust through consistency, transparency and the experience we deliver, rather than relying on marketing claims alone.
6. Navigating the Challenges of Marketing a Sensitive Category
Marketing medical cannabis has taught me to be more thoughtful about every aspect of brand communication. There are regulatory requirements and genuine sensitivities involved, so we cannot simply follow conventional marketing playbooks. Our communication has to be responsible, factual and aligned with applicable regulations, particularly when it comes to product descriptions and health-related claims.
At the same time, these restrictions can push us to become more creative in how we build awareness. Education, useful content, customer engagement and a consistent brand voice become especially important. I see responsible marketing as an advantage in the long run because a brand in this category cannot afford to build attention at the expense of credibility.
7. Growth, Customer Reach and Profitability
Growing 20x since inception, serving more than 10,000 customers and achieving profitability in FY25 are important milestones for Awshad. Building a business in an emerging category requires more than acquiring customers. It requires helping people understand the category, earning their confidence and creating a product and customer experience that gives them a reason to return.
One of the biggest lessons for me has been that growth needs to be supported by sound business fundamentals. Customer acquisition is important, but so are retention, cost management and financial discipline. Profitability has reinforced the importance of building a business that is commercially sustainable, rather than focusing only on visibility or headline growth numbers.
8. Overcoming Stigma and Market Challenges
One of our biggest ongoing challenges has been overcoming the stigma and misconceptions surrounding cannabis, as well as the restrictions involved in advertising and marketing the brand. Often, people form an opinion about the category before they understand a specific product or its intended application.
This means that creating awareness alone is not enough. We also have to address concerns and help consumers distinguish facts from assumptions. It takes patience and consistency to build understanding in a category where people may approach the subject with preconceived notions.
9. Compliance and Quality as the Basis for Confidence
In a category like ours, compliance and quality are fundamental to the business. Our approach involves understanding the applicable regulatory requirements and ensuring that product sourcing, documentation, labelling and communication meet the relevant standards.
Product testing and quality assurance are equally important in establishing consistency and supporting informed consumer choices. In the long run, consumer confidence has to be built through responsible practices and reliable product standards, not communication alone.
10. Developing Products Around Customer Needs
I believe product innovation should begin with understanding customer needs rather than launching products simply to expand a portfolio. Customer questions and feedback help us understand what people find confusing, which formats they prefer and where existing options fall short. These insights are valuable when deciding which opportunities are worth pursuing.
Our expansion into categories such as gummies reflects the potential to address adjacent needs. However, every new category requires its own understanding of customers, quality and regulatory considerations. We want to expand thoughtfully, with products that serve a genuine purpose.
11. Leadership and the Co-Founder’s Role
As Co-Founder and CMO, I look at Awshad from both a brand-building and a business perspective. Understanding customers, developing marketing strategies and creating a strong brand identity are important, but these decisions also need to support the company’s broader goals, including sustainable growth and profitability.
For me, the role involves keeping the customer at the centre while ensuring that brand decisions contribute to the company’s long-term direction. The brand’s promise must be reflected not only in its communication but also in the way the business operates.
12. The Road Ahead for Awshad
Over the next three to five years, I want Awshad to become a more established and trusted name in India’s medical cannabis wellness space. We also want to create a stronger on-ground retail footprint through our own spaces and clinics.
We will continue to evaluate opportunities for expansion with a clear understanding of market demand and applicable regulations. The focus will remain on building the brand responsibly and strengthening the trust we have worked to create.
13. Advice for Entrepreneurs
My advice to founders is to start with a real problem and understand it deeply before getting carried away with the idea of building a brand. In an emerging category, you have to be prepared to educate the market, listen to customers and accept that building trust takes time.
You cannot expect consumers to understand or embrace something simply because you believe in its potential. It takes consistency, patience and a willingness to learn from the people you are trying to serve.
Interview By : Palak
