What started as a hobby has now become Swasti Mehta's full-fledged business. She is a 27-year-old entrepreneur who did not let Down Syndrome stop her and is now selling her delicious Pudina Punches all across the country, including cities Jammu & Kashmir, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Kerala.
Before we were hit by the pandemic and our lives were normal, just like everyone else, Swasti Mehta was also busy with her life. She was learning art and craft, cooking, dancing, singing, and much more through a vocational training workshop called Abhilasha. But then the lockdown was announced, and her offline classes started happening online. During this time, she tried her hands on cooking and also started making different types of drinks for her family. Pudina Punch was one such drink that Swasti would make almost every evening, and one day her mother said something to her, which stayed with her.
"Swasti was on a holiday, and I was just wondering if she can do something more than classes. During the lockdown, she was making smoothies, drinks, watermelon & muskmelon juice, and what not, and so I suggested to her why don’t you sell it. Her brother Aarsh suggested the Pudina Punch that Swasti makes is really good and that it could do well", said Darshana Mehta, Swasti's mother.
A big Pudina hit!
After this, Swasti made samples of Pudina Punch and gave them to everybody in her building. She went go door to door to inform people if they like it, they could place their orders. This sweet and lovely gesture and her baby step towards her venture did very well, and people started giving orders. "She has always been very friendly and so people knew Swasti very well in the society and so that also worked", said Darshana.
After a while, Aarsh posted about Swasti's Pudina Punch on his personal Instagram and shared the same among his friends. The response on this one post was fabulous and they received enough orders for the next one and a half months. "The response was great and we got almost 300-400 orders in no time", said Aarsh.
After this, Aarsh learned more about Instagram from his friends and made Swasti's account. Today they have over 4,000 followers and their comment section is flooded with positive feedback and cheerful comments. Today, Swasti makes at least 20-25 bottles of Pudina Punch every single day and sells it all across the country.
"When we started it was lockdown, and so procuring the bottles and the ingredients was a task, but now it's going very well. People have been very appreciative and we haven't come across a single negative comment. One lady from Kolkata had even gifted a cotton saree to Swasti while there was another client who gifted her a very beautiful purse. All these compliments and gestures make my heart so full", Darshana further told us.
Helps with Acidity
Swasti's Pudina Punch is not just a regular drink. It's healthy and is really helpful for acidity, too. "Pudina is good for digestion and as we use a very good quantity it keeps it fresh for a longer time. Also, becasue we deliver all across India and sometimes it even takes up to 7 days, we ensure that the freshness is there for a longer period. We have many repeat customers and most of them have told us that our Pudina Punch has helped them with acidity and that it no longer troubles them", she said.
Swasti's Pudina Punch is definitely worth trying if you love sipping homemade fresh drinks. She starts her day by shopping for fresh Pudinas and Lemons from the local market in Andheri and then prepares Pudina Punch with the help of her family. Her Pudina Punch is not just made with fresh ingredients but also with her passion and love for everything that goes behind it. "I love making Pudina Punch and it usually takes about 3 hours to make it", mentioned Swasti.
Her brother Aarsh who manages her social media and most of the marketing, feels that Swasti's venture has brought his family closer. "It's amazing that now we have a shared goal. Also, if I talk about Swasti and my bond, we understand each other at a deeper level now", he smiled.
"People with Down Syndrome are very emotionally evolved"
Before ending this inspiring conversation about Swasti's Pudina Punch journey, Aarsh mentioned a few important noteworthy things about Down Syndrome. "Logon ne halla bana kar rakha hai. People have this notion that those who have Down Syndrome are very dysfunctional, which is not at all true. 2 days back, one of my friends was asking me how should he greet Swasti. I told him to just say hello and talk to her nicely. She is just like other people and so is everybody else with Down Syndrome. Let's not make it look like a huge problem", he further commented.
Swasti will soon be launching her new flavour Desi Dalchini!
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