Sohrai Beauty is Bringing Mahua from Tribal Forests to Global Skincare

The story of Sohrai Beauty begins not in a laboratory or boardroom, but on a train traversing the Indian countryside. Khanak Gupta, then working in pharmaceuticals in Boston, joined the Jagriti Yatra, a 15-day entrepreneurship programme that challenges participants to explore India whilst staying aboard a train. It was here she met Rupesh Pawar, a scientist from a village in Maharashtra, whose observations would spark a revolutionary skincare venture.

"On that train, whilst doing the programme, I came across Rupesh, who comes from Maharashtra," Gupta recalls. "He told me about the research he's doing on Mahua and how he feels it could be the next big thing in skincare."

Rupesh's insight came from watching his mother and aunt harvest Mahua flowers daily, wondering if the seed oil could have applications beyond its traditional uses. For Gupta, who had never been exposed to Mahua despite its prevalence in India, this was entirely new territory. "It was all his discovery," she explains. Within months of returning to India, Gupta joined forces with Rupesh and, after pitching to Estée Lauder and Nykaa, secured their first round of funds to launch Sohrai Beauty.

The Science Behind the Seed

Whilst Mahua flowers are commonly used in food, particularly in states like Odisha, where they're made into pitha, Sohrai focuses on the often-overlooked seed oil. The ingredient's unique properties set it apart in an increasingly crowded natural skincare market. "Whilst most oils lean heavily on a single fatty acid profile, for example, like they might have oleic acid like in coconut oil or linoleic acid in rosehip oil, Mahua has a more or less balanced fatty acid profile," Gupta notes. "So it helps with deep hydration but with a lightweight nourishment."

The brand name itself reflects a broader mission beyond skincare. Sohrai refers to both a tribal festival and a distinctive painting style, embodying the founders' commitment to celebrating tribal culture holistically. "We were always based on bringing out the tribal beauty in entirety rather than just from a skincare lens," Gupta explains. When customers order from Sohrai, they receive a Gond art postcard drawn by renowned Gond artists, a deliberate choice to honour the music, art, and festivals of India's tribal communities.

Creating a New Category

In a market saturated with vitamin C serums and niacinamide formulations, Sohrai Beauty has taken a different approach. "I really feel we are making our own trend by introducing Mahua to the world," Gupta says confidently. "We are not following any trend by copying any vitamin C or niacinamide serum; we are really trying to pave a path for India on the global stage."

Interestingly, whilst customers from Mahua-growing regions like Jharkhand express pride in the brand's origins, the heaviest sales come from Mumbai and Bangalore. 

Gupta attributes this to metro cities' appetite for premium, innovative brands and a deeper psychological driver, "People in the metro cities feel so detached from the forests of India, from the natural ingredients, that they feel that our brand could be a way they can reconnect with nature."

Responsible Growth and the Vision Ahead

As Sohrai gains traction, including international recognition, the founders remain acutely aware of their responsibility to both the ingredient and the communities that harvest it. The brand is adamant about avoiding the fate of over-commercialised natural ingredients. "The last thing that we want is for Mahua to become a mass-produced crazy thing," Gupta emphasises.

Rather than viewing scaling as purely commercial expansion, Sohrai sees it as an opportunity for tribal empowerment. "We are trying to add value to a product that they're already harvesting," Gupta explains. "So we can actually impact millions of tribal women's lives if we just make this seed that they're already harvesting into a very sellable product."

The brand's 2026 vision is ambitious: "I want Mahua to be the next shea butter," Gupta declares. "It was like Africa was able to make a whole billion-dollar industry with shea and empower millions of African women. I feel there is the same scope for Mahua to do that for India, and Sohrai wants to pave pathways for that."

For a brand less than a year old, Sohrai Beauty has already demonstrated that ancient botanical wisdom, when combined with scientific rigour and ethical commitment, can create something truly transformative, not just for skincare, but for the communities and ecosystems it touches.