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Baroda-based Mumkin wants to pamper expectant mothers and new mothers with an exhaustive range of curated products born from extensive research and interviews with mothers and pregnant women. 

“The love between a mother and her child is the purest form of love that ever exists. Given how amazing a mother is, I wanted to do something to ensure that the mumma is taken care of and pampered,” says Shubhra Ruparel, Founder of Mumkin. 

Shubhra, a computer engineer and an MBA by qualification, had always wanted to do something for women. “My drive to uplift and care for women founded the premise for Mumkin,” she says. After extensive research, she decided to develop curated care products for expectant mothers and new mothers so that they feel cared for. 

“Just like how their mothers would do it (take care) for them,” says Shubhra. “A lot of women live away from their mom or mom-in-law; so at times they are clueless about what to do, what to eat, and all the age-old generational recipes. So, this is when we step in.” 

Products and services

The startup has a comprehensive range of products catering to the needs of pregnant women, new mothers, and infants. 

For pregnant women, there are maternity pillows, water bottles, activity books, sonogram frames, and milestone cards. For new mothers, Mumkin offers nursing scarves, breastfeeding starter kits, healing bath bombs, breastfeeding pads, nursing butter, ring sling baby carriers, and food products that support healthy lactation.

The infant range includes organic cotton jhablas, azo-free printed mulmul swaddles, cot canopies, napkins, first impression kits, mustard seed pillows, and crawling cushions. 

Apart from these, Mumkin offers self-care essentials, oils, nutrition products, and “healthy snacking alternatives” made under the guidance of nutritionists, using “time-tested” recipes. The company says its food products are devoid of added refined sugar, additives, preservatives, artificial flavours and colours, and maida. “Some of our most loved snacks include oats makhana laddoos, calcium cookies, rose pistachio bars, rose gold mukhwas, nursing tea, super seed mix, and melties,” says Shubhra, who had earlier worked at IBM India.  

The startup sells products through its website and Instagram. It delivers across India and abroad as well. 

Mumkin’s products can be bought individually or as a subscription-based curated care box, customised as per one’s needs. The curated boxes cater to different stages—from pregnancy till the baby turns one—and are priced between Rs 3,000 and Rs 15,000. 

“Our products have been highly appreciated in the USA, UK and Canada because it’s rare to find such cotton toys or pure mulmul clothing  there. Our baby Ganesha soft toy is especially loved by everyone abroad,” says Shubhra.

Mumkin also offers written affirmation cards and meditation moments (audio recordings) according to the needs of the trimester, developed by the company’s mental wellness expert. 

Apart from products, Mumkin also hosts events and programmes for mothers and online wellness sessions for women with mental wellness experts. 

How it all began

Mumkin was born in 2019 after extensive research and interviews of women across the country to learn about their journeys and experiences.

“To my surprise, I found that it is more or less the same across all religions. Their experiences, foods they should have, and various beliefs were all so relatable,” says the entrepreneur. 

‘Mumkin’ is a portmanteau of the words ‘mums’, ‘munchkins’ and ‘kin’ (referring to the mother’s near and dear). 

Shubhra also enrolled herself in prenatal classes to understand what pregnant women went through, so that she could come up with relevant products for them. “The exercises they follow, their diet, myths and facts … Every little detail was considered,” she says. 

She teamed up with a panel of women experts including gynaecologists, pregnancy experts, a nutritionist, a mental wellness counsellor, and a child development expert, under whose guidance the special boxes were curated. 

How Mumkin operates

The startup has tied up with vendors and manufacturers, food processing units, and women entrepreneurs for sourcing its products. 

“When you buy from us, not only are you receiving care from safe hands but you are also supporting small, women-owned businesses,” says Shubhra.

She views her startup as a “beautiful platform” where  women professionals and mompreneurs come together to create a “reliable network of sisterhood” for pregnant women and mothers. 

The company says it has sold over 15,000 products so far. The bootstrapped venture is targetting a revenue of Rs 7 crore to Rs 10 crore this fiscal. Its current revenue is Rs 1 crore. 

Growth prospects 

The mother-and-baby care category has become a thriving segment in India with new categories and products launched regularly. The market for these products in the country is predicted to increase by $26.35 billion, with a CAGR of 11% during 2020-2025, according to a report by Technavio. 

The company wishes to have a presence in offline retail stores for mothers and babies. It also plans to increase its global presence as consumers abroad “value products curated by Indian women, which come with a touch of our culture and tradition,” according to the entrepreneur. 

In the next five years, Mumkin aspires to expand its force of women entrepreneurs and collaborate with more women-run small businesses across the country to form a strong army of ‘Mumkin Minions’.

The startup also plans to build a community that supports women through the stages of motherhood–by helping them find the right doctor in their city, providing guidance about nutrition, and supporting their mental health and overall wellbeing.