- Money Making Story
- Posts
- Disrupting a 160Billion Market: From Lab to Legacy
Disrupting a 160Billion Market: From Lab to Legacy
See how Minimalist transformed a niche idea into a breakthrough, earning 1B in just eight months.
Welcome to Money Making Story,

Today, we’re thrilled to share the story of Minimalist, where Mohit and Rahul Yadov transformed a bold skincare idea into Minimalist—a 360-crore empire in just three years.
In this discussion, we’ll discuss his:
Top Advice
The Vision and Journey of the Yadov Brothers
Cracking India’s Skincare Market: The Active Ingredient Strategy
Building Trust
From In-House Manufacturing to International Markets
5 Advanced Problem-Solving Framework
Expanding Accessibility: Affordable Pricing and Global Reach
Marketing Mastery: Spend Less, Win More
The Mass Market Approach
The Road Ahead
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
A Story Worth Reading
Top Advice:
“Don’t just chase trends; set the pace for tomorrow.”
Founded by brothers Mohit and Rahul Yadav, Minimalist has grown into a 360 crore revenue-generating skincare company in just three years. Their mission was simple yet ambitious: create high-quality, science-backed skincare products that are both transparent in formulation and affordable to the masses. Within just eight months of launching, the company had already crossed the monumental 100 crore revenue mark—a milestone that demonstrated not only rapid growth but also a clear product-market fit.
What makes their journey particularly remarkable is the way they identified a market gap and filled it with precision. Mohit and Rahul leveraged their prior entrepreneurial experience and channeled it into crafting a brand that resonated with modern Indian consumers, who are increasingly conscious about the ingredients in their skincare products.
Unlock Your Business Idea!
Discover 100 Game-Changing Side Hustles for 2025
In today's economy, relying on a single income stream isn't enough. Our expertly curated database gives you everything you need to launch your perfect side hustle.
Explore vetted opportunities requiring minimal startup costs
Get detailed breakdowns of required skills and time investment
Compare potential earnings across different industries
Access step-by-step launch guides for each opportunity
Find side hustles that match your current skills
Ready to transform your income?
The Vision and Journey of the Yadov Brothers
Mohit and Rahul Yadov are no strangers to entrepreneurship. With a track record that includes ventures like Mango Street—a kids’ fashion company built and sold in 2012—and Free Well, a previous attempt at serving customized hair solutions, the brothers have honed their skills through both successes and setbacks. Their past experiences provided the critical insights needed to spot the immense potential in India’s evolving beauty and personal care market.
Cracking India’s Skincare Market: The Active Ingredient Strategy
India’s beauty and personal care market is booming and is expected to grow from $20 billion today to $30 billion by 2030. Amidst this competitive landscape, Minimalist carved out a unique niche by focusing on active ingredient skincare. Active ingredients like Vitamin C, Retinol, and Hyaluronic Acid directly address specific skin concerns such as acne, aging, and pigmentation. While most mainstream brands diluted these actives with fillers and fragrances, Minimalist offered them in their purest forms.
This approach was disruptive. In an industry dominated by vague promises and buzzwords like “natural” and “herbal,” Minimalist’s scientific and transparent methodology was refreshing. Inspired by Western brands like The Ordinary, the Yadav brothers localized the concept, making it accessible and affordable for Indian consumers.
“Our mission is to enlighten your beauty routine with facts, not just products.”
-Rahul Yadav
This education-first approach quickly set Minimalist apart from the competition.
Building Trust
In a market crowded with options, trust is the currency of success. Minimalist has achieved an impressive 60% repeat purchase rate by investing heavily in product quality. Instead of relying on third-party manufacturers like many of its competitors, the company has taken a bold step by moving production in-house. This vertical integration allows the Yadov brothers to maintain stringent quality controls—from sourcing raw materials (which are 40% to 50% costlier than those used by many other brands) to overseeing every stage of production. Such discipline not only reinforces consumer trust but also minimizes the need for aggressive marketing, with the brand spending only around 25% on promotional activities compared to the industry’s typical 40-50%
Trust is a rare currency in the beauty industry, and Minimalist built its entire brand around it. From the beginning, they made a bold promise:
“Pure ingredients, real results—no frills, only honest skincare.”
Every product label clearly displays the concentration of its active ingredients, empowering consumers to make informed choices.
“Cut through the noise—get clear, honest skincare insights without the buzz.”
From In-House Manufacturing to International Markets
While many Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) brands rely on third-party manufacturers, Minimalist made the strategic decision to bring production in-house. This allowed them to control quality, innovate faster, and maintain consistency across all product lines.
“By controlling production, we deliver excellence and swift innovation in every product.”
-Rahul Yadav.
This vertical integration came with higher upfront costs but proved invaluable in maintaining product integrity. The company didn’t stop there. Minimalist expanded its product range from skincare to include body care and hair care, now boasting over 50 products. The brand also ventured into international markets, with 10% of sales now coming from countries like the US, UK, Gulf nations, and Southeast Asia.t decision saved the business and set them up for sustainable success.
Expanding Accessibility: Affordable Pricing and Global Reach
Minimalist’s commitment to quality goes hand in hand with its mission to democratize skincare. By pricing its bestselling products between 200 to 600 rupees, the company ensures that high-quality, scientifically backed skincare is accessible to a broad audience. This strategy taps into India’s growing middle class, which is increasingly discerning about the ingredients they use on their skin.
Beyond domestic success, Minimalist is making inroads into international markets. With around 10% of its sales already coming from regions such as the UK, US, Gulf countries, and Southeast Asia, the brand is proving that its model of transparency and quality resonates globally. Furthermore, the company plans to expand its product range across skincare, body care, and hair care, currently offering roughly 50 products and aiming to diversify further.
Marketing Mastery: Spend Less, Win More
In an industry where brands often spend 40-50% of revenue on aggressive marketing, Minimalist managed to succeed while keeping their marketing spend to around 25%. How? By letting their customers do the talking.
Word-of-mouth became their most powerful tool. Customers who experienced real results became vocal brand advocates. Minimalist also doubled down on educational content, using blogs, social media posts, and videos to demystify skincare science. This not only built trust but also empowered consumers, creating a ripple effect of organic growth.
Their approach was simple:
“Focus on perfecting the product, and the results will market themselves.”
The Mass Market Approach
Minimalist understood early on that to truly disrupt India’s skincare market, they needed to cater to the masses. They priced their best-selling products between ₹200 and ₹600, making premium-quality skincare accessible to India’s growing middle class.
“We believe everyone deserves top-tier skincare without the luxury markup.”
-Mohit Yadav.
This affordability, combined with transparency and education, allowed Minimalist to penetrate both metro cities and smaller towns. The company is now planning to expand its offline presence by opening 100 Exclusive Brand Outlets (EBOs), ensuring that even customers who prefer brick-and-mortar shopping can access their products.
The Road Ahead
The Yadav brothers have big plans for Minimalist. They are investing heavily in R&D, with a second manufacturing plant underway in Jodhpur that will quintuple their production capacity. They’re also diversifying into body care and hair care, expanding their product portfolio to cater to a broader customer base.
International expansion is another major focus. While 10% of sales currently come from overseas, the company aims to double this figure in the next few years by entering new markets and introducing globally relevant products.
Physical retail is also on the horizon. The planned EBOs will not just be stores but educational hubs where customers can learn about skincare, consult experts, and try products before buying. This aligns perfectly with Minimalist’s core philosophy:
"Total transparency—every ingredient, every detail"
Lessons for Aspiring Entrepreneurs
The journey of Minimalist offers several key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs:
Transparency builds trust, and trust builds loyalty: Minimalist proved that customers crave honesty over marketing fluff. By being upfront about product ingredients and efficacy, they created a loyal customer base.
Education is the ultimate marketing tool: Instead of flashy ads, Minimalist chose to empower its customers with knowledge, turning them into informed advocates.
Quality should never be compromised for quick gains: The decision to invest in in-house manufacturing and high-grade raw materials may have affected short-term margins but paid off in long-term brand equity.
Affordability scales faster than exclusivity: By making premium skincare affordable, Minimalist tapped into India’s vast middle-class market—a strategy that fueled their explosive growth.
Minimalist’s rise isn’t just a business success story—it’s a blueprint for how modern startups can disrupt traditional industries. By focusing on transparency, education, and product quality, the Yadav brothers didn’t just build a brand; they sparked a skincare movement.
Their journey serves as a reminder that in a world saturated with options, the brands that win are those that “All details revealed: complete openness in skincare.”—and instead, offer real value. Their story serves as a powerful reminder
“We measure success by the value we add and the trust we build with you.”
A Story Worth Reading
This is Jim Simons.
Trading made him the 55th richest person in history.
He never wanted to be a trader, but one realization led him to build one of the most profitable hedge funds ever…
The fund’s profits? Over $100B.
Here’s the story: x.com/i/web/status/1…
— Riz Iqbal (@Wordsof_Rizdom)
5:57 PM • Feb 20, 2025
We Value Your Feedback
Was this featured story helpful? Rate it, and let us know how we can improve.
How would you evaluate our today's newsletter?We read your emails, comments, and poll replies regularly. Your feedbacks help us to improve and deliver the best possible newsletter. |
Stay tuned for more stories that showcase the diverse ways people are achieving financial success. Until next time, keep exploring and keep learning.