Founded by brother-sister duo, Aswani Chaitanya and Hima Bindu, Timios is premised on the intent to bring a range of age-appropriate nutritious food products for babies and kids in the age group of 9 months to 12 years old. Aswani Chaitanya, Founder and CEO at Timios- Firmroots Pvt Ltd. takes us through the proposition which gives a unique edge to the company, the idea of age-appropriate nutrition and the future plans of the company in a detailed and exclusive interview with Mommy & Baby Times (MBT).
September 14, 2019
MBT: Kindly take us through the business journey of Timios and what primarily led to the inception of the company.
Aswani Chaitanya: The journey of the brand – Timios started about four years ago around the time I returned to India. I was very surprised to see that I did not have many options for healthy snacking for kids that is appropriate for their age, actually none. The stores were loaded with products high on salt and sugar that were not appropriate for my kids’ age, and this was something that I did not take as a joke. It can be compared to something like a father willing to go that extra mile to ensure that his kids get the best products. I had to bring in a change in the parents’ attitude towards junk food being sold to young kids and got on a call with my sister who is a nutritionist, who just jumped onto my idea with no second thoughts. As we realized that the age-appropriate nutritious food products for babies and kids were not that readily available in the market, thus, we conceptualized and started out our own baby and kids’ food brand – Timios to fill up that chasm. It has been three years since and we are available across all major e-commerce sites and stores across India, all credit going to our loyal customer base that has accepted us and has always vouched for us.
MBT: Kindly elaborate on the international market reach of the brand.
AC: Timios is a home-grown brand and is headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka. We have established our international market presence as we export to various nations such as the US, Nepal, Bangladesh, Taiwan, to name a few. We are gradually expanding our market reach in a well-planned and consistent manner.
MBT: Outline on the product range of the company.
AC: We have a clear strategy and our primary focus is on kids from 9 months to 12 years. The products are grouped under three categories according to the age group: 9 months to 2 years, 2 to 5 years and 5+ years. For the first age category, we have ‘Melts’ that is the only one of its kind whole grain treats and ‘Zookers’- which are animal shaped biscuits, and both of these range comes in two variants. As for the age group 2 to 5 years, there are Snacks and Munchies in 4 distinct flavours and types, the range of ‘Mini Oaty Bites’ are made of dates and oats and Crunchies are breakfast cereals made from whole wheat and strawberries. Timios has a range of Nutrition Bars which are filled with wholesome ingredients, and it is for kids who are above 5 years of age.
“Timios is a home-grown brand… We have established our international market presence as we export to various nations such as the US, Nepal, Bangladesh, Taiwan, to name a few.”
MBT: Please share some details on the manufacturing and the market presence Timios in India.
AC: We manufacture our products in Hyderabad and we are present across the country through leading e-commerce portals- Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, FirstCry and so on. We are also available in major cities in leading retail stores and specialized retail outlets such as Toys “R” Us India, Mothercare and Landmark stores.
MBT: Is there any recent development at the company that you would like to talk about?
AC: Timios is an innovative company and we keep working towards creating exciting products for children between 0-12 years. We were recently awarded as being the “Most Trusted Kids Food Brand Award” from the Times group. We are also amongst the best choice product in the baby and kids’ food category at all the portals that we sell on. In fact, I would like to mention that we have also been nominated for a number of exciting awards and mentions by leading publications across the country.
“We were recently awarded as being the “Most Trusted Kids Food Brand Award” from the Times group. We are also amongst the best choice product in all the portals that we sell on.”
MBT: How important do you think is the awareness about age-appropriate nutrition and diet for children?
AC: It is very important that the awareness around age-appropriate nutrition gets inculcated amongst Indian parents. Food products that has high amount of sugar and salt content have been linked to many ailments and diseases ranging from obesity to hypertension. Also, this is very important in the context of our country as the significant proportion of the population of India is still below the 35 years of age. It is almost imperative for us as parents to understand how much of what is okay for our kids as per nutritional requirements so that we can cultivate a healthy eating habit which revolves around healthy snacking. Our brand is committed with the proposition of ‘Honesty in every bite’ to provide age-appropriate nutrition.
MBT: What is the size of the present baby and kids’ food market segment in India? How do you foresee the growth of your brand in terms of its scale and market reach in the next decade to come?
AC: India is a major economy where this market segment still remains untapped and is in a nascent but growing stage. We estimate the baby and kids’ food market to be worth Rs 10,000 crores growing at a CAGR of about 15% in the next ten years. As India becomes a more conscious society, we as a brand foresee the market to be a major driver of consumer products such as ours. We will expand our presence across the nation through e-commerce, Modern Trade and specialized retail outlets.
“We estimate the infant and kids’ food market to be worth Rs 10,000 crores growing at a CAGR of about 15% in the next ten years.”
MBT: What are your future plans and aspirations regarding the company?
AC: There are a number of products that we have in the pipeline keeping true to our concept of ‘age-appropriate nutrition’ and based on the liking of infants and kids. We will be releasing the line of products as the market matures and we are quite confident that we will be the number 1 company in the infant and kids’ food products space.
