“Our future plans and aspirations would include increasing our revenues, getting new business opportunities, developing our existing product line, and launching new ones.”
Started in 2016, Surat-based Bebe Burp offers cereals, fruits & vegetables-based baby food products without any preservatives or processed sugar. At present, the food brand has four product categories — cereal-based mixes, cookies, puffs, and protein powder. Mommy & Baby Times interacted with Ms. Shruti Tibrewal, Co-Founder, Bebe Burp, to get insights on the aim behind starting the baby food brand, the market reach, the product range, and their future aspirations.
Mommy & Baby Times: To start with, could you please take us through the intent behind starting Bebe Burp and some notable achievements of the company?
Shruti Tibrewal: When I was blessed with a baby, I started scouring the market for a healthy baby food option. To my surprise, I found most of the shelf products contained artificial flavours, preservatives, and ingredients that did not provide nutritional value. Determined to provide the best for my baby, I started preparing the traditional baby food recipes taught by my grandma using organic Indian superfoods. The dishes were high in nutritional value and easy to digest for my baby. Soon I started noticing my baby’s growth and distributed this porridge among family and friends, and they loved it! I realised the importance of healthy food alternatives in the baby food market for other mommies who want the best for their kids. So yeah! That’s how we launched Bebe Burp.
Bebe Burp’s achievements would include being a portfolio company of 100X. Our expertise had helped us reach the finals for Shark Tank India where we pitched our business in front of the investors or sharks. Lately, we’ve added another feather to our cap by appearing amongst the top 42 in Inc 42 Companies. Moreover, we have been featured by various media outlets like Boss Mom, iHub, Yourstory, GCCI, Kids Stop Press, Dailyhunt, The Better India, and StartupIn Style.
MBT: Please outline the market presence of the company.
ST: We are an online D2C brand whose marketing strategy is centered around the consumers. We are listed on FirstCry and are a bestseller on that platform. We are also listed on Flipkart and Amazon among other retail websites. Our product has garnered mostly positive reviews on both these platforms. We are also exporting our products to countries like South Africa and have received requests from other countries as well. The logistics are being worked on and we have another opportunity at hand where we will collaborate with a big basket to sell our products.
MBT: Recently, Bebe Burp has bagged an investment of USD 280k in the seed funding round – how do you plan to utilise the funds? In what ways do you think the investment will shape the further growth of the brand?
ST: We plan to utilize these funds for product development, marketing, business development, more robust hiring, and innovation. Our short-term goal stands to increase our customer base to 1 lakh moms. Our long-term goal would be to generate more revenue and make Bebe Burp a serious competitor in the baby food industry.
MBT: Kindly talk about the product range of Bebe Burp along with the key strengths.
ST: Bebe Burp has a wide range of products, including porridges, puffs, and cookies. Our porridges come in multiple flavours like Khichdi mix, Finger Millet Porridge, Barley Porridge, etc, which is soft, ready in five minutes, and full of nutrition. The vitamins and minerals are helpful for the growth and development of the baby.
Bebe Burp Cookies are a fantastic snack time option for the kids. They come in multiple varieties that do not contain white sugar, refined flour, or preservatives. These cookies are soft and easy to chew for teething babies.
Bebe Burp Puffs are another snack option that has a tangy taste and is safe to be consumed by babies.
All our products are 100 percent organic and free from artificial flavours, colours, and other additives. None of our products contains preservatives like other shelf products. We craft each product with love and strive to deliver homemade nutrition to babies across the country and abroad.
“We are an online D2C brand whose marketing strategy is centered around the consumers… We are also exporting our products to countries like South Africa and have received requests from other countries as well.”
MBT: How important do you think is the awareness about age-appropriate nutrition and diet for children in Indian society?
ST: At Bebe Burp, we believe each parent strives to give their baby the best of what’s available and they actually do a pretty good job. However, there is a lack of awareness among parents about nutritional benefits and age-specific nutrition to be provided to their baby. We believe this to be an important factor in the overall development of the baby and we aim to fill this gap with our products.
MBT: What is the size of the present baby and kids’ food market segment in India? What are the trends in the market segment?
ST: The baby food market in India is a lucrative industry with a market size of INR 4500 crores. Every year, 25 million babies are born in India and we expect the above size to grow tremendously. The CAGR growth for the industry is at 9.78 percent annually and 6.9 percent globally. About 100 million jars of baby food are sold in India annually. The current market trends have shown potential and we expect the numbers to rise with steady growth.
Also Read: Bebe Burp bags USD 280K in Follow-On Funding from Lead Angels, Lets Venture & Others
MBT: How do you foresee the growth of your brand in terms of its scale and market reach in the next decade?
ST: The food industry has witnessed a shift in focus towards organic and healthy alternatives. In India, the organic products and baby food market have witnessed steady growth. Bebe Burp’s product development strategy is based on developing organic and nutrition-loaded products. We believe that in the next decade, Bebe Burp stands to replace traditional brands and emerge as a big player.
MBT: Has there been any recent development at Bebe Burp that you would like to highlight? What are your future plans and aspirations?
ST: Our recent highlight would be that we are proud to be included in Inc 42 companies. Our future plans and aspirations would include increasing our revenues, getting new business opportunities, developing our existing product line, and launching new ones.
