400-Calorie Balanced Meal in a Glass: Happy Ratio

WITH A vision to provide a meal of right nutritional requirement, Harsh Batra, Founder, Happy Ratio, came up with the concept of nutritious shakes which can provide with a 400-calorie balanced meal in a single glass. Today, Happy Ratio is present across 105 cities, with people from different walks of life experiencing its health-worthiness. BW Hotelier spoke to Batra, to more about his innovation.

Brief us about your business model?

Our start-up uses nutrition and science to make people healthy and strong through our meal replacement shakes. In August 2013 I asked the question, “What would happen if I stopped eating traditional food and instead consumed drinkable meals consisting of the right nutritional requirements?” I developed Happy Ratio, a 400-calorie balanced meal in a single glass. 2 comprehensive blood tests and 72 Happy Ratios later I had my answer! All my blood markers were in a healthy range, my body was at an ideal weight, I felt strong, my mind felt sharp and I was outperforming at work and in sports. Today, I’m not the only one consuming Happy Ratio. Men and women from different walks of life - from doctors to mothers, corporates bankers to pilots - are consuming this balanced meal every day in 105 cities across India; usually as breakfast but sometimes as lunch or dinner as well.

What according to you is the major USP of your brand?

It is impractical to get all the nutrition one needs through traditional food because too much of too many things need to be eaten every day. Happy Ratio solves that problem. It is the only meal in the day that is scientifically developed to give the human body all the nutrition it needs. No other product in the market is developed to replace nutrition this way. Most products in the market are supplements, but Happy Ratio is a complete meal in itself. It has High Protein, No Preservatives and No Added Sugar while being Gluten-free, Soy-free, Nut-free, GMO-free, Cholesterol free and Trans fat-free. It is scientifically created with high-quality ingredients to ensure nothing is missing nutritionally. If you want to be healthy and strong every day, this is the easiest way to do so. We also take pride in being a customer-centric company. Our vision is to make health an easy, daily habit; this is why we care a lot about our customer experience - right from the moment they discover the product and inquire more about it to when they have purchased and want to incorporate it as part of their daily consumption. We choose to be there - on messenger, Whatsapp, email and a phone call away to ensure that they get the motivation to steer their health in the right direction. We want to see them do well by fuelling them with the right food.

How do you plan to compete in the market?

We have a loyal and growing community of Happy Ratio customers who have become healthier and stronger by consuming the product. They swear by it! On Amazon, we are one of the highest rated products in the diet and nutrition category. Having become Amazon’s choice, we are now expanding to ensure that we are discovered through more channels. Our competition is bad habits and we want to be in every channel that our customer can replace us instead of an impulsive and unhealthy meal.

Any specific reason for launching Happy Ratio in the E-commerce platform?

We would not have been able to reach customers in 105 cities across India if it wasn’t for e-commerce. We are creating a new market for a product which requires us to educate the customer. The e-commerce platform allows us to share our value proposition in a way that the offline channels may not make us stand out. A customer that visits our virtual store can engage with our story and get to know the brand at a deeper level. As a result, they try our single-pack meals and convert to a subscription package.

Brief us about your sales outlook so far?

We have grown at a rate of 100 percent year-on-year. When Happy Ratio was launched, it serviced 37 cities across India. Now it is selling across 105 cities in the country. From offices and high-level executives at Fortune 500 companies to busy moms and health-conscious techies, our customers are not just from different corners of India but also different walks of life. 1 in 3 customers who have tried Happy Ratio has become regular subscribers, making the product an integral part of their lives. Currently, we have the means to manufacture a million meals per year.

What amount of investment did it require for you to start this brand?

Between research, development, trial runs, branding, product development, manufacturing and marketing we have spent more than INR 1 crore in the brand so far.

Brief us about your future plans?

Our plan is to make a million Indians feel healthy and strong everyday by constantly giving them the best that nutrition can offer. Food is at the core of how you look, feel and perform. Happy Ratio is the perfect solution to remaining healthy and strong conveniently. We have just launched new SKUs, are going to expand to Big Basket and have activated subscriptions for regular customers on our website. We will constantly be looking at channels where our customers shop for maintaining a healthier lifestyle.