Sandeep Jha & Vinod Nair
CEO & MD & Director
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food,” quoted by Hippocrates about 2,500 years ago is certainly the tenet of today. Nutraceuticals are the emerging class of natural products that is blurring the line between food and drugs. Nutraceuticals have a long history, but only recently it gained importance in the market due to its nutritional and medical evidences and emerged as a fix for every ailment that our poor lifestyle throws at us, be it stress, obesity, lack of protein or the desire to look young. But for people who aren’t well-versed in the world of nutrition, the difference between Nutraceuticals and over-the-counter supplements can be confusing. Nutraceuticals offer a more comprehensive and effective approach to safeguarding and maintaining your overall health and well-being, compared to the over-the-counter supplements. And when such Nutraceutical products are taken with doctors’ prescription, it matches the products to best suit your particular nutritional needs.
Crowned as the only Nutraceutical company selling its products only through doctors’ prescription in India, GenLife climbed the success ladder much faster compared to its counterparts. Reason? Before launching in 2011, GenLife did a thorough market research to understand Indian consumers’ perception about Nutraceuticals, and found it to be much different from other regions of the world. While people in developed countries like U.S., Europe and Japan, consumed Nutraceutical products as a preventive measure, Indian populace perceived everything as medicine that come in the form of tablets or capsules, which needs to be taken as a curative measure only when one is ill. Also, spending on such products was considered dissipation. “Hence we decided to sell unique and innovative Nutraceutical products through doctors’ prescriptions only,” asserts Sandeep Jha, CEO, GenLife.
Offering Highest Standard of Preventive Products
Specializing in Nutraceuticals specially aimed at improving the quality of life of its customers through prevention of diseases and nutritional health management, GenLife believes that a doctor is the best judge to prescribe Nutraceuticals to have synergistic effect with other on-going therapies. Hence it focuses on niche and premium segment of selling prescribed Nutraceutical products. GenLife’s unique, innovative & under patent products are backed by high-end clinical research and evidence; making it safe & effective for consumption. The company sells these products to targeted therapeutics, i.e., targeted at specific diseases and how to prevent and even cure the diseases.
GenLife’s products are formulated in Japan (Kaneka Corporation, a multi-billion dollar conglomerate and the inventor of world’s first and only reduced (THE ACTIVE) form of CoQ10), and U.S. (Graminex LLC, a cultivator and manufacturer of non-solvent Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract that offers several clinically supported health applications including Prostate Health, Urinary Function, Immune System, Menopausal Support and Healthy Skin), all with a mission to deliver health, immunity, beauty and strength. Every product is compliant with the highest standards of quality assurance and quality control.
The Unique Resort to Deadlocks
GenLife was founded by eminent pharmaceutical professionals
leveraging their years of industry experience to serve the need of the changing times that require solutions to combat multiple issues of nutrition, aging, obesity and many such lifestyle diseases. Strongly believing that medical practitioners are the best source for educating consumers about their nutritional needs, and how to prevent disease, the company held a grand launch event that was attended by over 250 top doctors from across the country. “We selected an initial product portfolio (only four products at that time), and focused on briefing the doctors about them,” reminisces Vinod Nair, Co-Founder of GenLife. Today, GenLife offers a range of 15 unique products. Wishing to create a significant impact on the general healthcare situation in India by focusing on disease prevention, GenLife together with doctors are striving to create awareness amidst the general public about nutrition.
The unparalleled line of product offering has put GenLife on the global map of Nutraceutical providers, as the world has few such providers who sell products on the lines of GenLife. The company has a comprehensive stock tracking system in place as all bottles are uniquely barcoded and they have developed their own in-house ERP based backbone to manage all business operations. To engage consumers further, the company not only offers free home delivery of prescribed products to consumers, but has trained GenLife’s pharmacy graduates to answer all the questions consumers have while placing the order and explain them how the products will benefit them, thus increasing awareness among the general public about the products.
Ocean of Opportunities
Alongside, in the last couple of years, consumers in India have become more aware of their fitness levels and their health, thus trying to prevent disease by exercising and using modern technology gadgets. Furthermore, the sky-rocketing healthcare cost will also add fuel to this revolution, and will push people further to go the preventive way. This ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Systems) and ISO 22000: 2005 (Food Safety Management Systems) certified company predicts that over a decade or so, Indian consumers will be well aware of what to do to prevent diseases. This will open up the market further for Nutraceutical products to prevent illness rather than waiting for the cure-moment.
However, in the current scenario, the regulatory environment of the food products in India is still not fully synchronized with the global one. Indian regulations need to evolve and be in sync with the global scenario to enable companies like GenLife to bring global innovative products into India, which currently is in a flux. “It was a challenge for us to interact with various government agencies and put forward our point-of-view, and make them understand what these products are. But now things are much better organized and government is doing all it can to synchronize Indian regulations with the global scenario. We expect that over the next few years, this scenario will ease out further,” explains Sandeep.
Breeding Entrepreneurs
The flat organization provides an entrepreneurial work milieu to its 75 personnel who take ownership of what they do. The highly energetic and dynamic work environment is transparent minus politics. The on-going skills training program, product training sessions and field training schedules further add value. To enlighten doctors about its Nutraceutical products, clinical research and other data, GenLife holds regular seminars.
The self-funded company might raise funds next year, as it looks for aggressive geographical expansion to all metro and tier I cities of the country. It is also looking to expand its product portfolio to 50-60 products of similar effectiveness and safety. In the pipeline, it already has 20 products and expects its revenue to grow around 30 times in the next seven years, while registering its attendance in over 35 locations.
Key Management:
Sandeep Jha, CEO & MD, 46 Years
Sandeep, an IIT-IIM Alumni, puts his technical and management
expertise to build a better preventive healthcare ecosystem in India.
GenLife believes that a doctor is the best judge to prescribe Nutraceuticals to have synergistic effect and focuses on niche and premium segment of selling prescribed Nutraceutical products
The unparalleled line of product offering has put GenLife on the global map of Nutraceutical providers, as the world has few such providers who sell products on the lines of GenLife. The company has a comprehensive stock tracking system in place as all bottles are uniquely barcoded and they have developed their own in-house ERP based backbone to manage all business operations. To engage consumers further, the company not only offers free home delivery of prescribed products to consumers, but has trained GenLife’s pharmacy graduates to answer all the questions consumers have while placing the order and explain them how the products will benefit them, thus increasing awareness among the general public about the products.
Ocean of Opportunities
Alongside, in the last couple of years, consumers in India have become more aware of their fitness levels and their health, thus trying to prevent disease by exercising and using modern technology gadgets. Furthermore, the sky-rocketing healthcare cost will also add fuel to this revolution, and will push people further to go the preventive way. This ISO 9001: 2015 (Quality Systems) and ISO 22000: 2005 (Food Safety Management Systems) certified company predicts that over a decade or so, Indian consumers will be well aware of what to do to prevent diseases. This will open up the market further for Nutraceutical products to prevent illness rather than waiting for the cure-moment.
However, in the current scenario, the regulatory environment of the food products in India is still not fully synchronized with the global one. Indian regulations need to evolve and be in sync with the global scenario to enable companies like GenLife to bring global innovative products into India, which currently is in a flux. “It was a challenge for us to interact with various government agencies and put forward our point-of-view, and make them understand what these products are. But now things are much better organized and government is doing all it can to synchronize Indian regulations with the global scenario. We expect that over the next few years, this scenario will ease out further,” explains Sandeep.
Breeding Entrepreneurs
The flat organization provides an entrepreneurial work milieu to its 75 personnel who take ownership of what they do. The highly energetic and dynamic work environment is transparent minus politics. The on-going skills training program, product training sessions and field training schedules further add value. To enlighten doctors about its Nutraceutical products, clinical research and other data, GenLife holds regular seminars.
The self-funded company might raise funds next year, as it looks for aggressive geographical expansion to all metro and tier I cities of the country. It is also looking to expand its product portfolio to 50-60 products of similar effectiveness and safety. In the pipeline, it already has 20 products and expects its revenue to grow around 30 times in the next seven years, while registering its attendance in over 35 locations.
Key Management:
Sandeep Jha, CEO & MD, 46 Years
Sandeep, an IIT-IIM Alumni, puts his technical and management
expertise to build a better preventive healthcare ecosystem in India.
Vinod Nair, Director (Novel Initiatives), 47 Years
Vinod is utilising his management background and past experience of two and a half decades in the industry to add a nutritional dimension to Indian healthcare.
Offices: Noida (Headquarter), New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune
Products:
•Aquecium: Due to its properties like natural ionic state, and high porosity, this product is more bio-available than elemental Calcium. Contains 72 vital trace elements which are essential for human body.
•Enlighten: Unique formula with a combination of Graminex Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract and 18 other natural ingredients makes it one of the best natural skin healing agent in the world. Reduces melanin production upto 50 percent and lightens the skin tone by 11 percent.
•Epiregen: A combination of Graminex Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract and 18 other natural ingredients along with natural antioxidants and tannins help to improve the microstructure of the skin, reduce wrinkle depth and rejuvenate the skin networking structure on the face, neck and décolleté.
•Epivitale: Acting as a natural moisturizer for smooth and healthy skin, this natural preservative, antioxidant and moisturizer reduces transdermal water loss and acts as natural barrier against harmful UV rays.
•Eyelixir: Diminishes dark circle and alleviates swollen and puffy eyes, promotes lipolysis that reduces the orange peel appearance of cellulite, stimulates lymphatic drainage and blood flow helping to eliminate water retention and congestion that can cause stagnation of blood.
•Flabonoid: This safe nutrigenomic product is helpful in treating metabolic syndrome. Enhances basal metabolic rate by increasing β-oxidation and its one capsule has equal effect to 30 minutes of exercise, controls border-line blood glucose level, and controls dyslipidemia among several others.
•Glowrious: Precursor of Hyaluronic Acid which is essential for youthful, supple and wrinkle free skin. Moisturizes, nourishes and softens the skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines and spots on the skin and reduces the probability of formation of wrinkles, underlines and ridges substantially.
•H minus: The active hydrogen ion in H minus protects cells against oxidative stress, acts as a therapeutic anti-oxidant by selectively reducing cytotoxin O2 radicals, protects neurons from in-vitro ischemia and reperfusion and several other such benefits.
•Menoquil: Highly synergistic combination of Rye Grass flower pollen extract and Royal Jelly in balanced quantities provides relief from menopausal syndrome effectively.
•Nagossein: This natural N-Acetyl Glucosamine supplement rejuvenates joints from within, helps in alleviating symptoms related to Osteoarthritis, has significantly lower metabolic load as compared to others and increases the lubrication and rebuilding of cartilages.
•Reguflo: A highly synergetic combination of Rye Grass flower pollen extract and Saw Palmetto extract helps decrease the size of prostate gland and other symptoms of BPH. This completely safe and effective therapy manages mild to moderate symptoms caused by BPH and other prostate problems.
•Stomulate: The rich extracellular polysaccharide enables this acid resistant Lactobacillus Brevis (probiotics supplement) to survive and multiply even in gastric acid pH. The product has an excellent ability to adhere to stomach mucosa and inhibit gastritis and H.pylori induced peptic ulcer, amongst several other benefits.
•UbiActiv QH and UbiActiv QH Plus: The first and only active form of CoQ10 (a naturally occurring substance in human body vital for all organs) replenishes reduced form of CoQ10 in cells and is a vital substance for energy production in cells hence benefitting all organs.
•Utiremede: 30 percent of the UTI cases have a recurrence, thus making it the 2nd most common infection in the body. Utiremede’s natural ingredients like Cranberry and Graminex Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract helps reduce harmful bacterial colonization in UTI, due to its anti-adhesion property, and provides relief from UTI related symptoms even in stubborn and recurring cases.
Vinod is utilising his management background and past experience of two and a half decades in the industry to add a nutritional dimension to Indian healthcare.
Offices: Noida (Headquarter), New Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Pune
Products:
•Aquecium: Due to its properties like natural ionic state, and high porosity, this product is more bio-available than elemental Calcium. Contains 72 vital trace elements which are essential for human body.
•Enlighten: Unique formula with a combination of Graminex Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract and 18 other natural ingredients makes it one of the best natural skin healing agent in the world. Reduces melanin production upto 50 percent and lightens the skin tone by 11 percent.
•Epiregen: A combination of Graminex Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract and 18 other natural ingredients along with natural antioxidants and tannins help to improve the microstructure of the skin, reduce wrinkle depth and rejuvenate the skin networking structure on the face, neck and décolleté.
•Epivitale: Acting as a natural moisturizer for smooth and healthy skin, this natural preservative, antioxidant and moisturizer reduces transdermal water loss and acts as natural barrier against harmful UV rays.
•Eyelixir: Diminishes dark circle and alleviates swollen and puffy eyes, promotes lipolysis that reduces the orange peel appearance of cellulite, stimulates lymphatic drainage and blood flow helping to eliminate water retention and congestion that can cause stagnation of blood.
•Flabonoid: This safe nutrigenomic product is helpful in treating metabolic syndrome. Enhances basal metabolic rate by increasing β-oxidation and its one capsule has equal effect to 30 minutes of exercise, controls border-line blood glucose level, and controls dyslipidemia among several others.
•Glowrious: Precursor of Hyaluronic Acid which is essential for youthful, supple and wrinkle free skin. Moisturizes, nourishes and softens the skin, reduces the appearance of fine lines and spots on the skin and reduces the probability of formation of wrinkles, underlines and ridges substantially.
•H minus: The active hydrogen ion in H minus protects cells against oxidative stress, acts as a therapeutic anti-oxidant by selectively reducing cytotoxin O2 radicals, protects neurons from in-vitro ischemia and reperfusion and several other such benefits.
•Menoquil: Highly synergistic combination of Rye Grass flower pollen extract and Royal Jelly in balanced quantities provides relief from menopausal syndrome effectively.
•Nagossein: This natural N-Acetyl Glucosamine supplement rejuvenates joints from within, helps in alleviating symptoms related to Osteoarthritis, has significantly lower metabolic load as compared to others and increases the lubrication and rebuilding of cartilages.
•Reguflo: A highly synergetic combination of Rye Grass flower pollen extract and Saw Palmetto extract helps decrease the size of prostate gland and other symptoms of BPH. This completely safe and effective therapy manages mild to moderate symptoms caused by BPH and other prostate problems.
•Stomulate: The rich extracellular polysaccharide enables this acid resistant Lactobacillus Brevis (probiotics supplement) to survive and multiply even in gastric acid pH. The product has an excellent ability to adhere to stomach mucosa and inhibit gastritis and H.pylori induced peptic ulcer, amongst several other benefits.
•UbiActiv QH and UbiActiv QH Plus: The first and only active form of CoQ10 (a naturally occurring substance in human body vital for all organs) replenishes reduced form of CoQ10 in cells and is a vital substance for energy production in cells hence benefitting all organs.
•Utiremede: 30 percent of the UTI cases have a recurrence, thus making it the 2nd most common infection in the body. Utiremede’s natural ingredients like Cranberry and Graminex Rye Grass Flower Pollen Extract helps reduce harmful bacterial colonization in UTI, due to its anti-adhesion property, and provides relief from UTI related symptoms even in stubborn and recurring cases.
