Forest Essentials: How the business started by a 45-year-old single mother with ₹2 lakh became a ₹500 crore empire

Mira Kulkarni founded Forest Essentials in 2000 with ₹2 lakh and two employees, building a luxury Ayurvedic skincare brand from handmade soaps. After an early hotel order helped raise its profile, the company expanded internationally and attracted investment from Estée Lauder.