How Pardha Saradhi Turned Rice Legacy into Beyond Rice Skincare Brand

Some businesses are born from market gaps. Others are shaped by family roots, lived experience, and a clear sense of personal strength. For Pardha Saradhi , the founder and CEO of Riceglow Private Limited , the journey of building Beyond Rice skincare sits at the intersection of all three.

What began as an understanding of his own creative strengths gradually evolved into a skincare brand that is now challenging global beauty giants on Indian shelves. Beyond Rice skincare is not just another D2C label. It is a thoughtful attempt to combine legacy, science, and design to create something deeply Indian yet globally competitive.

A Background Built on Creativity and Systems

Pardha describes himself as a creative entrepreneur, and his professional journey reflects that identity clearly. Before launching Beyond Rice skincare, he co-founded Cutso Meat and Kitchen , gaining first-hand experience in building and operating a consumer-facing brand. He also led the design and marketing function at ScoutBetter , a company focused on developing AI tools to help job seekers navigate applications more effectively.

These roles helped him sharpen his core strengths in branding, marketing strategy, and building lean, scalable systems. Over time, he realised that these were not just skills he enjoyed using, but areas where he consistently created the most impact. That self-awareness would later become the foundation of his entrepreneurial decisions.

The Spark That Led to Beyond Rice

The idea for Beyond Rice skincare did not arrive as a sudden flash of inspiration. Instead, it grew out of reflection. Pardha recognised that while his strengths lay in design and marketing, he also had access to a resource few others could claim.

His family has been involved in rice production since 1985. Rice was not just a commodity in his life. It was a legacy. As he explored ways to build a B2C venture aligned with his abilities, he began to see the potential of rice byproducts beyond the food industry. Skincare, especially premium skincare, stood out as an opportunity where his skills and family background could come together meaningfully.

Identifying a Gap the Market Had Ignored

As Pardha studied the global skincare landscape, one pattern became impossible to ignore. Korean and Japanese beauty brands had successfully positioned rice as a hero ingredient. In fact, seven out of ten premium K-beauty and J-beauty products use rice in some form.

The problem was not demand. The rice-based skincare market was growing at a CAGR of 7.73 percent worldwide. The real issue was accessibility. These imported products came with price tags that placed them out of reach for most Indian consumers. Despite India being one of the world’s largest rice producers, there was no credible Indian brand offering rice-powered skincare with international-grade formulations at an affordable price point.

That gap between global quality and local affordability became Beyond Rice skincare white space.

Building Products That Compete on Quality, Not Origin

Beyond Rice skincare offers premium skincare products including serums, masks, and essences. The brand sources world-class ingredients globally while keeping pricing aligned with the Indian mass-premium segment. The intention was never to compete on discounts or nationalism, but on experience and results.

One of the brand’s defining choices has been its focus on packaging and unboxing. Pardha was clear that Indian consumers should not feel they were compromising when choosing a homegrown brand. From dielines to artwork, the team iterated relentlessly to match the visual and tactile experience offered by Korean brands.

This attention to detail paid off. One of Beyond Rice’s lip masks broke into Nykaa ’s top 20 bestsellers in its category, competing directly with nine Korean brands. It was a strong signal that Indian consumers are willing to choose quality over imports when the value is clear.

The company is also expanding distribution to 10-minute delivery platforms like Blinkit , guided by the belief that premium skincare should not require premium logistics.

Challenges That Tested Patience and Conviction

Building Korean-quality skincare without Korean infrastructure was one of the toughest challenges Pardha faced. Sourcing international-grade ingredients, managing premium suppliers, and ensuring compliance with global standards took over a year. It was expensive, time-consuming, and often frustrating.

Packaging added another six months to the timeline. While many brands settle for acceptable, Beyond Rice refused to cut corners. Every detail of the unboxing experience was debated and refined repeatedly.

Pricing was the third major challenge. Most Indian brands chase either budget volumes or ultra-luxury positioning. Pardha chose the uncomfortable middle ground, betting on a segment that was largely untouched. It was a risk, but one grounded in careful observation rather than instinct alone.

The Moment That Changed Everything

One of the most validating aspects of Beyond Rice’s growth has been that most sales have come organically through marketplaces, without heavy performance marketing. Maintaining an average rating of over 4.2 across platforms reinforced that customers were responding positively to the product itself.

Seeing a Beyond Rice skincare lip product rank among Nykaa’s top 20 bestsellers marked a clear turning point. It signalled that the brand had earned its place in a crowded market. With this validation, the team is now preparing to scale performance marketing and accelerate growth.

Looking Ahead with Clarity

In the near term, Beyond Rice plans to launch new SKUs optimised for quick commerce platforms, expand the team, and invest aggressively in marketing. The goal is to achieve an eightfold increase in sales through a friends and family funding round this year.

Five years from now, Pardha envisions Beyond Rice as the go-to premium skincare brand for Indian consumers, with a presence in global markets as well. The ambition extends beyond lip care to building a complete skincare ecosystem that stands shoulder to shoulder with the best from Korea and Japan.

Advice for Aspiring Founders

Pardha’s advice is rooted in self-awareness rather than trend-chasing. He believes aspiring entrepreneurs must first look inward to identify their true strengths. The next step is to look outward for resources and opportunities that align with those strengths.

His core message is simple but demanding. Build a business so deeply connected to your skills and resources that no one else can compete with you in the same way.

Staying Connected

To learn more about Pardha Saradhi and Beyond Rice, you can explore their journey here:

• Website: www.beyondrice.in
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pardhasaradhis
• Instagram: instagram.com/beyondriceskincare

Beyond Rice is a reminder that when personal clarity meets market insight, even something as familiar as rice can be reimagined into a global story of value and belief.