I'm Karthik, founder of Silk Route, a skincare brand from Bangalore. I built the whole thing myself: found the manufacturers and formulators I work with, developed products across face, hair and body, set up our Amazon store and our own website, and figured out GST and compliance as I went. I also run a second GST-registered consumer products business. I've been around startups for over a decade: seven years (2016-2023) as a full-time volunteer at iSPIRT, the Bangalore nonprofit that works with Indian software product founders, and before that community and operations at 91Springboard, a startup coworking space. I'm still in the thick of it, which is exactly why I can help. If you're starting a beauty, personal care or wellness brand in India, I'll save you the months and the money I spent learning the hard way. Which manufacturer to trust, what your product should cost, how to price it, what paperwork you actually need. Ask me anything. You'll get a straight answer.