Rajshree Upadhyaya | Business Remedies | Rajesh and Pooja Oza built the natural brand Tribalveda with the aim of preserving the nutritional and medicinal value of jamun, carving out a distinct identity in the process. Their journey with Tribalveda began far away from startup boardrooms and brand playbooks. At a young age, Rajesh left his village Jaswantgarh near Udaipur in search of work in Mumbai. He took up several jobs and did odd work for a period before life eventually led him back home.
It was during this return that he repeatedly encountered a painful reality in the surrounding tribal regions. Every summer, forests were laden with jamun, a fruit highly valued in traditional wellness practices. Yet, most of it went to waste or was sold at extremely low prices because it spoiled within a day. Tribal women, who depended on this seasonal produce, remained trapped in uncertainty despite the abundance around them. This realization planted the seed for Tribalveda, which Rajesh and Pooja formally launched in 2017. Their goal was to create long-term value from forest produce and ensure sustainable livelihoods for tribal communities.
From the outset, Tribalveda was built as a purpose-led brand rather than a short-term commercial experiment. The founders addressed jamun’s biggest limitation-its very short shelf life. Working closely with tribal women, the brand developed natural methods to process and preserve jamun without artificial additives or preservatives. This approach helped transform a short-season fruit into a year-round wellness offering, while embedding ethical sourcing and community participation into the brand’s core operations.
As the brand evolved, Tribalveda built a portfolio centered on jamun and its health benefits. Its products include jamun strips that retain the fruit’s natural flavor in an easy-to-consume snack form; jamun cubes made using dehydration techniques to preserve nutrients; jamun flakes designed for daily use; jamun jam made without refined sugar; premium jamun seed powder for traditional wellness applications; and jamun vinegar positioned as a natural digestive aid. Over time, the brand also introduced jamun bites and sauces, expanding usage occasions while maintaining its single-ingredient philosophy. Each product is positioned as clean-label, minimally processed, and rooted in indigenous knowledge.
Building recognition beyond the local ecosystem
Tribalveda’s social impact became as integral to its identity as its products. By working directly with tribal women for sourcing and processing, the brand helped convert forest produce from a risky, seasonal activity into a reliable source of income. Over the years, this model has supported thousands of women and prevented large-scale wastage of jamun that would otherwise rot unused. The convergence of wellness, sustainability, and grassroots empowerment gradually helped Tribalveda gain recognition beyond its local ecosystem.
The journey reached a national audience when Rajesh and Pooja appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4. During their pitch, they sought Rs. 50 lakh for 2 percent equity, presenting Tribalveda not as a conventional FMCG startup but as a mission-driven jamun wellness brand. The founders shared their personal story, community impact, and belief that indigenous forest produce could find a place in modern Indian households. While some sharks raised concerns about scalability and the niche nature of a jamun-focused business, Ritesh Agarwal resonated with the founders’ conviction. He offered Rs. 50 lakh for a total of 5 percent equity, split between equity and advisory participation.
A venture bridging tradition and modern wellness
Post Shark Tank, Tribalveda has continued to operate and remains active today. Its products are available through its own digital platforms, with the brand consistently highlighting its commitment to tribal sourcing and clean-label wellness. Like many growing consumer brands, it has faced operational challenges such as logistics pressures and scaling customer service, but these reflect expansion rather than stagnation.
Today, Tribalveda stands as an example of how a deeply local problem can be transformed into a nationally visible brand story. By centering its business on jamun and the communities that cultivate it, Rajesh and Pooja Oza have created a venture that bridges tradition and modern wellness-proving that meaningful entrepreneursh
