The Sahni Brothers: Making Quality, Safety, and Sustainability Accessible to Every Indian Home

Behind every successful brand lies a genuine problem that demands a better solution. For brothers Aditya and Sajal Sahni, this meant challenging the status quo of everyday household products. With Indian consumers seeking safer, sustainable, and smarter solutions for everyday needs, a new wave of homegrown D2C brands is stepping up. Leading this shift is Elem Consumer Tech Pvt. Ltd., a bootstrapped startup driven by a vision to empower households with effective, natural solutions that blend wellness, convenience, and responsibility for a better tomorrow. In a market where customers often had to choose between price and quality, Elem saw an opportunity to offer both.

The Story Behind the Brand

The story of Elem Consumer Tech began in a small room of the Sahni family’s home in Roorkee. When the pandemic hit, Aditya, an engineer by profession, returned to India from a research role in Germany, while Sajal was still completing his MBA online. With no prior experience in consumer goods and zero industry connections, their journey was anything but smooth.

“We just had one simple idea: to solve everyday problems with simple, effective, and responsible products,” says Aditya. But turning that idea into a business was a different battle altogether. They made the usual early-stage mistakes of wrong hires, delayed product launches, and quality issues. Still, every misstep became a lesson.

“We started from the heart of real India, a Tier-3 city, where people want quality, affordability, and authenticity,” explains Sajal. “That’s the sweet spot we targeted: products that work, that are safe, and that respect middle-class budgets.”

Bootstrapping came with hard choices. There were moments when they had to pick between launching a new product and paying their team. But they focused on building strong internal processes, detailed SOPs, and a culture grounded in honesty and resilience. What started as a simple idea in a small room has now grown into a brand that stands for integrity, innovation, and a genuine connection with its customers. “We didn’t want to be just another startup,” says Aditya. “We wanted to be a brand born from the soil we walked on, solving real problems with real innovation.” Sajal agrees.

Product Range

Over the years, Elem has built a portfolio of over 30 products across three brands:

• Quiclean: Smart, eco-friendly home cleaning solutions

• Groommm: Affordable, professional-grade car and bike care

• REPL: Herbal insect and pest repellents safe for families and pets

Quiclean offers essentials like tap and shower cleaners that tackle hard water stains common in Indian homes, alongside glass cleaner, kitchen degreasers, floor disinfectants, and sneaker and shoe cleaners.

Groommm fills a gap in Indian auto care with products like scratch removers, all-in-one car polish, interior and upholstery cleaners, windshield washer fluid, and air fresheners tailored for local conditions. They also have car shampoo, tyre polishers and bike care products in this range.

REPL brings natural, plant-based repellents that avoid harsh chemicals. Their product line includes mosquito, cockroach, rat, and lizard repellent sprays, all safe for children and pets. Beyond the categories and SKUs, what sets Elem apart is their rigorous in-house R&D and a commitment to listening to customers. “Our products are born from patience, perfectionism, and persistence,” Aditya explains. They’ve built a system that combines German precision (from Aditya’s research background) with Indian practicality (from Sajal’s operations mindset).

Building with Grit and Heart

At Elem, leadership has grown through grit, humility, and learning on the job. Aditya’s engineering background gave them a structured, process-driven approach, while Sajal’s MBA sharpened their business and operational focus. Neither started as seasoned entrepreneurs, but their shared vision shaped their leadership.

In the early days, they led by doing everything themselves. Aditya says, “You can’t ask people to believe in your vision until you show them how deeply you believe in it yourself.” This hands-on style built a culture of ownership and resilience.

As the company grew, Aditya shifted from overseeing every detail to mentoring teams, while Sajal focused on strategy and growth. Sajal adds, “People don’t fear hard work; they fear confusion.” Transparency and empathy guide their leadership decisions.

Their values of integrity, empathy, clarity, learning and a focus on people remain constant. Balancing Aditya’s data-driven caution with Sajal’s bold instincts, they lead with mutual respect and a shared mission to build leaders and nurture talent, especially from smaller cities.

Milestones That Matter

From packing orders themselves to shipping thousands of units each month, the Sahni brothers have come a long way. Launching Groommm and REPL without external backing and seeing them succeed on Amazon, Flipkart, and quick commerce platforms stands out as a key achievement. Aditya recalls the joy of consistent five-star reviews and being featured in Amazon’s top recommendations. Sajal reflects, “But for us, the real win is the team we’ve built of people who believed in the vision early on.”

“This feature in The CEO Magazine,” Aditya says, “is an emotional reminder of how far two brothers with a dream have come.”

The Road Ahead

Elem is gearing up for a high-growth phase driven by innovation, agility, and customer-centricity. With a clear goal to achieve a ₹100 crore Annual Run Rate (ARR) by the end of 2027, the company is expanding its product portfolio to over 50 eco-friendly, high-performance SKUs across Quiclean, Groommm, and REPL. It’s also strengthening its presence on quick commerce platforms like Zepto and Blinkit while preparing to enter international markets with adapted formulations for global compliance.

Operationally, the team is investing in automation, supply chain optimisation, and advanced analytics to scale efficiently without compromising on quality. Strategic use of tools ensures real-time insights into performance, helping them respond faster to consumer trends.

Leadership Mantra

Inspired by MS Dhoni’s calm leadership and Mukesh Ambani’s visionary scale, Aditya and Sajal lead with a blend of emotional intelligence and strategic clarity. A firm believer in continuous learning, they read widely, reflect regularly, and surround themselves with diverse perspectives. Their routine also includes exercise, meditation, and family time, which keeps them balanced amid the demands of building a high-growth company. To aspiring leaders, Sajal advises,

Being brothers and co-founders, they have learnt to balance strengths and evolve together. “Building a business is as much about the people and values as it is about products and profits,” Aditya concludes.

Your Brand, Elem’s Expertise

Elem also partners with entrepreneurs and private brand owners to bring high-quality products to life in auto care, home care, and herbal repellents. Backed by in-house R&D, proven formulations, and a modern production setup, Elem simplifies private label manufacturing, from product development to packaging and compliance. With over 30 products already market-tested under their own brands, they offer the expertise, speed, and flexibility growing businesses need to stand out and scale in competitive categories.