The birth of the shampoo sachet and India's sachet revolution: the man who created it was Dr. C.K. Ashok Kumar's father

Documentary · Unfiltered by Naturals · Dr. C.K. Ashok Kumar in conversation with Harish Kumar (OUTdeBOX) · 28 minutes · Vietnamese voice-over and subtitles

"What is shampoo?"

As Dr. Ashok Kumar tells it in the film, a bottle of shampoo then cost 60 to 70 rupees, a luxury for ordinary people. The boys' question stayed with his father, who asked himself: why not put it in a small pack? With a knowledge of chemistry, he built his own machines and worked on the formula through sleepless nights, and in the late 1970s launched Velvette shampoo sachets at 50 paise and 1 rupee.

The revolution was about more than packaging. "It was not about making a profit from the business, but about giving," Ashok Kumar says. What the rich enjoy, the common man should be able to afford: that is the idea the whole family business was built on.

"We will be known as the sachet family"

The road was not smooth. His father had made antibiotics in Cuddalore district, something only large companies did at the time, and ran into financial difficulties. But he kept faith in the small packs and told his children again and again: "Remember my words, we will be known as the sachet family." He died at 48, leaving his children a legacy.

Dr. Ashok Kumar had just finished studying law; his brother Dr. C.K. Rajkumar was a medical doctor. Both left their professions to follow their father's dream, with no capital and no experience: "with just an idea, we simply jumped in." According to him, Velvette started with minus 200,000 rupees, and C.K. Ranganathan, when he set out on his own, had only 15,000 rupees and went on to build CavinKare. He notes that the sachet revolution is now taught in business schools, and that INSEAD describes it as a blue ocean strategy: thousands of small firms able to compete with multinational giants in consumer goods.

What is conscious capital?

"Conscious capital is when an entrepreneur or a startup founder looks beyond profit and the balance sheet," he explains. A business must serve society; profit is simply the natural result. He names Indians he sees as conscious capitalists: Sridhar Vembu of Zoho, the Tata family, Narayana Murthy. And he sums it up in one line: people, planet and prosperity must go together.

For him, entrepreneurship begins with immersing yourself in ideas until one rises clearly, then pairing it with decisive, selfless action; when thought and action meet, the result follows. He wants young people, especially Gen Z, to look out at the world rather than only at themselves, and to live by need rather than greed.

From Auroville to EMERGE AURO

In the film he explains why he chose Auroville: Sri Aurobindo and The Mother's vision of unity, a community that celebrates success together. He describes an innovation challenge for students with Pondicherry University, covering healthcare, rural development, waste management, water conservation, skills, women's empowerment and responsible tourism. On women, he points to Naturals: from a single salon in Chennai to what he calls the largest salon chain, with more than 200 women who started as employees now franchise partners.

Next comes a two-day event on 5–6 December in Auroville, to which he wants to invite more than ten countries and their Consuls General to present the opportunities in their countries. That is EMERGE AURO, the Conscious Capital Conclave organised by Section Infin-8 Foundation, First World Community and partners, which he chairs. In the film the host cites targets of 60–75 startups showcased from more than 500 applications, over 5,000 participants, and 20–30 MoUs and pilot partnerships.

What Vietnam's green businesses and startups can take home

Start from a real customer question. The one-rupee sachet came from a boy asking "what is shampoo?". For a green business the question might be: why do so many people want to eat and live green, yet still do not buy?

Price for the many. Green products are often seen as expensive. A small size, a trial pack, an affordable price can be the way to reach far more people, in the spirit of the sachet.

Capital is not the first condition. Velvette started with negative capital, CavinKare with 15,000 rupees. What comes first is a good idea, passion and the courage to take a risk.

Profit is the result of serving. Green businesses already do good for people and the planet. "Conscious capital" is the language to tell that story to investors and international partners.

The Chay VietNam Business Community at gbm.network/cvn is where such businesses meet and find customers, investors and international partners, including Dr. Ashok Kumar's First World Community network. Read more: Dr. C.K. Ashok Kumar at Green Business Matching Day Vietnam.

The full story in a book

The journey from the one-rupee sachet to the CK family's large businesses is told by Dr. C.K. Ashok Kumar and C.K. Kumaravel in The One Rupee Indian Startup Engine: Decoding the Sachet Revolution, launched in Chennai on 29 September 2025. Companies that would like a copy can register below, and the organisers will let them know when the next batch of books is available.