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"On the face of it, SuperFit may come across as a regular e-commerce company,” says 32-year-old Zubin Nalawalla, partner in SuperFit Lifestyle Asia LLP. "We are a click and mortar business,” referring to their on-line and physical presence in the health and fitness business.  "Our marketing has been through online word-of-mouth, resulting in traffic to our site like most new players. But that’s where the similarities (with an e-commerce company) end,” he smiles. The firm is setting up their third store in Poona in January 2017. Calling their business a "health and wellness company that reaches out to people irrespective of technology or media limitations,” Nalawalla explains the genesis of the company in a meeting with Parsiana at their mid-town office in a spanking new office complex in early August 2016 in Bombay. 

 

 

 

 

 

"We bumped (into each other) while working out in a gym a couple of years back,” says Nalawalla of partner Shaan Marker, who walks into the meeting. Recalling "healthy and passionate arguments on different schools of thought on fitness,” the future business partners soon put down their thoughts into a business plan. They "decided to put the passion to bigger use ... with products that really make a difference to people’s health.” With Marker’s experience in his family business (gas pipe manufacture) and Nalawalla’s previous work in digital marketing (as cofounder of media strategy company LIQVD) the pair of entrepreneurs set up the partnership firm in July 2015.
"We have managed to list over a thousand products (on our website) in less than a year,” says Nalawalla, after having evaluated almost twice the number of products. Wanting to "touch people’s lives from a.m. to p.m.,” Marker rattles off, "we sell fluoride free toothpaste, bamboo toothbrushes, wheat germ shots, apple cider vinegar, organic teas and coffees, granola bars and cold pressed juices and anti-pollution masks. And that is just for the morning,” he smiles, stopping for breath. The firm’s website offers a range of lifestyle products including coffee machines, air purifiers and gym equipment, in addition to snacks, books, DVDs and magazines on health.
"The nutrition value provided by a cup of matcha tea is equal to that of 127 cups of tea,” states Marker, letting on that the brand that SuperFit sells is sourced by Bombay based fellow Zoroastrian Cyrus Dastoor from Kyoto, Japan. "We check nutrition values minutely, and also the packaging and overall presentation,” both state. "A product has to appeal to both of us, before it goes on the (in-house-maintained) website,” says Nalawalla. Sharing that a lot of their products are sourced from the North East "for their quality and lack of contamination,” the partners say they check the certifications and registrations of all vendors before zeroing in on a particular one. 
With two outlets so far, one in the Lower Parel locality of Bombay and the other in Trichy in South India, Nalawalla states that "we already have ‘shops in shops’ in Indore, Guwahati and Gurgaon.” The firm plans to be in 20 cities in the next 18 months. SuperFit is listed as a supplier to Grand Hyatt Hotel and caters to the needs of a few artisanal cafes in the Kala Ghoda area.   
A staff of 10, where "everyone does everything,” plus about 50 empanelled trainers who act as consultants to clients in need of pilates, Zumba and kickboxing training, along with a regular fitness regime, sums up SuperFit’s people position. Services include genetic testing, "a proactive step that serves as a forewarning for anything that could go wrong in the future,” for which the firm has tied up with medical specialists.  

 

Marker says: "Interestingly for us, products and services contribute equally to the firm’s revenue, and both streams are growing at a satisfactory pace.” Nalawalla takes the lead on the marketing efforts, including looking after the technicalities related to the website. "We have set up a strong process for local (in and around Bombay) deliveries with our own delivery team,” informs Nalawalla. For Pan-India distribution, they have tied up with Fedex.
"We are living in an age where it is imperative that people start looking at health from a precautionary rather than a reactionary one,” says Nalawalla. "We’re no doctors or health experts,” he notes of the pair, "but enthusiasts who can direct people to products and services that may help them.” Marker chimes in with "We are a curated market place,” referring to their unique product lines and collections of products and services.
What are the risks of being in this business? "Competition from cheap and low-quality products of a spurious nature in the health supplements category,” states Nalawalla. "It is sad when people try to save a small amount at the cost of their health by unknowingly buying what passes off in some quarters as health/edible products,” says Marker. "We do get quizzed a lot about our (higher) pricing,” reveal the duo. "But we ensure we get our products through the right channels. "Eat tons and tons of fruits and vegetables … make your body alkaline,” Marker advises.
"The personal training services offered include background checks on the stable of empanelled trainers before recruitment, verification of the authenticity of their certification and fitness knowledge. "A customer who appreciates these efforts will never complain about paying the nominal extra charge,” smile both partners. Marginally higher prices have got nothing to do with purchasing power, quips Nalawalla. "Our customers include Bollywood celebrities and restaurant waiters.”
The year 2020 will see them "reaching out to those who seek fitness in many, many more ways,” says Nalawalla, and "who knows, we will be known all over the continent in 2025,” he smiles, referring to the word "Asia” in their business name. 
"Watch out for our bamboo toothbrushes at a national hotel brand known for its eco-resorts,” Nalawalla informs. The firm has introduced a "subscription model for frozen wheatgrass juice as well as kitchen boxes with organic ingredients.” These "are hand-picked organic food staples that are at extremely competitive rates for the end consumer.” Their SuperFit Christmas and New Year hampers hit their website in advance of the festive season, Nalawalla tells us in a follow-up email.
"There are no enterprising Zoroastrian role models in business for the last 15 years,” says Nalawalla. Stating that he has no "idols,” he admits to an admiration for singer Michael Jackson, "for what he has done for humanity,” and of Charlie Chaplin, after reading his autobiography. Sports enthusiast Marker admires Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic, the current number two in the world rankings. "What grit he has!” he gushes.
Nalawalla is married to Salma Curmally, a corporate lawyer, "who helped us get over our initial set-up issues,” he says. Father Minoo is a retired journalist who stood for the 2015 Bombay Parsi Punchayet trusteeship elections while mother Dinoo is a homemaker. Zubin also hosts an English music show on weekends on the Bombay station of All India Radio and has been at it for the last seven years. Forty-year-old Marker is married to Bally Bains, a brand consultant. Father Farokh runs the family business and mom Shernaz is a homemaker.
"We like to keep our views on religion neutral,” says Nalawalla, speaking for the duo. Marker chimes in: "Good deeds can be done in any aspect of life … if I go to a client’s home to help him with a particular fitness matter when I am not required to, that is a good deed too.”