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Plum Goodness

Consumer GoodsFounded 2013
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Founders

Who Founded Plum Goodness?

Shankar Prasad · Founded 2013 · HQ today: Thane, Maharashtra, India

Who founded Plum Goodness?

Plum Goodness was founded by Shankar Prasad in 2013. It is now led by Shankar Prasad.

Founders
Shankar Prasad
Founded
2013
Headquarters
Thane, Maharashtra, India
Number of founders
1
Current CEO
Shankar Prasad (since 2013)
Where was Plum Goodness founded?
Plum Goodness was founded in Thane, Maharashtra, India in 2013.
When was Plum Goodness founded?
Plum Goodness was founded in 2013.
Who started Plum Goodness?
Plum Goodness was founded by Shankar Prasad.
How old is Plum Goodness?
Plum Goodness is 13 years old as of 2026.

Founding Story

Plum Goodness was founded in 2013 by Shankar Prasad, an IIT Bombay and ISB graduate who previously worked at Hindustan Unilever and Everstone Capital. While deeply entrenched in the Indian consumer market, he noticed an absolute void in the beauty sector: there were no genuinely 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and transparently formulated skincare brands in India. Massive legacy brands relied heavily on harsh chemicals, while 'ayurvedic' startups lacked scientific backing. Prasad entirely self-funded the launch of Plum, creating India's very first exclusively vegan beauty brand, deeply focused on extreme transparency regarding its chemical formulations to win the absolute trust of millennial women.

Shankar Prasad

Background

Chemical engineer (IIT Bombay) with an MBA from the Indian School of Business. Career spanned Hindustan Unilever, McKinsey & Company and Everstone Capital, including the FACES Cosmetics India launch, before he founded Plum in 2013.

Role at Plum Goodness

Shankar Prasad founded Pureplay Skin Sciences, the company behind Plum, in 2013 and has run it as founder and CEO since. He studied chemical engineering at IIT Bombay and earned an MBA from ISB, then worked at Hindustan Unilever, McKinsey & Company and Everstone Capital, where he was part of the founding team of FACES Cosmetics in India. He started Plum as a 100% vegan, cruelty-free beauty brand and grew it to ~$46.6 million (₹402 crore) of revenue in FY25. Shankar Prasad was born in 1973.

Plum Goodness: CEO & Leadership History

Full timeline →

Shankar Prasad

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

2013 – Present

Founded Pureplay Skin Sciences in 2013 and has been CEO throughout. Raised over $50 million, including the 2022 Series C at a $250 million valuation, and steered the company to a ~$2.9 million (₹25 crore) profit in FY25.

Compare Plum Goodness Leadership With Competitors

Plum Goodness vs Unilever PLC Leadership →Overview

Keep researching Plum Goodness

Who Founded Plum Goodness? FAQ

Who founded Plum Goodness?

Shankar Prasad founded Plum's parent, Pureplay Skin Sciences, in Thane in 2013.

What is Shankar Prasad's background?

He is a chemical engineer from IIT Bombay with an MBA from ISB, and worked at Hindustan Unilever, McKinsey & Company and Everstone Capital, where he was part of the team that launched FACES Cosmetics in India.

What is the parent company of Plum?

Pureplay Skin Sciences (India) Pvt. Ltd., which also owns Plum BodyLovin' and the men's brand Phy.

Did Shankar Prasad have co-founders when establishing Plum Goodness in 2013?

Shankar Prasad founded Pureplay Skin Sciences as a solo founder, investing his personal family life savings and assembling a dedicated early team of cosmetic chemists and supply chain managers in Thane, Maharashtra.

What technical challenges did the founder face in formulating 100% vegan cosmetics in 2013?

In 2013, Indian contract manufacturers routinely used animal-derived tallow, beeswax, and carmine dyes. Prasad personally audited chemical supplier ingredient manifests and spent months reformulating classic cosmetic bases using plant waxes and mineral pigments to ensure zero animal derivatives.

How did the founder's family support the early bootstrapping years of Plum?

During Plum's first four years, Shankar Prasad operated out of a modest suburban office in Thane with minimal marketing budgets, relying on his family's encouragement as the company meticulously formulated its initial 15 SKUs before seeking external venture capital.

What core values did founder Shankar Prasad embed in the company's DNA?

Prasad embedded three foundational pillars: Delight (products that bring joy in daily use), Transparency (open ingredient disclosure with zero misleading claims), and Goodness (ethical treatment of animals, humans, and the natural environment).

How does founder Shankar Prasad maintain direct connection with Plum consumers?

Prasad frequently reviews customer feedback directly, hosts video townhalls with Plum community members, and personally responds to critical product reviews, using customer feedback to guide formulation improvements.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.