Launches BAAYO, a Modern Take on Indian Beverages
Marking a crossover from media to FMCG, Roots Reimagined Pvt. Ltd., a newly incorporated consumer startup founded by media and marketing veteran Dhirendra Ukarde, has announced the launch of its first brand, BAAYO, in India’s fast-growing healthy beverages segment.
With over 16 years of experience building and scaling brands in the Indian Media & Entertainment industry, Ukarde is now channeling his deep consumer insight into a new mission: reimagining India’s traditional food wisdom into clean, ready-to-serve beverages for modern lifestyles.
“At Roots Reimagined, we believe that healthy habits cannot be forced beyond a level and that it is best to incorporate such habits using familiar, culturally rooted ingredients that are enjoyable,” says Ukarde. “Our goal is to build credible alternatives to sugary colas and synthetic juices—without asking consumers to compromise on taste or authenticity.”
The company’s first offering, BAAYO Solkadhi, is a prebiotic, plant-based functional beverage made using coconut milk and kokum. A contemporary interpretation of a traditional regional drink, BAAYO is designed for today’s health-conscious consumer while staying true to its original flavour and functional benefits.
Ukarde is joined by Sriram, co-founder and long-time associate from their engineering days. Sriram brings deep experience in strategy, operations, and scaling high-growth businesses, with prior entrepreneurial experience at AntWalk and leadership stints at McKinsey & Company and Reliance Jio. Together, the founders combine brand-building intuition with execution-led @scale thinking.
The opportunity is significant. India’s healthy ready-to-drink beverage segment is growing at nearly 18% CAGR, compared to 6–8% for the overall beverage market, driven by rising awareness around everyday wellness and functional nutrition.
BAAYO has already demonstrated strong early momentum.
“In just seven months, BAAYO has grown 25X, with presence across 100+ retail stores, restaurants, cafés, Corporate cafeterias and resorts in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region,” says Sriram. “Over the next year, our focus will be on strengthening retail and institutional footprint, investing in R&D, and building a solid team to fuel the next phase of growth.”
As Roots Reimagined transitions from launch to scale, the company is preparing to raise an angel round and is actively engaging with investors who share its vision of building culturally rooted, clean-label beverage brands for modern India.
About Roots Reimagined Pvt. Ltd.
Roots Reimagined is an Indian consumer startup focused on building functional, non-carbonated beverages inspired by Indian food wisdom. The company blends traditional formulations with modern food science, contemporary brand-building, and deep consumer insight to create healthier everyday beverage choices.