Trost Is Focussed To Break Taboo By Delivering Hemp-Based Products

Question 1: What has been your overall experience so far as a young entrepreneur as it's quite challenging, especially in the category of hemp-based products manufacturing and sales?

Answer: The overall experience as an entrepreneur so far has been a challenge yet a motivation towards finding a solution and working towards a vision to build something of your own. It is obviously the less chosen road, especially with an industry that has its own set of intricacies and legal framework. But that shall not stop a vision that can lead to finding revolutionary ideas. 

As we are functioning towards providing a natural and herbal medicinal solution through natural hemp in the Indian market. It is definitely not a smooth sail pertaining to the legal framework work initially around the hemp industry. 

There are various challenges involved in a hemp-based product manufacturing and selling startup. Trost is the only company in India as of now that has come out with hemp rollens in India for the first time. Hence there are yet a lot of prejudices we need to work upon to be able to give a better insight to the public. Regarding the fact that how natural hemp is beneficial for health.  On the other side, there are various supply chain and logistics issues involved too. Making it the ground level challenge for our product management. Hence scarcity of resources is another major challenge while we acquire the major market of urban India providing a healthy alternative for smoking. 

Question 2: What is the game plan for India in the next two years?

Answer: Our vision in the coming next two years is to set up an image of Trost as a lifestyle product with medicinal values adhered by the product. Likewise, as a product for better as well as healthy lifestyle, we certainly target Trost as a part of everyone’s life in the coming time. So that the good qualities of Hemp could reach out to people. 

Trost being a modern medical company aims to deliver the benefits of medicinal properties of ayurveda and the sacred cannabis plant. It is our vision to let the world experience super qualities of the medical plant with their daily access to our products. Hence, we see Trost becoming a widespread consumption commodity providing health benefits to its customers. 

Question 3: How are you addressing the wider market considering the consumer market is varied for such products?

Answer: At trost there are three categories of cannabis which we manufacture and sell:

1. The hemp nutrition- this product caters to anyone as young as 2 years. This product contains high number of amino acids, Omega 3, 6 & 9. This is and OTC product and it can be used for a person’s daily nutrition intakes, leading towards improved health. 
2. CBD Oils- this exclusive product caters to a plethora of medical benefits. Some of major health benefits are; Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and side effects of Chemo Therapy, insomnia, stress and anxiety et al. The best part about this CBD oil product is that it can be prescribed to anyone above the age of 2 years by an Ayurvedically doctor. Thus we are trying to address major as well less spoken issues like stress and anxiety. Which are actually affecting everyone and anyone becoming a major mental issue.
3. Rollens- The Trost rollens cater to everyone above the age of 18. It is not just a healthy alternative to tobacco smoke. But along with that it also helps in a range of respiratory tract issues – Dyspnea, bronchitis, Asthma et al.

Question 4: What kind of new market opportunities have been opened up for natural hemp-based products?

Answer: After getting approved by FSSAI, hemp has become acceptable across India. If we pay attention, we can see a lot of opportunities booming in the hemp-based product market

• A lot huge number of recipes in the market that are absolutely hemp friendly. Which ultimately generates a variety of new options on the taste buds of people with hemp-based products.
• We can see a wider acceptance and awareness about the plant among the people. This has led to a greater acceptance of hemp-based products among more and more people. Leading to higher demography of customers
• New export opportunities are available for more and more countries. As hemp is becoming legal and more acceptable in its natural form among various countries. 

Question 5: What was the motivation behind launching India’s first legalized cannabis-based cigarettes?

Answer: The journey of hemp cigarettes is originated from Switzerland. Where I ended up understanding the best technology to manufacture hemp-based natural and healthy cigarettes. The motivation kept on increasing with time where I worked extensively with a Swiss brand to launch the world’s first cannabis cigarettes in Switzerland. While it happened, it became a sensation and people were talking about it all over the world. With its medical properties and effects, monitored in Europe, I developed the vision to bring the same benefits to the Indian market. That’s how our endeavor to manufacture and sell India’s first cannabis cigarettes started off. 

Question 6: How is it going so far with the trost rollen, any new variant to be launched in the market?

Answer: It is going quite well so far, as the rollen has been a key attraction point for the Trost. Under the rollens, currently, we provide two varieties; Earthy and Woody. Along with that a few new Stock Keeping Units (SKU) have been are being expected to be setup with full fledged functioning by the end of the current year.

Question 7: What will be your marketing strategy, since this is the product that comes with a certain set perception?

Answer: Lately markets are welcoming a variety of stigma-free marketing, advertising and selling approaches for a number of products. The requirement is to ensure comfort within the discomfort. Currently, our marketing strategy is focused on creating knowledge and awareness regarding the medicinal benefits of hemp. In continuation of the same we have recently adopted a free consultation policy which allows one to talk to a certified ASU practitioner for their ailments. The focus of Trost as an organization is to break the taboo with delivering a range of hemp-based products to our customers with health benefits.

Question 8: Are you promoting the rollens purely for reducing nicotine addiction or as a smoke therapy?

Answer: The Rollens at Trost are being manufactured and developed under the Dhoom Yog technique of Ayurveda. This is essentially referred to as smoke therapy and it's one of the most critical Ayurvedic remedies. Smoke therapy helps in curing respiratory tract ailments.  Along with that this smoke therapy also helps with the de-addiction process from various drugs including tobacco.  In this way through our natural nicotine-free rollens at Trost, we are promoting the reduction of nicotine addiction along with ayurvedic smoke therapy. Making it a more beneficial product for our customers.

Question 9: Have these Trost rollens gained more popularity among millennials? Why?

Answer: We can say it without any doubt that the Trost Rollens are gaining more popularity among a wider range of customers. To be specific millennials are surely more aware and educated regarding the vast benefits of the cannabis plant. Also, millennials are open to a better alternative as they know nicotine consumption is not going to benefit their health at the end of the day. Hence, we can say as of now the Trost rollens have been gaining a major popularity in the Tier 1 cities especially among the millennials. 

Question 10: What are your plans for Expansion and fund raising?

Answer: We are surely looking forward for expansions majorly in the R&D sector. Along with that we are aiming to expand our production capacity on a larger scale, after experiencing a good demand for our products especially rollens. We are also aiming towards doing Pre-Series A in the upcoming months.