He Moved to America With a Suitcase—Then Built a Walmart Brand

Imagine landing in America with one suitcase, no contacts, and no distributors. That’s how Puneet Nanda started. Today his products sit on shelves at Walmart, Costco, and CVS. In this episode of Figuring Out with Raj Shamani, Nanda shares how he built a brand from scratch — and which Indian wellness ingredients he believes are about to explode.

5 Indian Wellness Ingredients Poised for Growth

Nanda says wellness is becoming the biggest industry in the world. He names five ingredients from Indian kitchens that have huge potential in the US.

• Isabgol (Psyllium Husk): The biggest opportunity. P&G buys it from Unjha, Gujarat, and sells it as Metamucil. GLP-1 drugs cause constipation, so demand is rising.
• Berberine: Known as “natural Ozempic.” Two 600mg pills before meals can reduce insulin spikes by almost 30 points. The market could grow 10x to 100x.
• Triphala: A mix of Amla, Haritaki, and Bibhitaki. It helps clean the digestive tract. Still underused in the US.
• Brahmi: Supports brain health. With an aging population, demand is at the “tip of the iceberg.”
• Eye Health Ingredients: Zeaxanthin and lutein from yellow marigold flowers. Cell phone overuse is driving dry eyes and vision problems.

From Suitcase to 99-Cent Stores

In 1998, Nanda walked from Grand Central to Battery Park in New York City. He counted every dollar in his head and converted it to rupees. He wanted to sell toothbrushes. Big brands like Oral-B, Colgate, and P&G already ruled the market, but he found a gap: 99-cent stores. Dave Gold, the founder of 99 Cent Only Stores, had 35 locations with no branded merchandise. Nanda offered Colgate quality at 3 for a dollar. Gold negotiated the wholesale price down to 40 cents. Nanda’s cost was 42 cents, so he lost 17 cents per unit. He even airlifted a late shipment at his own expense. Then he claimed he had 90,000 pieces — he didn’t. Gold bought them all anyway.

The Firefly Toothbrush and a $270,000 Walmart Order

Nanda’s daughter loved light-up shoes from Dubai. That inspired the Firefly toothbrush. He built a prototype with blinking buttons and tape. Walgreens tested it in 10 stores. It failed. But at a California Dental Association show, dentists ordered 100,000 units. He drove all night to Walmart’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. A buyer called it “gimmicky.” So he hired a former Raiders cheerleader to give free Firefly cases to every dental office in the area. Three months later, the buyer’s boss said his son loved the brush. Walmart placed a $270,000 order.

3 Proven Ways to Get Into Big Retail

• Licensing: Nanda licensed Pepsodent and Close-Up toothbrushes from Church & Dwight to gain trust.
• Private Label: Make store brands like Walmart’s Equate or Walgreens’ W brand to get shelf space.
• Innovation: Find a problem big companies ignore, like kids’ toothbrushes that make brushing fun.

Mine One-Star Reviews for Product Ideas

Nanda says the cheapest data you’ll ever get is one-star reviews. Read the negative reviews of products you want to beat. Find the gaps. For example, Colgate Wisp had a gelatin capsule that wasn’t vegan or Halal, hard bristles, and no individual packaging. That’s a chance to build something better.

GuruNanda: Built on Authenticity

After a health scare at age 39, Nanda sold his first company and spent a year in India studying Ayurveda and Yoga. He opened a yoga studio in Beverly Hills. Students called him “Guru Nanda.” A Walmart buyer insisted on the name GuruNanda for his product line. His tagline: “If I don’t touch the soil, I don’t buy the oil.” He sources directly from farmers to avoid fake ingredients. Within one year, Walmart removed 18 Nature’s Bounty items to give GuruNanda more shelf space.

FAQ

What is the biggest wellness opportunity for new brands?

Nanda says psyllium husk (Isabgol) has the biggest potential, partly because GLP-1 drugs cause constipation.

How do you get a product into Walmart?

You can use licensing, private label, or innovation. Nanda also used a guerrilla marketing stunt — giving free samples to dentists near Walmart’s HQ.

Why does Nanda manufacture in America?

He wants GMP certifications, rigorous testing, and no middlemen. He says India has too many fake ingredients.

What does “farm to bottle” mean?

It means buying directly from farmers and controlling every step. Nanda buys peppermint oil directly from farmers in Uttar Pradesh during the May harvest.

Sources

How To Build & Scale a Brand: Walmart, Retail & Product Strategy | Puneet Nanda | FO546 Raj Shamani — Raj Shamani, 1:29:59.