Pained by a Farmer-Friend's Suicide, This Barclays AVP Left Europe to Create Innovative Bamboo Products in India - Clocked ₹4.5 Cr Revenue

It was the rainy season in India in August 2011 when Yogesh Shinde, the founder and CEO of Bamboo India, was working in Germany and closely following the India Against Corruption movement back home. 

At the time, there was significant negativity surrounding India in the global narrative. His international colleagues began speaking critically about Indian farmers, social issues, and corruption. 

He was also deeply affected when one of his farmer friends died by suicide around that time, which became a powerful emotional trigger that further strengthened his resolve to work closely with farmers. 

Ultimately, he decided to return to India and do something meaningful for farmers. This decision eventually led to the birth of Bamboo India, which he formally launched in 2016.

“At that time, I thought about my considerable exposure, international experience, and achievements. I decided to take a break from corporate life, return to India, and do something meaningful with farmers for at least one year,”Yogesh Shinde tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

“My mindset was to return to corporate life if I did not achieve success, but at least I can tell the next generation that I tried,” he added.

Today, Bamboo India is deeply committed to raising awareness about environmental conservation by turning bamboo into innovative products that can be used in daily life. 

His wife, Ashwini Shinde, the co-founder, is also working to transform people’s perception of bamboo from the “poor man’s timber” to the “wise man’s timber” by offering bamboo-based alternatives to plastic products, such as bamboo toothbrushes, bamboo earbuds, and gift articles.

About Bamboo India Founders

Yogesh Shinde was born and raised in a middle-class urban family in Pune, Maharashtra. He is the Founder and CEO of Bamboo India. 

Before becoming an entrepreneur, he spent nearly 14 years in the IT industry, working with reputed organisations such as British Telecom, T-Mobile, AT&T, IRCTC, and Barclays Bank. He also spent four years working across Europe 

Under Yogesh’s leadership, the company has partnered with over 1,000 farmers, served nearly 100,000 customers globally, and helped eliminate millions of kilograms of plastic waste.

Ashwini Shinde is the Co-Founder of Bamboo India. Currently, she is playing a key role in achieving the company’s objective of sustainability and social impact. 

She has completed her MBA in HR from Sinhgad Institute of Business Administration and Research (2012-2014) and a B.Sc. in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai (2008-2011). 

Along with her husband, Yogesh Shinde, she is credited with repositioning and rebranding bamboo as “wise man’s timber.” 

At Bamboo India, she focuses on driving awareness and product positioning by promoting bamboo as a viable, eco-friendly alternative to plastic.

The couple also gained national recognition after appearing in Shark Tank India Season 1, where they received an investment offer but chose to remain bootstrapped. 

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About Bamboo India

Bamboo India is a social enterprise that was founded on August 15, 2016, by Yogesh Shinde and Ashwini Shinde, the day India celebrates its Independence Day. 

This date was chosen to symbolise “freedom from plastic” for India. The journey started with corporate gifting and later expanded into FMCG and personal care products. 

Bamboo India offers a diverse range of innovative bamboo products, including bamboo toothbrushes, combs, earbuds, cotton swabs, desk organisers, and speakers. 

The brand operates production, procurement, and processing units in Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Assam. Today, Bamboo India has built a strong ecosystem of farmers and consumers by contributing to farmer welfare and local employment.

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Reason Behind Choosing Bamboo to Create Social Impact

Bamboo was chosen to create social impact because it aligned with the purpose Yogesh Shinde wanted his work to serve. 

His aim was to create a sustainable solution that could address plastic pollution, support farmers, and contribute to a green economy. 

Yogesh emphasised that bamboo is a renewable material, fast-growing, biodegradable, and strong enough to replace single-use plastic products. 

“Once customers start using bamboo toothbrushes, they won't touch the plastic ones after some time. The feel, look, and experience are completely different," Yogesh tells Startup Pedia.

Bamboo products also support Made in India and Swachh Bharat objectives

According to the research he conducted before establishing Bamboo India, he discovered a gap in the global bamboo ecosystem. India is the world’s second-largest bamboo-growing country, but it contributes less than 5% to global bamboo exports and does not feature among the top exporting nations. This exposed him to a massive and underutilised opportunity. 

"As an entrepreneur, what I can contribute to the nation's mission is to start with these bamboo products. Now, when customers are buying them, the ecosystem automatically starts working," he says.

Also, bamboo was already available in abundance in rural India, but it was treated as a secondary crop and sold at very low prices. 

By creating value-added bamboo products, Yogesh saw an opportunity to transform this resource into a sustainable livelihood source. 

“I thought, why not start a business in bamboo? After a year, I realized it is not a one-time activity. You have to be engaged with the farmers throughout the journey," Yogesh says.

Challenges and Growth 

Yogesh Shinde had already left a stable and well-paying corporate career abroad (Associate Vice President at Barclays in the UK) and jumped into entrepreneurship without having any prior experience. 

Hence, it posed an initial challenge for him, but he already had a surplus amount of savings to sustain his livelihood for almost 6–8 months. 

He initially focused on understanding entrepreneurship, supply chains, manufacturing, and market dynamics. Simultaneously, he had to build trust with farmers.

Initially, Bamboo India did not set up its own factory to keep capital expenditure low. Instead, it relied on external suppliers.

Product development also posed another major challenge because of the lack of credibility and awareness around bamboo products in Indian markets.

Building trust with farmers was another challenge that he faced, as they were hesitant to work with him due to their past bad experiences with market agents. However, Bamboo India addressed this challenge by making 100% payment in advance.

With time, he understood all these aspects by collaborating with people from his earlier professional life and meeting several farmers at the grassroots level.

After the company went live on August 15, 2016, with eight products, it generated gross revenue of Rs. 27 lakh between August 2016 and March 2017.

Over the years, Bamboo India expanded its product portfolio to 46 products, built a customer base of over one lakh customers, and established relationships with more than 500 corporate houses such as Reliance, Tata, Raymond, National Geographic, Google, Infosys, and multiple airlines. 

Today, Bamboo India’s products have reached approximately 48 countries globally, with active exports to around 22 countries each year. Key international markets include Fiji, Mauritius, the Maldives, and several European countries.

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Business Model and Farmer Economics

Bamboo India’s business model is completely bootstrapped. It operates on a direct-sourcing approach, procuring bamboo directly from farmers to eliminate middlemen and ensure fair and timely payments. 

Bamboo India sells through multiple channels, including corporate partnerships, its own website, online marketplaces (Amazon, Flipkart, Tata 1MG, and JioMart), exports, and offline retail. 

Economically, the company is providing benefits to farmers by offering them 150–275% more income through value-added bamboo compared to selling raw bamboo. 

The traditional market rate for standard 18-ft bamboo is around Rs. 70-140 per piece. However, Bamboo India pays Rs. 150 per piece, which is 7.14% to 114.28% more than the traditional rate

If farmers supply semi-furnished pieces to company specifications, Bamboo India pays around Rs. 200-300 per pole, an increase of 275% in the rate.

"The same farmer who was selling bamboo at 80 rupees now receives 200-300 rupees per pole when we buy pre-processed bamboo with value addition," the entrepreneur tells Startup Pedia.

Distribution Channels:

• Online marketplaces: Amazon, Flipkart, Tata 1MG, JioMart

• Corporate/B2B: Corporate gifting agents, hotels (Taj, ITC), hospitals, restaurants, and airlines.

• Retail: General Trade (GT), Modern Trade (MT), pharmacy shops, supermarkets, convenience & health stores.

Revenues in the Last 3 Years (2023, 2024, and 2025)

In FY23, Bamboo India recorded a revenue of around Rs. 3.5 crore, which grew to around Rs. 4 crore in FY24 and further to about Rs. 4.5 crore in FY25. 

In FY26, Bamboo India is expecting to record a revenue of about Rs. 6.5-7.0 crore.

A key milestone in its growth journey has been its asset development. From a single cross-cutting machine worth around Rs. 8,000, it has now expanded into an overall setup valued at over Rs. 2 crore. 

On the procurement front, during FY 2024–25, the company handled an average of 1.5 trucks of bamboo per day, which turned out to be 500–550 trucks annually, with each truck carrying about 1,200–1,600 bamboo culms. 

Impact Created and Current Status

Bamboo India has created a significant environmental and social impact since its inception. One bamboo toothbrush replaces one plastic toothbrush, weighing approximately 20 grams, including packaging. 

The company has helped eliminate, as of December 31, 2025, more than 65 lakh kilograms of plastic waste, which is equivalent to nearly three large storage buildings filled with plastic waste.

Speaking ahead of the competition, Yogesh emphasised that he would be the happiest person ever if competitors beat Bamboo India.

"If, after 10 years, my competitors beat me, I would be the happiest person because I started this chain. The credit always goes to Bamboo India because we created this movement," the Pune-based entrepreneur tells Startup Pedia.

Shark Tank India Season 1 Experience

During their appearance on Shark Tank India Season 1 in 2021, the platform gave them national visibility. After the pitch, the Shinde couple received investment offers from the sharks.

They received an investment offer of Rs. 50 lakhs for 3.5% equity and Rs. 30 lakhs in debt from Ashneer Grover and Anupam Mittal.

Later on, after having a detailed discussion with their family and CA, the founders declined the funding because they believed that if investors expected rapid returns and aggressive scaling, it could conflict with the brand’s social and climate responsibilities. 

The sharks, however, encouraged the founders to return in the future if they ever felt the need for external funding. 

“If anyone invests 100 rupees in my business, they expect 200 rupees within a year, or 1,000 rupees within three years. That is a normal investor mindset, and there is nothing wrong with it,” Yogesh tells Startup Pedia.

“But our business does not work that way because we are connected with farmers and customers who prioritize awareness over rapid returns,” he added further.

Looking Ahead

Bamboo India’s focus is to encourage people to adapt bamboo products into their day-to-day lives, while ensuring that growth continues to benefit farmers, artisans, and the environment measurably. 

The company is also aiming to expand the farmer network and strengthen localised processing units to create more rural employment. 

Additionally, on the product front, the company plans to expand its FMCG portfolio, improve product design and durability, and explore newer bamboo-based innovations that can replace additional categories of single-use plastic. 

"It's not for the income, but for the outcome because we are not much worried about how much we earn, but at the end of the day, what we always remember is what impact we have made,"Yogesh says.

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