The story of a family that started with Rs 10,000 and grew their dental care business to Rs 250 crores

Global Dent Aids Pvt. is the current name of the company. Viren Khuller's grandfather founded Viren's company in the 1970s, the visionary late V.D. He invested Rs. 10,000 in the company. During Viren's time at the company, they had 800 employees and a turnover of 80 crore.

When Viren Khuller, a third-generation entrepreneur, joined the family business in 2015, he brought fresh energy and innovation. The family’s dental care brand, STIM, offers many products, including toothbrushes, interdental brushes, floss, mouthwash, oral care kits, dental guards, snore guards, and devices to slow down teeth grinding.

In 2015, when Viren joined the company, the turnover was Rs. 80 crore, and they had 800 employees. He joined the family business right after graduating from Long Island University, Brooklyn, New York, with a BBA specializing in management and marketing.

I pumped up the domestic industry, streamlined inventory management, and the sales processes,” Viren recalls. STIM now operates four manufacturing facilities in Noida, covering a combined area of 30,000 sq. Their products cater to almost every age group, including brushes for children aged 0 to 15, an orthodontist range for teenagers and young adults, and dentures for the elderly.

STIM's head office is in Noida, while the sales office operates in Kolkata. They have also expanded internationally by acquiring DOC Brands, a dental manufacturing company in Philadelphia, USA, thereby establishing an office there as well. Viren focused on domestic business and added more products to STIM's portfolio.

When STIM was set up four decades ago, it only traded in toothbrushes and later added floss and mouthwash to its range. In the late 1980s, Viren’s father, Vineet Khuller, joined the business and started contract manufacturing of toothbrushes and interdental brushes. Vineet started manufacturing products after he set up the first plant in Noida in 1993 with just 20 employees, including both factory and office staff.

These super stockists supply products to 150 dental depots spread across India, which in turn supply to around 500 pharmacies. “Our products are only available in local pharmacies as of now; we are entering general stores by the end of the year,” says Viren, highlighting the company’s plans for expansion. Recently, STIM inaugurated its fourth manufacturing plant in the SEZ zone in Noida and continues to add new products to its range.

The company employs technicians, chemists, market researchers, sales personnel, and a team that manages its website and factory operations. A significant portion of STIM’s revenue comes from exports, which account for 70% of their business. In India, STIM operates through both offline and online sales models.

Their online sales are primarily through Amazon and Flipkart, which account for 80% of their business, while the company’s website contributes the remaining 20%. The company’s pricing strategy is inclusive, with the least-priced product being a regular-sized STIM brush for Rs. 20, and the most expensive product being a children’s dental kit priced at Rs. 350.

Reflecting on his initial years at the company, Viren admits that it was challenging to gain the respect of senior management. Starting as a production executive with a salary of Rs. 30,000 per month, he worked on the factory floor and with the sales team for two years before making significant contributions to the company’s growth.

Today, the entire Khuller family is involved in the business. Viren’s father Vineet heads the manufacturing unit, Viren manages the domestic business and handles the sales and marketing departments, and his younger brother Vidit, who recently joined the company, is in charge of product development.

Vidushi, a history honors graduate and a trained chef from Le Cordon Bleu London, has a restaurant in Delhi and also manages the marketing department of STIM. With Viren at the helm, the future looks promising for STIM as it continues to innovate and expand its reach both domestically and internationally.

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