BOHECO is an Agro-based enterprise reimagining the future of Indian agriculture and sustainable living with an aim to remove some of the social stigmas around hemp & cannabis and thereby improve the income and quality of life for farmers. They commenced this journey by manufacturing hemp textiles and lately, have shifted to harnessing the non-narcotic uses of the abundant crop in food, and Ayurvedic medicines for chronic illnesses. Also, with the aid of the Indian government, BOHECO is charting a way forward with respect to large-scale cultivation of non-narcotic hemp in India.
The social enterprise was founded in 2013 by former Deloitte executive Sanvar Oberoi, former GroupM executive Yash Kotak who is Director Business Development and Media, economics and law graduate Delzaad Deolaliwala who is Director of Accounting & Legal Affairs, former Deloitte executive Avnish Pandya who is Director of Research & Development, former Directi executive Chirag Tekchandaney is Director of Marketing & Human Resources, Jahan Peston Jamas who is Director of Strategy & Collaborations, and Sumit Shah who is Director of Operations.
The company studies Hemp extensively and then engages in conversations with the related stakeholders whose support turns their imaginations into realities. With farmers, scientists, policymakers, industry leaders and world communities, they trace the timeless benefits of Cannabis to drive measurable social impact.
BOHECO Life products like Arthritis Pain CBD Oil, Skin health CBD oil, Hemp Seed Oil & all others are Ayurvedic medicines & not pharmaceutical drugs, approved by the Ministry of Ayush. For every product, a clinical trial with NIA (National Institute for Ayurveda) for Ayurveda protocol is also being run. However, for Breast cancer treatment, clinical trials will be done for FDA protocol under India’s one of the best oncology hospital – Tata Memorial Center
Yash Kotak, co-founder of BOHECO Life says, “we are working with a group of independent Ayurvedic medical practitioners from South India who get on the call, understand issues and based on the online consultation provide the prescription for medicinal cannabis. Though our chronic pain products are very mild with 5% of the cannabis extract & 95% of the Hemp seed oil. So per ml of the product, there is about 8 mg of THC & 5mg of CBD. We don’t necessarily need to give a prescription but we’re being responsible as a company”
The Ayurvedic doctor working closely with BOHECO Life
Dr Kalpana Dhuri Shah has over 22 years of rich experience in Clinical Research & Development, Business Development, Technical Services, Teaching in the Healthcare (Ayurveda) and Pharmaceutical industries. She is an expert in developing consumer-friendly fusion protocols in Panchakarma and implementing them for hospitals and Health Spas. She has the distinction of participating in Clinical Research & Trials for a wide range of products including cosmetics, OTC Products as well as for the treatment of paediatric, gynaecological and general medical disorders. Currently, she is the director at AMBER Kerala Ayurveda Panchakarma Centre and Adjunct Professor at R A Poddar Ayurvedic Medical College. Previously, she had worked as a consultant with various industries as Zandu Pharma, Raptakos and Brett, Dermexpert, Marico, Colgate-Palmolive and B Y L Nair hospital and more. She has a blend of academic and industrial experience. She has over 40 publications in various national and International Journals. She has chaired sessions at many conferences. She has been a faculty to ICMR training programmes and has been a principal investigator for many clinical trials. She is on the editorial board of the Journals like International Journal of Herbal Medicine; Journal of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry, International J of Multidisciplinary Health Sciences. She has two books to her credit. Currently, she is an Ayurvedic Consultant at MRC-KHS.
After months of tenacity, India’s premier Industrial Hemp and Medicinal Cannabis Company are on its onward journey of positive market disruption:
- The social enterprise BOHECO (Bombay Hemp Company) after reimagining the potential of cannabis got featured in the eminent FORBES 30 Under 30 – Asia – Industry, Manufacturing & Energy 2018 to remove.
- The company has partnered with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to study the medical uses of cannabis in the treatment of breast cancer and epilepsy.
- Company has been able to raise roughly Rs 13 crores (~$2 million) from a group of investors that include Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons and Rajan Anandan, Google India’s managing director.
- Other investors who participated in the round include MA Tejani of Gits Food, Srinivaas Sirigeri of Shakti Group, Nikhil Velpanur, an angel investor, and Yash Kela of Singularity Ventures.
Chronic Pain India will be reviewing BOHECO life products from an angle of health & wellness as their products also curb the conditions of chronic pain illnesses.
Written and Edited by :- Smriti Mishra
