At Rs 150 for 500ml and Rs 200 for 750ml, Backbay might just be India’s fanciest water, the kind you sip, not chug. In conversation with IMPACT, Actor Bhumi Pednekar and Lawyer-Entrepreneur Samiksha Pednekar, Founders of Backbay, reveal how the brand is positioning itself as a purpose-driven lifestyle beverage brand—using disruptive design, sustainability, and community-led marketing to stand out in India’s hyper-competitive water segment
Q] Backbay blends wellness, design, and sustainability beautifully, what led to its creation?
Bhumi: The germ primarily came from the fact that we felt a gap in the market for the conscious consumer—the consumer who cares about what they consume and its environmental impact. Samiksha and I have avoided single-use plastic for nearly a decade, and it became very tough for us to find such beverage solutions in the market. There’s so much information about toxins, lead, and toxic leaching of chemicals into our water and the beverages we drink, primarily because of the packaging. That’s when we realised there was a gap, and we wanted to fulfil it. So, Backbay comes from a place of problem-solving and disruption in the market with our unique packaging and water.
Q] The name ‘Backbay’ is unique. What’s the story behind the name?
Samiksha: When we realised that we wanted to enter the beverage space, we knew it was going to be water, our first product. We tried to find a quirk on the term water like paani or something similar. But then, we realised that it wasn’t category agnostic and in that journey, we were sure that we were working towards a beverage brand, not just a water brand. So one day we were going through a book and this is like one of Mumbai’s old books and we came across a map from the 1800s, where we saw the term Backbay and that really intrigued us because Mumbai is so close to both our hearts. It’s home for us. We are born and brought up here. We love the spirit of the city and that then became an ode and a driving force of the brand and that’s why we named it Backbay.
Bhumi: The one thing that defines Samiksha and I, is the Bombay spirit. We are very proud Mumbaikars and I felt that this is just the right fit for what we are. Also, we wanted to create a lifestyle beverage brand. So Backbay just felt right for it with all the future product lines also that are coming out. It just feels like the right fit.
Q] The packaging is a big statement, was it tough to design something so planet-friendly and still commercially viable?
Samiksha: What was interesting is that water in a box is like the first of its kind in India. If you see the competitors’ packaging, then you can tell easily that it’s a water brand. You can tell that, but we had four sides of a box to play around with. When it came to the design, a lot of thought had to go into it, it had to be intentional. So, how we drink matters to our bodies, our communities and our planet. This ethos built the foundation of Backbay. One side of the box carries it, while the other highlights ‘Sense, Savour and Sustain’. Sense is the experience, Savour is the taste and Sustain is naturally the sustainability quotient of it.
Bhumi: We were very clear that we wanted some sort of disruption in packaging. As I mentioned earlier, there has been growing awareness and conversation around how certain packaging leaches toxic chemicals into what we drink. Our main approach with Backbay was that we did not want water to be an afterthought—we wanted it to be treated with importance in everyday life, and for the water you drink to truly hydrate you in the best way possible. That’s why, from our source to our packaging, we wanted to offer the best available in the Indian market. Our box is recyclable, and we went a step further by introducing a biocap. We are currently the only company in India to offer a biocap because we wanted to raise the bar on sustainability. Of course, as a company, we are always evolving. Logistically too, carrying our box is easier and more comfortable. We put a lot of thought into how the box feels to hold and carry, because many of our consumers are health-conscious, on the go, and have busy lifestyles. We wanted Backbay to fit seamlessly into that lifestyle.
Q] You’ve both worked in very different industries. How has your film or legal background helped in shaping this entrepreneurial venture?
Samiksha: Our careers have not only shaped us individually but also continue to define the roles we play at Backbay. Bhumi, for instance, is very brand-led and creative—she envisions the brand’s long-term journey, asking what Backbay will look like 20 years from now. I, on the other hand, focus more on managing day-to-day operations and ensuring the business runs smoothly. In many ways, our professional backgrounds naturally influence the roles we take on within the brand. At the same time, there’s a space where we converge—as people, as entrepreneurs, and as strategic thinkers—coming together to make key decisions. That balance, I believe, is what our careers have enabled us to build, shaping who we are today on our entrepreneurial journey.
Q] Bhumi, your films carry a social message, do you feel Backbay is an extension of that same voice, just through a product instead of a screenplay?
Bhumi: Absolutely, 100 percent. Anything that we do would always be an extension of our value system and our belief system and Backbay is exactly that. I have worked in the area of climate advocacy, sustainability for all my life, in different ways and different methods because I believe in it. And that’s why for us to apply a filter to everything Samiksha and I start, was very important. We have led very purpose-driven lives, and our brand is also extremely impactful and purpose-driven.
Q] How are you planning to market this product in a highly competitive, value-sensitive category?
Samiksha: We are going to be available in Tier-1 cities first. Then we are going to move into Tier-2 cities. The channels we are going to be available through are D2C, Quick Commerce, Retail and also HoReCa. When it comes to D2C, our aim is to sort of reach wide and far in India. So anyone can order wherever you are in India, you can order through our website, through Amazon, so that channel is there and then for our Quick Commerce, we are on Zepto and Instamart, which is great because they have great coverage, across India. And then, we will also be in select retail stores, which caters to the premium market.
Bhumi: We’ll be in premium grocers, and our first step is reaching out to the loyal audience that already connects with our brand. Content creation and influencer marketing give startups like ours a strong platform, but we’re clear about staying true to our values. Our goal is to build a community of consumers who trust Backbay to always be free of nasties, sugar, and chemicals. Quick Commerce and e-commerce help us stay directly connected with them, get real-time feedback, and strengthen that relationship.
Q] Having a business of your own requires a lot of time and it’s a big responsibility as well. So, how will you balance your primary jobs as well as this venture?
Bhumi: We are two co-founders and this is our passion, not a hobby. It’s taken us two years to get it here and we are going to continue with as much honesty and hard work as possible. Fortunately for me, I have a great co-founder who is also heading operations and we have a great team. So, we have to acknowledge that we have a very dependable team and our idea is to keep growing our team because that’s where the real strength and core of Backbay is.