No retirement plan; At 53, Gulf returnee & professor wife's start-up to make cosmetics from agri-waste

Alappuzha: At an age when most of their peers are preparing for retirement, a couple from Alappuzha is beginning an ambitious new chapter. Dr Reshmy Rajasekharan (45), a scientist and teacher, and her husband, Padmakumar K (53), an accountant and Gulf returnee, have launched Cellupro Green Pvt Ltd, a startup producing sustainable cellulose pulp from agricultural waste. Their company will manufacture microcrystalline and nanocrystalline cellulose that can be used as a base material for cosmetics, paper products, eco-friendly packaging, sanitary napkins, and even research applications.

“This is a late entry, but for us it’s about finding our own path forward,” says Dr Reshmy, who is the managing director and founder. “We don’t have the time to wait for slow growth. Our goal is to push as much as possible within the limited time we have—and we’re ready to take risks.”

The idea for Cellupro Green was rooted in Dr Reshmy’s research. After earning a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Kerala in 2012, she worked as a teacher in the UAE before returning to Kerala. She later joined Bishop Moore College, Mavelikara, as a faculty member and researcher under the Department of Science and Technology’s (DST) Women Scientist Scheme-B (WOS-B) project. Her focus was on sustainable cellulose-based biocomposites, biomass valorisation, microwave synthesis, and biopolymers.

“Whenever I worked on my project, I dreamt of turning it into a company,” she recalls. That dream gained shape when her husband, who manages the financial side, encouraged her. A close friend and established entrepreneur, Maya Rajesh, also joined as co-director and investor. The couple decided to start in the cosmetics sector, where smaller-scale production is viable, before eventually exploring paper and other industries.

Cellupro Green produces high-quality cellulose pulp from rice straw, sugarcane bagasse, jackfruit peel, pineapple straw, and other agro-waste. “These raw materials are usually discarded, and rice straw burning in particular is a major cause of air pollution in North India. By converting them into cellulose pulp, we’re offering a sustainable alternative,” says Dr Reshmy.

"The eco-pulp is 100 per cent vegan and herbal. It acts as a thickener, stabiliser, oil absorber, binding agent, and cleanser in creams, lotions, face masks, sunscreens, and other cosmetic products. I tested the formulations on myself first, making everything at home,” she says.

Cellupro Green has received support from the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) and Startup India. It has helped them build collaborations in the cosmetics sector. According to KSUM, Dr Reshmy is the first woman entrepreneur from Kerala to establish a production unit for sustainable cellulose. 

The production plant is set to open at the Industrial Estate in Mavelikara, Alappuzha, by November. Padmakumar currently oversees the facility and its financial matters, while Dr Reshmy balances her entrepreneurial journey with her role as Associate Professor at Providence College of Engineering, Chengannur. She also has research collaborations abroad, including projects in Kazakhstan, and holds two patents.

For the couple, the venture is more than just business. “Our vision is to create something sustainable that benefits society,” says Dr Reshmy. “By turning agricultural waste into value-added products, we hope to reduce carbon footprint and promote circular economy practices.” With their daughters Devika and Deepika by their side, Reshmy and Padmakumar are determined to make their late-career gamble a success.