AKSHI KHANDELWAL
Founder & CEO, Butterfly Ayurveda
Akshi founded Butterfly Ayurveda in 2014, and Butterfly Ayurveda Bakery in 2018. She has spearheaded the Research & Development of Ayurvedic products, leading the formulation and launch of over 52 diverse offerings, including herbal teas, cookies, medicines, and more. Selected for the Fortune Women’s Mentoring Partnership in 2019, she envisions substantial growth for Butterfly Ayurveda, implementing strategic partnerships and innovative growth for the company. Establishing a GMP certified manufacturing unit for Ayurvedic Teas and Herbal Powders with cutting edge modern technology and launching the first outlet of Café Swasthya, an Ayurveda-inspired Café experience, one of its kind, at Gurugram on 16th Jan 2025, and then the second one, recently on 20th Jan 2026 in Delhi, has further strengthened her skill set and grown the company’s portfolio by leaps and bounds.
The journey to the name, 'Butterfly Ayurveda'
At the cusp of her journey, Akshi realized that people in India and around the world lacked in-depth knowledge and awareness about Ayurveda. She also discovered that this ancient science of healing had not received the recognition it truly deserved.
She was determined to bring about a change to such a setting. Taking inspiration from a butterfly’s journey of life that goes through several stages of evolution before it actually turns into a butterfly, Akshi named the company Butterfly Ayurveda.
‘Butterfly’ here signifies the courage to be capable of change, and transform into the most healthy self. 'Change' is the only constant, and evolution is a must for sustainable growth and progress for all. The name Butterfly Ayurveda symbolizes a transformational journey of Ayurveda in this modern world.
‘At Butterfly Ayurveda, we develop a holistic range of wellness products that can be integrated into the modern-day lifestyle and routines. We believe in an ever-changing process of life and work that helps us to realize our true potential.’ - Akshi
Previously, Akshi completed her M.A. in International and Development Economics from Yale University, U.S. in 2008, following which she worked with microfinance institutions like BASIX and research organizations like CMF (Centre for Microfinance).
She is a regular practitioner of Qi gong, Tai chi, and Shaolin Kungfu; and a trained Bharatnatyam dancer with over 25 years of experience and continues to practice.
She has read several books on Naturopathy and Ayurveda and also practiced herbal and Ayurvedic remedies to recover from her ailments and keep fit.
She was selected as one of the women entrepreneurs for the Fortune Women’s Mentoring Partnership program in 2019 and envisions growing Butterfly Ayurveda by leaps and bounds.