Actor Bhumi Pednekar and her sister, lawyer turned entrepreneur Samiksha Pednekar, have entered the premium, eco-conscious beverage sector with Backbay, a brand dedicated to sustainability and wellness. Their first launch, Backbay Aqua, features natural mineral water drawn from protected Himalayan sources, filtered through mineral rich rock, and bottled at the origin by a women led team in Himachal Pradesh. The water is untouched by human hands and packaged in FSC-certified paperboard cartons with plant-based caps, providing a lightweight, recyclable and safer alternative to plastic and glass bottles.
The Pednekar family’s personal mission to avoid single use plastic sparked over two years of research, culminating in Backbay. Bhumi shares, “Every time I had to use a plastic bottle, it bothered me better options just didn’t exist.” With Backbay, every choice across the supply chain sourcing, packaging, and distribution reflects this commitment. The cartons are designed to withstand India’s heat without chemical leaching, and some deliveries even use electric vehicles to minimize emissions.
Named after the iconic Mumbai bay that shaped their journeys, Backbay is rooted in the city’s spirit of resilience. “This city gave us our education, careers, and identity. We wanted the brand to reflect that,” explains Bhumi.
Targeted at health-conscious and eco-aware consumers, Backbay Aqua is launching in Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad, and is available in 500 ml (₹150) and 750 ml (₹200) cartons. Distribution includes Nature’s Basket, Zepto, Swiggy Instamart, Amazon, and Backbay’s D2C website, with a focus on selective hospitality partners schools, gyms, airports, and boardrooms where conscious hydration matters.
Both sisters are hands on Samiksha manages daily operations, while Bhumi shapes the brand’s vision. Backbay also extends Bhumi’s track record as a sustainability investor, drawing on her experience with the “Climate Warrior” initiative she launched in 2019.
Bhumi sees Backbay as a platform for positive disruption, not only in the beverage sector but in workplace leadership: “We want to question the status quo and prove women can lead, multitask, and bring empathy and innovation to business.”
With two more products in development, the Pednekars’ mission is clear: to create drinks free from sugar, toxins, and unnecessary additives, designed with wellness and environmental stewardship at the core.
