Sanjay Ghodawat Group, a well-diversified conglomerate that had initially started its FMCG business operations in the year 2013 as an edible oil manufacturer has grown rapidly over the past few years to establish its presence in several high-value industry sectors, some of them being Aviation, Consumer Products, Food Processing, Renewable Energy, Mining, Realty, Education, etc. The group continues to enjoy the patronage of a significant section of consumers spread across the country.
Ghodawat Consumer Limited (GCL), being the FMCG arm of the Sanjay Ghodawat Group has been consistently focused on delivering quality products to consumers through constant innovations, while also ensuring product availability at affordable prices to the consumers. Claus from Food Infotech spoke to Shrenik Ghodawat, Managing Director, Ghodawat Consumer Limited.
Shrenik Ghodawat shared a little about his Company and his journey, including sharing some details on the diverse range of products manufactured and offered by the Company for its consumers. He also shared some details on Ghodawat Consumer Limited’s (GCL) manufacturing facility, the Company’s recent product launch and a lot more.
Edited Excerpts Below:
1. Could you start off by letting us know more about your Company and its product portfolio for us?
Ghodawat Consumer Limited is a Kolhapur based Company that was founded in 2013 and we are the FMCG arm of prominent business conglomerate, Sanjay Ghodawat Group, which has its presence in several high value business verticals today such as agriculture, aviation, consumer goods, food processing, renewable energy, retail, etc. Starting off its journey as an edible oil manufacturer, the Company has expanded and diversified its portfolio of products.
Currently, our Company maintains a diverse portfolio of over 200 products that are placed under 3 categories in its consumer goods division. They include staples, impulse and non-food categories. For instance, some of the staples that we deal with are rice, edible oil, pulses, jaggery, atta, sugar, snacks, etc. In the case of impulse products, we deal with both traditional and western snacks.
We are also engaged in the production and sale of carbonated non-alcoholic beverages, fruit drinks, flavoured milk, etc. In the third and final category being home and personal care, we deal in home care products such as floor cleaner, glass cleaner, agarbatti and dhoop sticks. Further, we also deal in personal care products such as deodorants, body lotions, etc.
2. Would you tell us about your recent product launches?
We have recently introduced an energy drink in the market called ‘RIDER’, which will also be made available across the country. We are also in the process of acquiring a brand, TBH (To Be Honest) that is engaged in the production and sale of dehydrated sprouts.
3. Please let us know more about your manufacturing facilities and where are they located? Any plans to establish a new facility in the coming days?
Currently, the Company owns and operates a manufacturing facility that is based out of Kolhapur, Maharashtra. Further, the Company also owns and operates a rice milling unit in Kolhapur, an oil extraction unit, snack food and beverage unit, as well as an Atta milling unit in Madhya Pradesh. Apart from these, the Company has plans to come up with a new facility in Karnataka soon.
4. From where have you been sourcing the raw materials required for production of your various products?
We have been sourcing all the raw materials that are required for our operations from the local markets, wherever we are present across the country such as jaggery and sugarcane. As of today, we have established our connectivity with more than 1 lakh farmers for the procurement of raw materials for producing a variety of products that are currently being used in our manufacturing facility.
For instance, jaggery, which is an unrefined sugar product is grown and produced in different varieties and in large numbers in Kolhapur. Jaggery and sugarcane are considered to be of superior quality and are also popular among a large section of consumers in Kolhapur and we have been procuring them for use in our manufacturing operations.
5. Please let us know about your top selling products?
Our top selling products are primarily oil and rice. The Company offers an extensive range of products belonging to different categories under its brand name “STAR”.
6. Any challenges faced by your Company in its production operations? A bit about the same for us.
There are plenty of challenges that we have been facing since the past few years. For instance, constant fluctuations in the prices of raw materials in the domestic market, whether it is oil, paper or potato have impacted our business in some form or the other and have eroded our profit margins over the past few years. This has in turn adversely impacted the profit margins of the distributors and retailers as well. Factors such as high costs of raw materials have continued to be a grave concern for us even today.
7. Please share with us a little on the infrastructure facilities in your production unit, including on any latest technologies brought in by your company into the facility.
As of today, our Company has been engaged in the production of dairy beverages and juices in Tetra Pak cartons from its fully integrated State of the Art facility at Kolhapur, Maharashtra. The beverages are processed and packaged using aseptic technology in the facility from the two filling lines provided by Tetra Pak.
8. In how many countries does your Company have a presence today?
Currently, our Company is has established its presence in more than 20 countries through its non-alcoholic malt beverages and TBH dehydrated snack products. We have been continuously reaching out to new partners in order to grow our business as well as expand our presence in more countries.
9. What’s next that you’ve planned for your Company in the coming days?
We are currently having plans to expand our presence in more cities and we intend to focus on the export markets as well to grow our presence and increase our market share in the coming days.
