Pushpendra Sharma, MD, Mithaas
During the lockdown and pandemic period there was a high demand for packed and branded food items in the country. The Mithai industry was on the losing side because 95 percent of sweets are sold loose in the country. How you are handling the growing demand for packed sweets?
Well, we are planning to start launching our new product range in the Consumer Retail Market {General Trade and Modern Trade}. Specifically, sweets, namkeen and cookies and have started a new range of packing for the same.
Many companies have launched their product in the retail market after introducing the best packaging variants with good shelf life. Do you think now the time has come for all modern manufacturers to look beyond their showrooms?
We have made up a new factory in Noida of 50000 sq ft. We are also shifting to automation for food preparation / processing technology, as well as planning to set up a MAP processed sweets and IQF Processing for food preservation, which will enhance the shelf life of sweets.
Many mithai & namkeen companies introduced automatic processing lines and food safety systems in their factories. What measures you are applying for safe and hygienic mithais & namkeens?
There are lots of brands in the segments, but you can say, some of them have not marketed their presence in the market, but they are doing well in values. Major brands are doing remarkable business in Tier 2 or 3 cities, however they don’t have any visibility in Tier 1 cities, that’s why there is a feeling that the expansion pace is slow.
It’s been observed that more than 200 new showrooms of mithai were inaugurated across the country in FSNM membership before Diwali. What are your efforts in this direction?
We don’t agree with the question itself, as people always try to switch taste time to time with new brands and upcoming varieties. No one can do any expansion without market research; it is the key point for any business expansion.
In the lockdown period and thereafter during the unlock process there was an acute shortage of labour in the food factories. What measures you are applying now to reduce manpower dependency?
During the initial phase of lockdown, we also thought of rationalising manpower, but gradually we have an instinct that business will rise in future, and that time how we will get our manpower again, so we retain our 100% staff, we made sure that they will never be feel distant from our organization. We have opened two new stores during lockdown, due to the retention of our staff. Also we have done a good business as compared to last year Diwali and all this happened due to our team and employee engagement.
We have started automation in our new commissary for achieving better quality, consistency and enhanced shelf life, which will initially limits the manual works, and also reduce the extra manpower costs.